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

Muscle Creek at Muswellbrook

Hunt506 - Muscle Creek at Muswellbrook

Site Condition Summary

This site was within the suburban area of Muswellbrook. The riparian zone was heavily altered, as natural vegetation had been replaced with exotics including privet and willow. Instream habitat had been altered by sedimentation, rubbish and the intrusion of willow roots.

Water quality was poor, consistent with inputs from the surrounding urban environment, via a stormwater outlet in the riparian zone which discharged into the creek. Visual site assessments reported the presence of surface scum, foam, and a strong odour.

Water quality was poor and varied between visits. In Autumn 1997, high levels of phosphorus were recorded. Phosphorus concentrations were lower in the following Spring. The poor water quality was a likely contributor to the varying amounts of filamentous algae that were recorded.

Richness of macroinvertebrates in the edge habitat was low in Autumn 1997. Samples from Spring 1997 were richer than those collected in Autumn, however, the O/E-Taxa value indicated the fauna were not as rich as predicted. Combining the data from these two seasons further improved the O/E-Taxa value to 0.77 (band B).

Location Map

Location Map
Feint grid lines indicate 1 km square

Location Details
Map Name Muswellbrook 9033-2-N
Map Zone 56
Map Scale 1:25000
Easting 300900
Northing 6427900
Distance from source (m) 16336
Elevation (m asl) 140
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 650

Sampling Data and Assessments

Single Season Assessments

Edge
  Autumn '97 Spring '97
  16-Apr-97 21-Oct-97
O/E Taxa 0.35 0.64
Band C B
O/E SIGNAL 0.90 0.69

Riffle

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons AUT97SPR97
Model Eastern
O/E Taxa 0.77
Band B
O/E SIGNAL 0.83

Riffle

Taxa Collected

Edge
      Autumn '97 Spring '97
Phylum Class/Order Family 16-Apr-97 21-Oct-97
Annelida Oligochaeta   + +
Arachnida Hydracarina     +
Crustacea Decapoda Atyidae X O
Crustacea Decapoda Palaemonidae +  
Crustacea Ostracoda     +
Insecta Coleoptera Dytiscidae O X
Insecta Coleoptera Hydraenidae + +
Insecta Coleoptera Hydrophilidae X X
Insecta Diptera Chironominae X X
Insecta Diptera Culicidae +  
Insecta Diptera Orthocladiinae O X
Insecta Diptera Stratiomyidae +  
Insecta Diptera Tanypodinae O O
Insecta Ephemeroptera Baetidae X O
Insecta Ephemeroptera Caenidae O X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Leptophlebiidae O O
Insecta Hemiptera Corixidae O O
Insecta Hemiptera Gerridae O  
Insecta Hemiptera Hydrometridae   +
Insecta Hemiptera Notonectidae O O
Insecta Hemiptera Veliidae O X
Insecta Odonata Coenagrionidae + +
Insecta Odonata Corduliidae + +
Insecta Odonata Gomphidae O O
Insecta Odonata Megapodagrionidae + +
Insecta Trichoptera Ecnomidae + +
Insecta Trichoptera Hydroptilidae +  
Insecta Trichoptera Leptoceridae O O
Mollusca Bivalvia Corbiculidae +  
Mollusca Gastropoda Hydrobiidae +  
Mollusca Gastropoda Lymnaeidae +  
Mollusca Gastropoda Physidae + X
Mollusca Gastropoda Planorbidae   +
Platyhelminthes Turbellaria Dugesiidae   +

Riffle

Water Quality Data

  Autumn '97 Spring '97
Variable 16-Apr-97 21-Oct-97
Water Temperature (°C) 16.6 15.3
Conductivity (µS/Cm) 6  
Alkalinity (mg CaCO3 /L) 230 210
pH 7.73 7.32
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) 4.6 2.9
Turbidity (NTU) 7 2.8
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L) 130 54
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L)    
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L) 240 <10
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L) 0.56 0.44
Nitrate (µg/L)    
Nitrite (µg/L)    

Key

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