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

Hunt587 - Goulburn River at Wollar Road

Site Condition Summary
Sampling Data and Assessments
Site report cards

Site Condition Summary

This site on the Goulburn River was bordered by the Goulburn River National Park on the left bank and cattle grazing country on the right. Despite the National Park status, there was some evidence of cattle grazing on the left bank as well.

The riparian zone had become infested with exotic plants, including willows, and parts of the right bank had been cleared. Upstream of the site was a causeway which had altered the natural hydrology. Field observations indicated high levels of suspended solids and a strong odour in December 1999, which may be due to a dead cow in the river upstream of the site. Filamentous algae covered large sections of the site on both sampling occasions. Water quality was good with most readings falling within the ranges expected for rivers of this region. The exception was dissolved oxygen which was lower than expected in Spring

Single season assessments of the edge habitat for both seasons were in band B, indicating some degree of impairment. The combined season model gave a much higher O/E-Taxa value of 0.92 (band A). The apparent contradiction in these assessments reflects variability in the composition of macroinvertebrate communities over time. By pooling the variable single season data, the combined season assessment was calculated using a greater number of taxa.

The riffle habitat assessments were variable over time. The assessment from May 1999 indicated considerable impairment of the macroinvertebrate community, but subsequent sampling in December 1999 showed fauna to be similar to that expected at a reference site. The combined season assessment was intermediate.

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name	Mt Misery 8933-3-N
Map Zone	56
Map Scale	1:25000
Easting	221300
Northing	6419200
Distance from source (m)	94691
Elevation (m asl)	230
Average Annual Rainfall (mm)	650

Single Season Assessments

Edge
	Autumn '99	Spring '99
	5-May-99	14-Dec-99
O/E Taxa	0.69	0.64
Band	B	B
O/E SIGNAL	0.77	1.06

Riffle
	Autumn '99	Spring '99
	5-May-99	14-Dec-99
O/E Taxa	0.67	1.04
Band	B	A
O/E SIGNAL	0.91	0.95

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons	AUT99SPR99
Model	Eastern
O/E Taxa	0.92
Band	A
O/E SIGNAL	0.97

Riffle
Seasons	AUT99SPR99
O/E Taxa	0.65
Band	B
O/E SIGNAL	0.88

Taxa Collected

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

Edge
			Autumn '99	Spring '99
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	5-May-99	14-Dec-99
Arachnida	Hydracarina			+
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	X	O
Crustacea	Decapoda	Palaemonidae	+	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Dytiscidae	X	O
Insecta	Coleoptera	Gyrinidae	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Hydrophilidae	O	O
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	X	O
Insecta	Diptera	Simuliidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Stratiomyidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	O	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	O	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	O	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Corixidae	O	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Gerridae	O	+
Insecta	Hemiptera	Notonectidae	X	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Veliidae	X	O
Insecta	Odonata	Gomphidae	X	O
Insecta	Odonata	Protoneuridae	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Ecnomidae		+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydrobiosidae		+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydropsychidae		+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydroptilidae		+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Leptoceridae	O	O
Mollusca	Bivalvia	Corbiculidae	+	+
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Physidae	+	O
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Thiaridae		+

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

Riffle
			Autumn '99	Spring '99
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	5-May-99	14-Dec-99
Annelida	Oligochaeta		X	X
Arachnida	Hydracarina			O
Crustacea	Decapoda	Palaemonidae	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Brentidae	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Dytiscidae		+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae	O	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Gyrinidae		+
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Simuliidae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Tabanidae	+	+
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	O	X
Insecta	Diptera	Tipulidae	+	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Ephemeroptera	+
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	X	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Corixidae		+
Insecta	Megaloptera	Corydalidae	O	O
Insecta	Odonata	Gomphidae	O	X
Insecta	Plecoptera	Gripopterygidae	O	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydrobiosidae	O	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydropsychidae	X	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Trichoptera		+
Mollusca	Bivalvia	Corbiculidae	O
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Thiaridae		+
Platyhelminthes	Turbellaria	Dugesiidae	O

Water Quality Data

	Autumn '99	Spring '99
Variable	5-May-99	14-Dec-99
Water Temperature (°C)	13.3	24.4
Conductivity (µS/Cm)	803	767
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)	10.7	5.9
Alkalinity (mg CaCO₃ /L)	225	63
pH	8.73	8.5
Turbidity (NTU)	6.3	19.9
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L)	120	180
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L)	19	78
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L)	2	6
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L)	<0.3	<0.3
Ammonia (µg/L)	8	<3
Nitrate (µg/L)	2	5
Nitrite (µg/L)	<1	<1

Key

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