Water for the Future

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

Hunter River downstream of Aberdeen

Hunt854 - Hunter River downstream of Aberdeen

Site Condition Summary

The land surrounding this site was used for cropping and grazing, with much of the surrounding land cleared.

The riparian zone was open to cattle and had been infested by exotic species. Cattle trampling appeared to have contributed to the degradation of the instream habitat. The river substrate was covered in a fine layer of silt, and patches of filamentous algae were noted on both sampling occasions.

The water visually appeared turbid, but field measurements indicated that this was not excessively so. Nutrient concentrations were low and other variables were in ranges considered to be normal for rivers of this type.

The macroinvertebrate communities were rich in taxa. O/E-Taxa values were all in band A, but varied between seasons. The O/E-Taxa value for December 1997 was 0.84. Assessments for both combined and autumn models were 1.02, indicating the fauna were similar in richness to those expected under reference condition. The absence of several Coleoptera (beetle) families and Leptophlebiidae (mayflies) was responsible for the lower O/E-Taxa value in the December sample.

Location Map

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name Aberdeen 9033-1-S
Map Zone 56
Map Scale 1:25000
Easting 299800
Northing 6431500
Distance from source (m) 134185
Elevation (m asl) 150
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 650

Sampling Data and Assessments

Single Season Assessments

Edge
  Autumn '97 Spring '97
  15-Apr-97 21-Oct-97
O/E Taxa 1.02 0.84
Band A A
O/E SIGNAL 0.98 0.86

Riffle

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons AUT97SPR97
Model Eastern
O/E Taxa 1.02
Band A
O/E SIGNAL 1.00

Riffle

Taxa Collected

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

Edge
      Autumn '97 Spring '97
Phylum Class/Order Family 15-Apr-97 21-Oct-97
Annelida Oligochaeta     O
Arachnida Hydracarina   X X
Crustacea Decapoda Atyidae X X
Crustacea Decapoda Palaemonidae +  
Crustacea Ostracoda   +  
Insecta Coleoptera Dytiscidae X O
Insecta Coleoptera Elmidae X O
Insecta Coleoptera Hydraenidae   +
Insecta Coleoptera Hydrophilidae X O
Insecta Diptera Ceratopogonidae   O
Insecta Diptera Chironominae X X
Insecta Diptera Orthocladiinae X X
Insecta Diptera Simuliidae   +
Insecta Diptera Tanypodinae X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Baetidae X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Caenidae X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Leptophlebiidae X O
Insecta Hemiptera Corixidae X X
Insecta Hemiptera Gerridae O O
Insecta Hemiptera Mesoveliidae +  
Insecta Hemiptera Naucoridae +  
Insecta Hemiptera Notonectidae + X
Insecta Hemiptera Veliidae X X
Insecta Odonata Aeshnidae   +
Insecta Odonata Coenagrionidae + +
Insecta Odonata Corduliidae   +
Insecta Odonata Gomphidae O  
Insecta Odonata Libellulidae O  
Insecta Plecoptera Gripopterygidae   O
Insecta Trichoptera Calamoceratidae   O
Insecta Trichoptera Hydroptilidae   X
Insecta Trichoptera Leptoceridae X X
Mollusca Gastropoda Physidae + X
Platyhelminthes Turbellaria Dugesiidae + +

Water Quality Data

Riffle
  Autumn '97 Spring '97
Variable 15-Apr-97 21-Oct-97
Water Temperature (°C) 21.9 19.5
Conductivity (µS/Cm) 300 336
Alkalinity (mg CaCO3 /L) 140 140
pH 8.3 8.42
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) 9 10.6
Turbidity (NTU) 10.4 11.2
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L) 47 62
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L)    
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L) <10 <10
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L) <0.3 0.36
Nitrate (µg/L)    
Nitrite (µg/L)    

Key

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