Water

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

Koorainghat Creek

Karu01 - Koorainghat Creek at Gillfillans Road

Site Condition Summary

Koorainghat Creek is a coastal stream that drains the Kiwarrak State Forest and discharges into Khappinghat Creek, and the Pacific Ocean. The sampling site was bordered by the State forest on the right bank and grazing land on the left. The stream was heavily shaded and had good riparian cover.

The water quality variables were within ranges expected for this stream type. Water was acidic with pH ranging between 5.9 and 6.6. Along with this, dissolved oxygen was consistently low.

AusRivAS assessments indicate the site to be in relatively undisturbed condition. All O/E-Taxa values were greater than 1.02, indicating the fauna was richer than expected. Samples were particularly rich in Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (true flies) and Hemiptera (true bugs) families.

Location Map

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name Cundeltown 9434-3-S
Map Zone 56
Map Scale 1:25000
Easting 454800
Northing 6461200
Distance from source (m) 9323
Elevation (m asl) 10
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 1100

Sampling Data and Assessments

Single Season Assessments

Edge
  Autumn '95 Spring '95 Autumn '96
  5-Apr-95 4-Dec-95 1-Apr-96
O/E Taxa 1.02 1.05 1.27
Band A A X
O/E SIGNAL 0.94 0.99 0.99

Riffle

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons AUT95SPR95 SPR95AUT96
Model Eastern Eastern
O/E Taxa 1.11 1.05
Band A A
O/E SIGNAL 1.01 1.03

Riffle

Taxa Collected

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

Edge
      Autumn '95 Spring '95 Autumn '96
Phylum Class/Order Family 5-Apr-95 4-Dec-95 1-Apr-96
Annelida Oligochaeta   +    
Arachnida Hydracarina   X X X
Copepoda Copepoda   +   +
Crustacea Cladocera Cladocera +    
Crustacea Decapoda Atyidae O X X
Crustacea Ostracoda Ostracoda X   X
Insecta Coleoptera Dytiscidae X X X
Insecta Coleoptera Hydraenidae X   X
Insecta Coleoptera Hydrophilidae O X X
Insecta Coleoptera Scirtidae O X X
Insecta Coleoptera Staphylinidae     +
Insecta Diptera Chironomidae   +  
Insecta Diptera Chironominae X X X
Insecta Diptera Culicidae + O  
Insecta Diptera Orthocladiinae X + X
Insecta Diptera Podonominae +    
Insecta Diptera Tanypodinae O X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Baetidae   +  
Insecta Ephemeroptera Leptophlebiidae X X X
Insecta Hemiptera Belostomatidae   +  
Insecta Hemiptera Corixidae + +  
Insecta Hemiptera Gerridae X X O
Insecta Hemiptera Hydrometridae X X X
Insecta Hemiptera Mesoveliidae X + X
Insecta Hemiptera Notonectidae   +  
Insecta Hemiptera Veliidae X X X
Insecta Odonata Coenagrionidae + + +
Insecta Odonata Corduliidae   + +
Insecta Odonata Libellulidae +    
Insecta Trichoptera Leptoceridae X O X
Mollusca Gastropoda Planorbidae +    
Platyhelminthes Turbellaria Dugesiidae + +  

Riffle

Water Quality Data

  Spring '94 Autumn '95 Spring '95 Autumn '96
Variable 2-Oct-94 5-Apr-95 4-Dec-95 1-Apr-96
Water Temperature (°C) 11.9 16.9 21 19.9
Conductivity (µS/Cm) 304 430 355 379
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) 0.3 0.99 5.2 1.3
Alkalinity (mg CaCO3 /L) 20 10 20 54
pH 6.6 6.14 6.4 5.9
Turbidity (NTU) 14 9 12.1 12.4
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L) 40 21 28 19
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L)        
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L) <10 20 10 <10
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L) 0.77 0.32 0.44 0.46
Ammonia (µg/L)        
Nitrate (µg/L)        
Nitrite (µg/L)        

Key

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