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

Hunter River

Hunt11 - Hunter River upstream of Moonan Flat

Site Condition Summary

This site was to the west of Barrington Tops National Park in the upper, southerly flowing section of the Hunter River. The surrounding countryside was used for grazing. The riparian vegetation included willows with a ground layer of introduced grasses and herbs.

The water quality at the site was good with low levels of nutrients, however, varying amounts of filamentous algae were recorded on each visit.

Macroinvertebrate communities in the edge habitat were rich, as indicated by high O/E values for both single and combined season models. The assessments for the riffle habitat were more variable. The single season models indicated some degree of impairment occurring in Autumn samples. Gripopterygidae were predicted in all samples, but only collected in Spring. This family is typical of fast flowing riffle habitats, but sensitive to disturbance. Its absence from Autumn samples may either indicate some seasonally based disturbance or life history pattern that coincides with seasonal sampling.

Location Map

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name Moonan Brook 9134-2-S
Map Zone 56
Map Scale 1:25000
Easting 335500
Northing 6468500
Distance from source (m) 43778
Elevation (m asl) 410
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 650

Sampling Data and Assessments

Single Season Assessments

Edge
  Autumn '95 Spring '95 Autumn '96
  9-Apr-95 5-Oct-95 2-Apr-96
O/E Taxa 0.99 1.04 0.94
Band A A A
O/E SIGNAL 0.88 0.99 0.93
Riffle
  Autumn '95 Spring '95 Autumn '96
  9-Apr-95 5-Oct-95 2-Apr-96
O/E Taxa 0.77 0.95 0.77
Band B A B
O/E SIGNAL 0.99 1.04 1.06

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons AUT95SPR95 SPR95AUT96
Model Eastern Eastern
O/E Taxa 0.94 0.92
Band A A
O/E SIGNAL 0.96 0.93
Riffle
Seasons AUT95SPR95 SPR95AUT96
O/E Taxa 0.94 0.84
Band A B
O/E SIGNAL 1.01 1.04

Taxa Collected

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

Edge
      Autumn '95 Spring '95 Autumn '96
Phylum Class/Order Family 9-Apr-95 5-Oct-95 2-Apr-96
Annelida Oligochaeta     + +
Arachnida Hydracarina   O X X
Crustacea Decapoda Atyidae X + X
Crustacea Ostracoda     +  
Insecta Coleoptera Dytiscidae X O X
Insecta Coleoptera Elmidae X X X
Insecta Coleoptera Gyrinidae X   O
Insecta Coleoptera Hydraenidae     +
Insecta Coleoptera Hydrophilidae X X X
Insecta Coleoptera Psephenidae     +
Insecta Coleoptera Scirtidae O   O
Insecta Diptera Ceratopogonidae   O +
Insecta Diptera Chironominae X X X
Insecta Diptera Dixidae O O O
Insecta Diptera Orthocladiinae X X O
Insecta Diptera Simuliidae + +  
Insecta Diptera Tanypodinae X X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Baetidae X X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Caenidae O X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Leptophlebiidae X X X
Insecta Hemiptera Corixidae X X X
Insecta Hemiptera Gerridae O   O
Insecta Hemiptera Notonectidae X   O
Insecta Hemiptera Veliidae X X X
Insecta Odonata Coenagrionidae +    
Insecta Odonata Synlestidae   O  
Insecta Plecoptera Gripopterygidae O X O
Insecta Trichoptera Calamoceratidae O    
Insecta Trichoptera Hydrobiosidae   + +
Insecta Trichoptera Hydropsychidae +   +
Insecta Trichoptera Hydroptilidae     +
Insecta Trichoptera Leptoceridae X X X
Mollusca Gastropoda Physidae +   +
Platyhelminthes Turbellaria Dugesiidae   + +

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

Riffle
      Autumn '95 Spring '95 Autumn '96
Phylum Class/Order Family 9-Apr-95 5-Oct-95 2-Apr-96
Annelida Oligochaeta   O X O
Arachnida Hydracarina   X O O
Crustacea Decapoda Atyidae X O O
Crustacea Ostracoda     +  
Insecta Coleoptera Elmidae O X X
Insecta Coleoptera Psephenidae O   O
Insecta Diptera Chironominae X O X
Insecta Diptera Orthocladiinae X X X
Insecta Diptera Simuliidae X X X
Insecta Diptera Tanypodinae X X O
Insecta Diptera Tipulidae O + X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Baetidae X X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Caenidae O X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Leptophlebiidae X X X
Insecta Megaloptera Corydalidae X X X
Insecta Odonata Amphipterygidae   +  
Insecta Odonata Gomphidae   O  
Insecta Plecoptera Gripopterygidae O X X
Insecta Trichoptera Conoesucidae   +  
Insecta Trichoptera Hydrobiosidae X X X
Insecta Trichoptera Hydropsychidae X X X
Insecta Trichoptera Hydroptilidae   X +
Insecta Trichoptera Leptoceridae X + O
Insecta Trichoptera Philopotamidae O O O
Platyhelminthes Turbellaria Dugesiidae O   O

Water Quality Data

  Autumn '95 Spring '95 Autumn '96
Variable 9-Apr-95 5-Oct-95 2-Apr-96
Water Temperature (°C) 15.5 14.9 18.8
Conductivity (µS/Cm) 102 133 163
Alkalinity (mg CaCO3 /L) 70 60 110
pH 7.8 8.3 8.6
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) 9.9   9.6
Turbidity (NTU) 0 2.5 0.6
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L) 50 32 52
Free Reactive Phosphorus (mg/L)      
NOx Nitrogen (mg/L) <10 10 <10
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L) <0.3 <0.3 <0.3
Nitrate (mg/L)      
Nitrite (mg/L)      

Key

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