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

Congewai Creek

Hunt574 - Congewai Creek at Ford

Site Condition Summary

Congewai Creek is a tributary of Wollombi Brook. This site was on the outskirts of the Watagan State Forest and was surrounded by grazing land. Much of the native riparian vegetation was intact, although there was some exotic species encroaching. There was also some evidence of cattle trampling the riparian zone and accessing the stream.

Water quality at the site was good, with nutrient concentrations low and all other physico-chemical variables within expected ranges. Some staining of the water with tannins from decaying vegetation was noted in Spring 1999.

The macroinvertebrate communities at the site were similar to those expected under reference condition. O/E-Taxa values for both single season and combined assessments were between 0.86 and 0.96 (band A). Hydrophilidae (beetle) was predicted but notably absent from both edge samples.

Location Map

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name Quorrobolong 9132-2-S
Map Zone 56
Map Scale 1:25000
Easting 344400
Northing 6348000
Distance from source (m) 7769
Elevation (m asl) 140
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 1100

Sampling Data and Assessments

Single Season Assessments

Edge
  Autumn '99 Spring '99
  5-May-99 14-Dec-99
O/E Taxa 0.86 0.96
Band A A
O/E SIGNAL 1.00 1.07

Riffle

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons AUT99SPR99
Model Eastern
O/E Taxa 0.94
Band A
O/E SIGNAL 1.04

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
Annelida Oligochaeta   + +
Arachnida Hydracarina   X X
Crustacea Decapoda Atyidae X X
Crustacea Ostracoda Ostracoda O +
Insecta Coleoptera Dytiscidae X X
Insecta Coleoptera Elmidae   +
Insecta Coleoptera Gyrinidae + +
Insecta Coleoptera Hydraenidae X  
Insecta Coleoptera Hydrophilidae O O
Insecta Coleoptera Scirtidae X X
Insecta Diptera Ceratopogonidae   +
Insecta Diptera Chironominae X X
Insecta Diptera Culicidae   O
Insecta Diptera Orthocladiinae O  
Insecta Diptera Simuliidae +  
Insecta Diptera Tanypodinae X X
Insecta Diptera Tipulidae   +
Insecta Ephemeroptera Leptophlebiidae X X
Insecta Hemiptera Corixidae   +
Insecta Hemiptera Gerridae X X
Insecta Hemiptera Hydrometridae O X
Insecta Hemiptera Mesoveliidae O  
Insecta Hemiptera Notonectidae + +
Insecta Hemiptera Pleidae   +
Insecta Hemiptera Veliidae X O
Insecta Odonata Aeshnidae   +
Insecta Odonata Corduliidae   +
Insecta Odonata Gomphidae   +
Insecta Odonata Synlestidae   +
Insecta Trichoptera Calamoceratidae   +
Insecta Trichoptera Leptoceridae O X
Mollusca Bivalvia Corbiculidae + +
Mollusca Gastropoda Planorbidae + +
Platyhelminthes Turbellaria Dugesiidae + +

Riffle

Water Quality Data

  Autumn '99 Spring '99
Variable 5-May-99 14-Dec-99
Water Temperature (°C) 15.5 17.2
Conductivity (µS/Cm) 197 298
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) 6.9 5.1
Alkalinity (mg CaCO3 /L) 17 35
pH 6.95 6.77
Turbidity (NTU) 4.7 6.7
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L) <12 17
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L) 3 <2
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L) 40 51
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L) <0.3 0.35
Ammonia (µg/L) 41 92
Nitrate (µg/L) 38 49
Nitrite (µg/L) 2 2

Key

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