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

Hunt585 - Dart Brook at MacIntyre Bridge

Site Condition Summary
Sampling Data and Assessments
Site report cards

Site Condition Summary

This site on Dart Brook was a short distance upstream of its junction with the Hunter River. The riparian zone was heavily impacted by clearing , infestation by exotic species and bank erosion. Large boulders had been placed in the stream in an attempt to reduce bank erosion.

The instream habitat appeared degraded by siltation from bank erosion, an old concrete weir/ford and exotic fish species such as carp. The presence of filamentous algae, particularly in May 1999, suggested some nutrient enrichment. Water quality analysis indicated high concentrations of nitrogen on both sampling occasions, as well as high electrical conductivity in Autumn, and higher than expected phosphorus in Spring. Observations of high turbidity were consistent with field measurements in December 1999.

AusRivAS assessments for the edge habitat were variable over time, with O/E-Taxa values of 0.87 and 0.53 for Autumn and Spring respectively. The combined season assessment was intermediate. For the riffle habitat, O/E-Taxa values were consistent at 0.91 for both seasons. The combined season model indicated some degree of impairment, giving an O/E-Taxa value of 0.75.

Leptophlebiidae (mayflies) and predicted Odonata (dragon flies) families were not collected from the edge habitat, however, both were collected from riffles. Taxa absent from the riffle habitat were Corydalidae (alder flies) and Gripopterygidae (stone flies). Both taxa have requirements for fast flowing cobble habitat, and are considered sensitive to disturbance.

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name	Aberdeen 9033-1-S
Map Zone	56
Map Scale	1:25000
Easting	298800
Northing	6436100
Distance from source (m)	49818
Elevation (m asl)	160
Average Annual Rainfall (mm)	650

Single Season Assessments

Edge
	Autumn '99	Spring '99
	7-May-99	15-Dec-99
O/E Taxa	0.87	0.53
Band	A	B
O/E SIGNAL	0.91	0.87

Riffle
	Autumn '99	Spring '99
	7-May-99	15-Dec-99
O/E Taxa	0.91	0.91
Band	A	A
O/E SIGNAL	0.92	0.93

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons	AUT99SPR99
Model	Eastern
O/E Taxa	0.79
Band	B
O/E SIGNAL	0.88

Riffle
Seasons	AUT99SPR99
O/E Taxa	0.75
Band	B
O/E SIGNAL	0.93

Taxa Collected

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

Edge
			Autumn '99	Spring '99
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	7-May-99	15-Dec-99
Arachnida	Hydracarina			O
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	X	X
Crustacea	Decapoda	Palaemonidae	+	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Dytiscidae	X	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae		O
Insecta	Coleoptera	Hydrophilidae	O	X
Insecta	Diptera	Ceratopogonidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X	O
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Simuliidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Stratiomyidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	X	O
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	O	O
Insecta	Hemiptera	Corixidae	X	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Gerridae	O	O
Insecta	Hemiptera	Notonectidae	O
Insecta	Hemiptera	Veliidae	X	O
Insecta	Odonata	Coenagrionidae	+	+
Insecta	Odonata	Gomphidae	O	O
Insecta	Odonata	Libellulidae		O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Calamoceratidae		O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydropsychidae	+	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydroptilidae	+	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Leptoceridae	X	X
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Physidae	+	O
Nemertea	Nemertea	Nemertea	+

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

Riffle
			Autumn '99	Spring '99
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	7-May-99	15-Dec-99
Annelida	Hirudinea		+
Annelida	Oligochaeta		X	X
Arachnida	Hydracarina			O
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae		O
Crustacea	Decapoda	Palaemonidae	X
Crustacea	Ostracoda	Ostracoda	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae	X	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Gyrinidae	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Hydrophilidae	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Psephenidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Diptera	+
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Simuliidae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Tabanidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	O	X
Insecta	Diptera	Tipulidae		+
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	O	X
Insecta	Lepidoptera	Pyralidae		+
Insecta	Megaloptera	Corydalidae	O	O
Insecta	Odonata	Gomphidae	X	X
Insecta	Plecoptera	Gripopterygidae	O	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Ecnomidae		+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydrobiosidae	X	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydropsychidae	X	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydroptilidae	+	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Philopotamidae		O
Mollusca	Bivalvia	Corbiculidae	X	X
Platyhelminthes	Turbellaria	Dugesiidae	O

Water Quality Data

Water Quality Data
	Autumn '99	Spring '99
Variable	7-May-99	15-Dec-99
Water Temperature (°C)	17	23.4
Conductivity (µS/Cm)	1409	1159
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)	9.5	6.1
Alkalinity (mg CaCO₃ /L)	225	240
pH	8.2	8.13
Turbidity (NTU)	8.2	60
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L)	160	250
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L)	36	63
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L)	900	740
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L)	0.40	0.45
Ammonia (µg/L)	50	27
Nitrate (µg/L)	890	730
Nitrite (µg/L)	11	8

Key

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