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

Karu502 - Karuah River downstream of Stroud

Site Condition Summary
Sampling Data and Assessments
Site report cards

Site Condition Summary

This site downstream of the town of Stroud received effluent, via a tributary, from the Stroud sewage treatment plant. Private land surrounded the site which was used primarily for grazing. Upper parts of the banks had been cleared of riparian vegetation, allowing cattle to access the river.

The instream habitat had been degraded by siltation and addition of cow dung. Field observations reported high turbidity and suspended solids, and the presence of some surface scum.

Phosphorus and nitrogen (TKN) concentrations in the river were slightly higher than expected, otherwise, water quality variables were within expected ranges.

The macroinvertebrate fauna at the site was rich, which may be a response to the mild nutrient enrichment. O/E-Taxa values for the edge habitat indicated some degree of impairment during Autumn 1997, but indicated good condition in Spring 1997. Riffle habitats contained a greater richness of macroinvertebrates than expected in both Autumn and Spring (O/E-Taxa values >1).

The taxa collected from both habitats were quite variable, with taxa predicted but not collected in a season, often collected in the alternative season. The exception was Orthocladiinae (true flies) that were predicted in the edge model but never collected. This taxa was collected in riffle samples on both occasions.

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name	Dungog 9233-2-S
Map Zone	56
Map Scale	1:25000
Easting	402100
Northing	6411700
Distance from source (m)	59471
Elevation (m asl)	20
Average Annual Rainfall (mm)	1100

Single Season Assessments

Edge
	Autumn '97	Spring '97
	22-Apr-97	23-Oct-97
O/E Taxa	0.89	0.97
Band	A	A
O/E SIGNAL	0.88	1.02

Riffle
	Autumn '97	Spring '97
	22-Apr-97	23-Oct-97
O/E Taxa	0.98	1.09
Band	A	A
O/E SIGNAL	0.96	0.98

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons	AUT97SPR97
Model	Eastern
O/E Taxa	1.31
Band	X
O/E SIGNAL	1.02

Riffle
Seasons	AUT97SPR97
O/E Taxa	0.99
Band	A
O/E SIGNAL	0.96

Taxa Collected

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

Edge
			Autumn '97	Spring '97
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	22-Apr-97	23-Oct-97
Annelida	Oligochaeta			+
Arachnida	Hydracarina		X	X
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	X	O
Insecta	Coleoptera	Dytiscidae	X	O
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae	+	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Gyrinidae	X	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Hydrophilidae	O	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Psephenidae		+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Scirtidae	O	X
Insecta	Diptera	Ceratopogonidae		+
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	+	+
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Tipulidae		+
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	+	O
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	+	+
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	X	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Corixidae	+	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Gerridae	X	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Notonectidae	X	O
Insecta	Hemiptera	Veliidae	O	X
Insecta	Odonata	Aeshnidae	O	+
Insecta	Odonata	Corduliidae	O
Insecta	Odonata	Gomphidae	+
Insecta	Odonata	Megapodagrionidae	O
Insecta	Plecoptera	Gripopterygidae	+	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Atriplectididae	+	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Calamoceratidae	+	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Conoesucidae		+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydropsychidae		+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydroptilidae	+	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Leptoceridae	X	X
Nemertea	Nemertea	Nemertea	+

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

Riffle
			Autumn '97	Spring '97
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	22-Apr-97	23-Oct-97
Platyhelminthes	Turbellaria		+	+
Nematomorpha	Gordioidea	Gordiidae	+
Annelida	Oligochaeta	Oligochaeta	X	+
Arachnida	Hydracarina	Hydracarina	X	X
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	X	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Staphylinidae		+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Scirtidae	O	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae	X	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Psephenidae	X	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Ptilodactylidae	+	+
Insecta	Diptera	Tipulidae	O	X
Insecta	Diptera	Simuliidae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Athericidae	+	+
Insecta	Diptera	Tabanidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	O	O
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Diptera	+	+
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	O	+
Insecta	Hemiptera	Veliidae		+
Insecta	Hemiptera	Gerridae		+
Insecta	Megaloptera	Corydalidae	X	X
Insecta	Odonata	Aeshnidae	X	X
Insecta	Plecoptera	Gripopterygidae	X	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydrobiosidae	O	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydroptilidae	+	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Philopotamidae	X	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydropsychidae	X	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Conoesucidae	+	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Calocidae	X	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Leptoceridae	O	X

Water Quality Data

	Autumn '97	Spring '97
Variable	22-Apr-97	23-Oct-97
Water Temperature (°C)	13.3	16
Conductivity (µS/Cm)	86	86
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)	9.7	9.7
Alkalinity (mg CaCO₃ /L)	28	28
pH	7.93	7.77
Turbidity (NTU)	0.1	3.7
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L)	<12	<12
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L)
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L)	30	20
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L)	<0.3	<0.3
Ammonia (µg/L)
Nitrate (µg/L)
Nitrite (µg/L)

Key

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