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

Hunt583 - Pages River at Allan Bridge

Site Condition Summary
Sampling Data and Assessments
Site report cards

Site Condition Summary

This site was within grazing country south of Scone. Most of the native riparian vegetation had been cleared and replaced with exotic plant species including willow. The invasion of the stream by willow roots and trampling by cattle appeared to have degraded the instream habitat.

Physico-chemical water quality variables were similar on both sampling occasions, however, nutrient concentrations (nitrogen and phosphorus) were higher during the first visit in May 1999, than later in December 1999. Oxidised nitrogen (NOx) concentration was higher than expected when sampled in May. Other water quality variables were within expected ranges.

The O/E-Taxa value for the edge habitat was 1.00 in December 1999. The assessments of the riffle habitat showed a greater degree of impairment, with O/E-Taxa values of 0.59 and 0.73. The combined season assessment was intermediate.

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name	Scone 9033-1-N
Map Zone	56
Map Scale	1:25000
Easting	304200
Northing	6443800
Distance from source (m)	74094
Elevation (m asl)	180
Average Annual Rainfall (mm)	650

Single Season Assessments

Edge
	Spring '99
	13-Dec-99
O/E Taxa	1.00
Band	A
O/E SIGNAL	1.09

Riffle
	Autumn '99	Spring '99
	6-May-99	13-Dec-99
O/E Taxa	0.59	0.73
Band	C	B
O/E SIGNAL	1.02	0.98

Combined Season Assessments

Edge

Riffle
Seasons	AUT99SPR99
O/E Taxa	0.69
Band	B
O/E SIGNAL	0.98

Taxa Collected

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

Edge
			Autumn '99	Spring '99
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	6-May-99	13-Dec-99
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	X	X
Crustacea	Decapoda	Palaemonidae	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Dytiscidae	O	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Hydrophilidae	O	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Psephenidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Ceratopogonidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Chironomidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	O	X
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	O	O
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	O	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	O	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	O	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Corixidae	X	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Gerridae	O
Insecta	Hemiptera	Notonectidae	O	O
Insecta	Hemiptera	Ochteridae	+
Insecta	Hemiptera	Veliidae	O	O
Insecta	Odonata	Coenagrionidae	+
Insecta	Odonata	Gomphidae	O	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Leptoceridae	X	X
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Physidae		O

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

Riffle
			Autumn '99	Spring '99
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	6-May-99	13-Dec-99
Annelida	Hirudinea			+
Annelida	Oligochaeta		O	X
Arachnida	Hydracarina		O	O
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	O	O
Crustacea	Decapoda	Palaemonidae	O
Insecta	Coleoptera	Dytiscidae		+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae	O	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Gyrinidae	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Psephenidae	X
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Simuliidae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	O	O
Insecta	Diptera	Tipulidae	+
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	O	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	X	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Corixidae	+
Insecta	Lepidoptera	Pyralidae		O
Insecta	Megaloptera	Corydalidae	X	O
Insecta	Odonata	Gomphidae	X	X
Insecta	Plecoptera	Gripopterygidae	O	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydrobiosidae	O	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydropsychidae	X	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydroptilidae		O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Philopotamidae	O	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Trichoptera	+
Mollusca	Bivalvia	Corbiculidae	O	O
Platyhelminthes	Turbellaria	Dugesiidae	O

Water Quality Data

	Autumn '99	Spring '99
Variable	6-May-99	13-Dec-99
Water Temperature (°C)	20.2	26.2
Conductivity (µS/Cm)	717	687
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)	8.4	5.7
Alkalinity (mg CaCO₃ /L)	165	160
pH	8.67	8.43
Turbidity (NTU)	3.8	1.9
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L)	57	<12
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L)	10	5
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L)	230	3
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L)	<0.3	<0.3
Ammonia (µg/L)	14	6
Nitrate (µg/L)	220	3
Nitrite (µg/L)	3	<1

Key

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