Water

Publications

River Health in the New South Wales Lower North Coast, Hunter and Central Coast Catchments

A report of AusRivAS assessments 1994 - 1999
Grant Hose and Eren Turak
Environment Protection Agency, 2004
ISBN 0 642 55099 9 ISSN 1447-1280

Williams River

Hunt04 - Williams River at Rocky Crossing

Site Condition Summary

This reference site was on a heavily shaded, rocky upland stream in the Barrington Tops National Park. Water quality and visual assessments of instream habitat were consistently good. The site had particularly good riffle habitat, but the edge habitat was marginal, having a high proportion of bedrock.

AusRivAS assessments for the site were frequently in band A, indicating a rich fauna was present at the site. The assessment of edge habitat from Autumn 1999 was in band B. Combined season edge samples were more often in band B. This is mostly a consequence of poor edge habitat.

Samples from the riffle habitat were consistently assessed as being in band A for both single and combined season models.

Water quality at the site was consistently good and visual assessments indicated no obvious disturbance. The riffle fauna of the site reflected the high quality habitat and was consistent with that expected for a high altitude stream. Riffle fauna particularly had a high diversity of Trichoptera and Plecoptera. The edge fauna appeared more variable over time.

Location Map

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name Barrington Tops 9133-1-N
Map Zone 56
Map Scale 1:25000
Easting 357300
Northing 6445600
Distance from source (m) 7029
Elevation (m asl) 690
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 750

Sampling Data and Assessments

Single Season Assessments

Edge
  Spring '94 Autumn '95 Spring '95 Autumn '96 Autumn '97 Autumn '98 Spring '98 Autumn '99
  12-Oct-94 3-May-95 5-Dec-95 3-Apr-96 17-Apr-97 6-Apr-98 14-Oct-98 4-May-99
O/E Taxa 0.87 0.89 0.87 1.03 0.96 0.96 0.95 0.76
Band A A A A A A A B
O/E SIGNAL 1.05 1.06 1.04 0.99 0.99 1.05 1.01 1.13
Riffle
  Autumn '95 Spring '95 Autumn '96 Spring '97 Autumn '98 Spring '98 Autumn '99 Spring '99
  3-May-95 5-Dec-95 3-Apr-96 23-Oct-97 6-Apr-98 14-Oct-98 4-May-99 16-Dec-99
O/E Taxa 1.08 0.98 0.89 0.98 1.08 1.18 1.21 0.92
Band A A A A A A X A
O/E SIGNAL 1.03 1.06 0.98 1.03 1.03 1.03 0.99 1.17

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons SPR94AUT95 AUT95SPR95 SPR95AUT96 AUT98SPR98 SPR98AUT99
Model Eastern Eastern Eastern Eastern Eastern
O/E Taxa 0.78 0.78 0.78 0.99 0.73
Band B B B A B
O/E SIGNAL 1.06 1.02 1.01 0.94 0.93
Riffle
Seasons AUT95SPR95 SPR95AUT96 SPR97AUT98 AUT98SPR98 SPR98AUT99 AUT99SPR99
O/E Taxa 1.04 0.98 1.09 1.14 1.09 1.09
Band A A A X A A
O/E SIGNAL 1.04 1.05 1.04 1.04 1.04 1.04

Taxa Collected

X= Taxa Predicted & Collected, O = Taxa Predicted & NOT Collected, + = Taxa Collected & NOT Predicted

Edge
      Spring '94 Autumn '95 Spring '95 Autumn '96 Autumn '97 Autumn '98 Spring '98 Autumn '99
Phylum Class/Order Family 12-Oct-94 3-May-95 5-Dec-95 3-Apr-96 17-Apr-97 6-Apr-98 14-Oct-98 4-May-99
Annelida Oligochaeta   +     + + +   +
Arachnida Hydracarina   X X X X O X X X
Crustacea Amphipoda Talitridae               +
Crustacea Decapoda Atyidae + X   X X O   O
Insecta Coleoptera Carabidae             +  
Insecta Coleoptera Dytiscidae O O X X X O X X
Insecta Coleoptera Elmidae X X O X X X X O
Insecta Coleoptera Gyrinidae + X + X X X + X
Insecta Coleoptera Hydraenidae         + +   +
Insecta Coleoptera Hydrophilidae O O O X O X X O
Insecta Coleoptera Psephenidae + +   +   + +  
Insecta Coleoptera Ptilodactylidae         +      
Insecta Coleoptera Scirtidae   O   O O X   X
Insecta Coleoptera Staphylinidae               +
Insecta Collembola Collembola           +    
Insecta Diptera Athericidae       +        
Insecta Diptera Ceratopogonidae O   O       O +
Insecta Diptera Chironomidae     +          
Insecta Diptera Chironominae X X O X X X O X
Insecta Diptera Culicidae   +            
Insecta Diptera Dixidae O O X O O X O X
Insecta Diptera Orthocladiinae X X X O O O X O
Insecta Diptera Podonominae             +  
Insecta Diptera Stratiomyidae     +          
Insecta Diptera Tanypodinae X X X X X X X O
Insecta Diptera Thaumaleidae               +
Insecta Diptera Tipulidae         +      
Insecta Ephemeroptera Ameletopsidae       +        
Insecta Ephemeroptera Baetidae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Caenidae X O O O O O O O
Insecta Ephemeroptera Leptophlebiidae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Hemiptera Corixidae O O X O X O X O
Insecta Hemiptera Gelastocoridae           +    
Insecta Hemiptera Gerridae   O   O O X   O
Insecta Hemiptera Notonectidae   O + X X X + O
Insecta Hemiptera Veliidae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Lepidoptera Lepidoptera       +        
Insecta Neuroptera Neurorthidae               +
Insecta Odonata Aeshnidae + X   X X O + O
Insecta Odonata Corduliidae +              
Insecta Odonata Synlestidae O   O       O  
Insecta Plecoptera Austroperlidae       +        
Insecta Plecoptera Eustheniidae         + +    
Insecta Plecoptera Gripopterygidae X X X X X O X X
Insecta Plecoptera Notonemouridae   + + + +      
Insecta Trichoptera Calamoceratidae + +            
Insecta Trichoptera Calocidae + +   + + +   +
Insecta Trichoptera Conoesucidae +       +      
Insecta Trichoptera Ecnomidae         + +    
Insecta Trichoptera Helicopsychidae   +   + + + + +
Insecta Trichoptera Hydrobiosidae     +          
Insecta Trichoptera Hydropsychidae         +      
Insecta Trichoptera Leptoceridae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Trichoptera Philorheithridae + +   +        
Insecta Trichoptera Polycentropodidae           +    
Insecta Trichoptera Tasimiidae + +     +      
Mollusca Gastropoda Ancylidae           +    

