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
Hunt584 - Baerami Creek at Jones Bridge
Site Condition Summary
Baerami Creek is a tributary of the Goulburn River. This site was several kilometers upstream of their confluence.
The riparian zone was heavily degraded and infested by exotic species. The instream habitat appeared similarly degraded due to cattle trampling, sedimentation and the presence of mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis). Water quality appeared poor, with iron flocculate and an oily scum on the water surface. However, water quality measurements were within the ranges expected for rivers of this region. Extensive mats of filamentous algae were also present.
Despite the degraded habitat, the macroinvertebrate community in the edge habitat was similar in richness to that expected at a reference condition site (O/E-Taxa value 0.96).
Location Map
| Map Name | Kerrabee 8933-2-S |
| Map Zone | 56 |
| Map Scale | 1:25000 |
| Easting | 260300 |
| Northing | 6407500 |
| Distance from source (m) | 30597 |
| Elevation (m asl) | 160 |
| Average Annual Rainfall (mm) | 650 |
Sampling Data and Assessments
Single Season Assessments
| Autumn '99 | |
|---|---|
| 5-May-99 | |
| O/E Taxa | 0.96 |
| Band | A |
| O/E SIGNAL | 1.04 |
Riffle
Combined Season Assessments
Edge
Riffle
Taxa Collected
X= Taxa Predicted & Collected, O = Taxa Predicted & NOT Collected, + = Taxa Collected & NOT Predicted
| Autumn '99 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Phylum | Class/Order | Family | 5-May-99 |
| Arachnida | Hydracarina | + | |
| Crustacea | Decapoda | Atyidae | O |
| Insecta | Coleoptera | Dytiscidae | X |
| Insecta | Coleoptera | Gyrinidae | + |
| Insecta | Coleoptera | Hydrophilidae | X |
| Insecta | Diptera | Chironominae | X |
| Insecta | Diptera | Orthocladiinae | X |
| Insecta | Diptera | Tanypodinae | X |
| Insecta | Ephemeroptera | Baetidae | X |
| Insecta | Ephemeroptera | Caenidae | X |
| Insecta | Ephemeroptera | Leptophlebiidae | X |
| Insecta | Hemiptera | Corixidae | O |
| Insecta | Hemiptera | Gerridae | O |
| Insecta | Hemiptera | Notonectidae | X |
| Insecta | Hemiptera | Veliidae | O |
| Insecta | Odonata | Gomphidae | X |
| Insecta | Odonata | Libellulidae | + |
| Insecta | Trichoptera | Ecnomidae | + |
| Insecta | Trichoptera | Hydroptilidae | + |
| Insecta | Trichoptera | Leptoceridae | X |
| Mollusca | Gastropoda | Physidae | + |
| Mollusca | Gastropoda | Planorbidae | + |
Riffle
Water Quality Data
| Autumn '99 | |
|---|---|
| Variable | 5-May-99 |
| Water Temperature (°C) | 15.6 |
| Conductivity (µS/Cm) | 926 |
| Alkalinity (mg CaCO3 /L) | 80 |
| pH | 7.35 |
| Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) | 8.6 |
| Turbidity (NTU) | 0.3 |
| Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L) | <12 |
| Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L) | 3 |
| NOx Nitrogen (µg/L) | 8 |
| Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L) | <0.3 |
| Nitrate (µg/L) | 8 |
| Nitrite (µg/L) | <1 |
Key
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