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

Hunt576 - Hunter River at Mosses Crossing near Jerrys Plains

Site Condition Summary
Sampling Data and Assessments
Site report cards

Site Condition Summary

This site was within grazing country downstream of Jerry's Plains. Much of the riparian vegetation on the left bank had been cleared. On the right bank, some willows and Casuarina sp. trees remained to give good cover, although there were mostly exotic species in the lower storeys.

The river was shallow, and instream habitat appeared degraded which was attributed to the infiltration of willow roots and some sedimentation. In December 1999, 90% of the streambed was covered in filamentous algae. Earlier in May that year, the cover was around 20 %. Water quality was within ranges expected for the mainstream Hunter River.

AusRivAS assessments of macroinvertebrate communities indicated varying degrees of impairment, with edge habitats assessed as being in better condition than riffles. O/E-Taxa values for the riffle habitat were 0.50 in May 1999 and 0.34 in December 1999. Edge samples showed the reverse pattern in which the assessment for December indicated greater impairment than that for May. Combined season assessments for each habitat reflected the greater of the two single season assessments.

In general, all samples contained few Trichoptera (caddis flies). Hydracarina (mites) was predicted but not collected in any samples. Leptophlebiidae was predicted but not collected in riffle samples. This taxon is common in riffle habitats and often considered sensitive to disturbance.

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name	Doyles Creek 9033-2-S
Map Zone	56
Map Scale	1:25000
Easting	306200
Northing	6400300
Distance from source (m)	240765
Elevation (m asl)	70
Average Annual Rainfall (mm)	650

Single Season Assessments

Edge
	Autumn '99	Spring '99
	4-May-99	13-Dec-99
O/E Taxa	0.88	0.79
Band	A	B
O/E SIGNAL	0.95	0.99

Riffle
	Autumn '99	Spring '99
	4-May-99	13-Dec-99
O/E Taxa	0.50	0.66
Band	C	B
O/ E SIGNAL	0.82	0.77

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons	AUT99SPR99
Model	Eastern
O/E Taxa	1.00
Band	A
O/E SIGNAL	0.98

Riffle
Seasons	AUT99SPR99
O/E Taxa	0.72
Band	B
O/E SIGNAL	0.87

Taxa Collected

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

Edge
			Autumn '99	Spring '99
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	4-May-99	13-Dec-99
Annelida	Oligochaeta		+
Arachnida	Hydracarina		O	O
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	X	X
Crustacea	Decapoda	Palaemonidae	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Dytiscidae	X	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae	O	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Gyrinidae	+	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Hydraenidae		+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Hydrophilidae	O	X
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X	O
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Psychodidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Simuliidae	+	+
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	X	O
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	X	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Corixidae	X	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Gerridae	O	O
Insecta	Hemiptera	Veliidae	X	O
Insecta	Odonata	Coenagrionidae	+
Insecta	Odonata	Gomphidae	X	O
Insecta	Odonata	Libellulidae	O
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	Ancylidae	+
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Physidae	+	X
Platyhelminthes	Turbellaria	Dugesiidae	+

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

Taxa Collected - Riffle
			Autumn '99	Spring '99
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	4-May-99	13-Dec-99
Annelida	Oligochaeta		O	X
Arachnida	Hydracarina		O	O
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	O	X
Crustacea	Decapoda	Palaemonidae	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae	O	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Gyrinidae	+	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Psephenidae	X	+
Insecta	Diptera	Ceratopogonidae		+
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Simuliidae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Tabanidae	+	+
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	O	O
Insecta	Diptera	Tipulidae	O	+
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	O	O
Insecta	Hemiptera	Corixidae	+
Insecta	Lepidoptera	Pyralidae		O
Insecta	Megaloptera	Corydalidae	O	O
Insecta	Odonata	Gomphidae	X	O
Insecta	Plecoptera	Gripopterygidae	O	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Ecnomidae	+	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydrobiosidae	O	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydropsychidae	X	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydroptilidae	+	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Leptoceridae	O	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Philopotamidae	O	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Trichoptera	+
Mollusca	Bivalvia	Corbiculidae		X
Platyhelminthes	Turbellaria	Dugesiidae	O

Water Quality Data

	Autumn '99	Spring '99
Variable	4-May-99	13-Dec-99
Water Temperature (°C)	15	29.5
Conductivity (µS/Cm)	1014	1010
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)	10.2	8.2
Alkalinity (mg CaCO₃ /L)	200	200
pH	8.56	8.08
Turbidity (NTU)	14.2	2.4
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L)	110	130
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L)	14	15
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L)	190	4
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L)	0.32	0.41
Ammonia (µg/L)	9	7
Nitrate (µg/L)	190	4
Nitrite (µg/L)	3	<1

Key

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