X= Taxa Predicted & Collected, O = Taxa Predicted & NOT Collected, + = Taxa  Collected & NOT Predicted

Riffle
      Autumn '95 Spring '95 Autumn '96 Spring '97 Autumn '98 Spring '98 Autumn '99 Spring '99
Phylum Class/Order Family 3-May-95 5-Dec-95 3-Apr-96 23-Oct-97 6-Apr-98 14-Oct-98 4-May-99 16-Dec-99
Annelida Oligochaeta   O + X + X + X +
Arachnida Hydracarina   X O O X X X X O
Insecta Coleoptera Elmidae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Coleoptera Hydraenidae   + +          
Insecta Coleoptera Lampyridae   +            
Insecta Coleoptera Pselaphidae       +        
Insecta Coleoptera Psephenidae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Coleoptera Ptilodactylidae               +
Insecta Coleoptera Scirtidae X X O X O X X X
Insecta Diptera Blephariceridae     + + + + +  
Insecta Diptera Ceratopogonidae   +            
Insecta Diptera Chironomidae               +
Insecta Diptera Chironominae X X X X X X X O
Insecta Diptera Diamesinae   +   +        
Insecta Diptera Diptera     +     +    
Insecta Diptera Dolichopodidae       +        
Insecta Diptera Orthocladiinae X X X X O X X O
Insecta Diptera Simuliidae X O X X O X X O
Insecta Diptera Tanypodinae   O   O   O   O
Insecta Diptera Tipulidae O X O O X X X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Baetidae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Caenidae   O   O   O   O
Insecta Ephemeroptera Ephemerellidae           +    
Insecta Ephemeroptera Leptophlebiidae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Megaloptera Corydalidae O   O + X   O  
Insecta Neuroptera Neurorthidae   +   + + + + +
Insecta Odonata Aeshnidae X X O O X X X X
Insecta Plecoptera Austroperlidae + + + + + + + +
Insecta Plecoptera Eustheniidae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Plecoptera Gripopterygidae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Trichoptera Calocidae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Trichoptera Conoesucidae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Trichoptera Ecnomidae     +          
Insecta Trichoptera Glossosomatidae   + + + + + + +
Insecta Trichoptera Helicopsychidae +   + + +   + +
Insecta Trichoptera Hydrobiosidae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Trichoptera Hydropsychidae X X X X X X X X
Insecta Trichoptera Leptoceridae O O O O O X O X
Insecta Trichoptera Odontoceridae     +   + + +  
Insecta Trichoptera Philopotamidae X + O   X + X +
Insecta Trichoptera Philorheithridae     + +        
Insecta Trichoptera Trichoptera     +          
Nematomorpha Gordioidea Gordiidae +     + + +    

Water Quality Data

  Spring '94 Autumn '95 Spring '95 Autumn '96 Autumn '97 Spring '97 Autumn '98 Spring '98 Autumn '99 Spring '99
Variable 12-Oct-94 3-May-95 5-Dec-95 3-Apr-96 17-Apr-97 23-Oct-97 6-Apr-98 14-Oct-98 4-May-99 16-Dec-99
Water Temperature (°C) 11.6 14.8 16.7 12.2 13.3 10 14.2 13.3 14.1 14.9
Conductivity (µS/Cm) 57.96 73 27 7   41 54 65 35 53
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) 8.2 8.74 9.8 10.5 9.9 10.9 8.3 10 8.6 9.2
Alkalinity (mg CaCO3 /L) 18 23 16 21 21 17 22 19 17 18
pH 7.89 7.44 7.2 8 8.07 7.54 7.49 7.57 7.8 8.18
Turbidity (NTU) 0.7 1.4 8.2 0.1 1 5.6 1.3 0 2.7 0
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L) <12 13 16 12 13 <12 15 12 13 48
Free Reactive Phosphorus (mg/L)               12 10 12
NOx Nitrogen (mg/L) 70 50 30 90 120 20 190 57 46 78
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L) <0.3 <0.3 <0.3 <0.3 <0.3 <0.3 <0.3 <0.3 <0.3 <0.3
Ammonia (mg/L)               6 3 <3
Nitrate (mg/L)               56 46 78
Nitrite (mg/L)               <1 <1 <1

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