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

Hunt572 - Hunter River at Maison Dieu

Site Condition Summary
Sampling Data and Assessments
Site report cards

Site Condition Summary

The land surrounding this site at Maison Dieu was primarily under pasture for cattle grazing. The removal of native riparian vegetation has led to invasion by exotic species (including willow) and erosion and slumping of the steep river banks.

The instream habitats had been degraded by the invasion of willow roots and sedimentation from collapsed banks. Small amounts of filamentous algae and slight turbidity were noted on both sampling visits. Water quality was within ranges expected for the lowland section of the Hunter River.

AusRivAS assessments indicated some loss of taxa in both riffle and edge habitats. All single season models indicated a loss of 20 % or more of taxa (band B) had occurred. Combined edge model indicated a similar picture with an O/E-Taxa of 0.82 (ie a loss of 18 % of taxa). Gomphidae (dragon flies) were predicted by all single season models but never collected.

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name	Singleton 9132-4-N
Map Zone	56
Map Scale	1:25000
Easting	317000
Northing	6399600
Distance from source (m)	261253
Elevation (m asl)	40
Average Annual Rainfall (mm)	750

Single Season Assessments

Edge
	Autumn '99	Spring '99
	5-May-99	14-Dec-99
O/E Taxa	0.73	0.80
Band	B	B
O/E SIGNAL	0.93	1.00

Riffle
	Spring '99
	14-Dec-99
O/E Taxa	0.73
Band	B
O/E SIGNAL	0.91

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons	AUT99SPR99
Model	Eastern
O/E Taxa	0.82
Band	A
O/E SIGNAL	0.98

Riffle

Taxa Collected

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

Edge
			Autumn '99	Spring '99
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	5-May-99	14-Dec-99
Arachnida	Hydracarina		O	O
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	X	X
Crustacea	Decapoda	Palaemonidae		+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Dytiscidae	O	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae	X	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Gyrinidae	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Hydrophilidae	X	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Staphylinidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X	O
Insecta	Diptera	Ephydridae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	X	O
Insecta	Diptera	Simuliidae	+	+
Insecta	Diptera	Stratiomyidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	O	O
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	O	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Corixidae	X	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Gelastocoridae		+
Insecta	Hemiptera	Gerridae	O	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Hebridae	+
Insecta	Hemiptera	Nepidae		+
Insecta	Hemiptera	Veliidae	X	O
Insecta	Lepidoptera	Lepidoptera		+
Insecta	Odonata	Coenagrionidae	+	+
Insecta	Odonata	Gomphidae	O	O
Insecta	Odonata	Isostictidae		+
Insecta	Odonata	Libellulidae	O	X
Insecta	Odonata	Protoneuridae	+	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Calamoceratidae	O	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Ecnomidae		+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydropsychidae		+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydroptilidae	+	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Leptoceridae	X	X
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Hydrobiidae		+
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Physidae	+	X

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

Riffle
			Spring '99
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	14-Dec-99
Annelida	Oligochaeta		X
Arachnida	Hydracarina		X
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	O
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Psephenidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Ceratopogonidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	X
Insecta	Diptera	Simuliidae	X
Insecta	Diptera	Tabanidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	X
Insecta	Diptera	Tipulidae	+
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	X
Insecta	Megaloptera	Corydalidae	O
Insecta	Odonata	Gomphidae	O
Insecta	Plecoptera	Gripopterygidae	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Ecnomidae	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydrobiosidae	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydropsychidae	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydroptilidae	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Leptoceridae	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Philopotamidae	O
Mollusca	Bivalvia	Corbiculidae	O

Water Quality Data

Water Quality Data
	Autumn '99	Spring '99
Variable	5-May-99	14-Dec-99
Water Temperature (°C)	20	23
Conductivity (µS/Cm)	988	1006
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)	97	7.3
Alkalinity (mg CaCO₃ /L)	200	70
pH	8.62	8.07
Turbidity (NTU)	20	12
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L)	100	110
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L)	32	24
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L)	140	7
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L)	0.33	0.34
Ammonia (µg/L)	13	6
Nitrate (µg/L)	140	6
Nitrite (µg/L)	2	<1

Key

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