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

Martindale Creek

Hunt580 - Martindale Creek upstream of The Ranch

Site Condition Summary

This catchment above this site was almost wholly within Wollemi National Park. Below this site, Martindale Creek fed into the Hunter River. The land surrounding the site was used for light grazing and much of the native forest remains. The riparian zone had undergone recent earthworks which had allowed some invasion by exotic plants.

The instream habitat appeared degraded. There was a ford upstream, and a pump in the stream at the site. There was also some evidence of the creek having been desnagged. Visual assessments from May 1999 indicated that water quality had been compromised, with water having a milky appearance, an oily surface and an orange precipitate along the water's edge. These same conditions were not recorded on the return visit in December 1999. Measured water quality variables were within expected ranges.

Assessments of macroinvertebrate communities gave O/E-Taxa values of 0.96 and 0.81 for May and December respectively. The difference may be due to Atyidae (shrimps) and several Hemiptera (true bugs) families not being collected in the December sample.

Location Map

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name Glen Gallic 9032-4-N
Map Zone 56
Map Scale 1:25000
Easting 285800
Northing 6390500
Distance from source (m) 30224
Elevation (m asl) 160
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 650

Sampling Data and Assessments

Single Season Assessments

Edge
  Autumn '99 Spring '99
  4-May-99 13-Dec-99
O/E Taxa 0.96 0.81
Band A B
O/E SIGNAL 0.89 0.96

Riffle

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons AUT99SPR99
Model Eastern
O/E Taxa 1.06
Band A
O/E SIGNAL 0.99

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 4-May-99 13-Dec-99
Annelida Oligochaeta     +
Arachnida Hydracarina   X X
Crustacea Decapoda Atyidae X O
Crustacea Ostracoda Ostracoda +  
Insecta Coleoptera Dytiscidae X X
Insecta Coleoptera Elmidae O O
Insecta Coleoptera Gyrinidae O X
Insecta Coleoptera Hydraenidae   +
Insecta Coleoptera Hydrophilidae X O
Insecta Coleoptera Scirtidae O +
Insecta Diptera Chironominae X X
Insecta Diptera Dixidae O O
Insecta Diptera Orthocladiinae O X
Insecta Diptera Tanypodinae X X
Insecta Diptera Tipulidae +  
Insecta Ephemeroptera Baetidae X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Caenidae X  
Insecta Ephemeroptera Leptophlebiidae X X
Insecta Hemiptera Corixidae X X
Insecta Hemiptera Gerridae O O
Insecta Hemiptera Hydrometridae +  
Insecta Hemiptera Notonectidae X O
Insecta Hemiptera Veliidae X O
Insecta Odonata Aeshnidae   +
Insecta Odonata Coenagrionidae   +
Insecta Odonata Corduliidae + +
Insecta Odonata Gomphidae + +
Insecta Odonata Isostictidae + +
Insecta Odonata Megapodagrionidae +  
Insecta Odonata Synlestidae   +
Insecta Plecoptera Gripopterygidae O O
Insecta Trichoptera Calamoceratidae X X
Insecta Trichoptera Hydroptilidae + +
Insecta Trichoptera Leptoceridae X X
Insecta Trichoptera Odontoceridae +  
Insecta Trichoptera Polycentropodidae +  
Mollusca Bivalvia Corbiculidae +  
Mollusca Gastropoda Ancylidae   +

Riffle

Water Quality Data

  Autumn '99 Spring '99
Variable 4-May-99 13-Dec-99
Water Temperature (°C) 15.2 22.9
Conductivity (µS/Cm) 250 149
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) 7.4 7.2
Alkalinity (mg CaCO3 /L) 40 25
pH 6.82 6.54
Turbidity (NTU) 5.2 0
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L) <12 59
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L) <2 <2
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L) 3 13
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L) 0.30 <0.3
Ammonia (µg/L) 37 19
Nitrate (µg/L) 1 12
Nitrite (µg/L) 2 <1

Key

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