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

Karu570 - Wallamba River at Karkatt

Site Condition Summary
Sampling Data and Assessments
Site report cards

Site Condition Summary

This site was surrounded by grazing land, with a narrow band of remnant riparian vegetation present. Visual assessments indicated the quality of the riparian zone and the instream habitat have been reduced as a result of this land use. Cattle access had impacted on stream bank condition and trampled riparian vegetation. Cattle entering the stream had disturbed the substrate.

Water quality at the site was good. Water quality variables were within normal ranges.

AusRivAS assessments indicated the site to be in reasonable condition. O/E-Taxa values for the edge habitat in Spring 1999 was 0.96 and for the riffle habitat in Autumn 1999 was 0.93.

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name	Gangat 9333-4-N
Map Zone	56
Map Scale	1:25000
Easting	425500
Northing	6450200
Distance from source (m)	14540
Elevation (m asl)	40
Average Annual Rainfall (mm)	1100

Single Season Assessments

Edge
	Spring '99
	16-Dec-99
O/E Taxa	0.96
Band	A
O/E SIGNAL	1.00

Riffle
	Autumn '99
	6-May-99
O/E Taxa	0.93
Band	A
O/E SIGNAL	1.00

Combined Season Assessments

Edge

Riffle

Taxa Collected

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

Edge
			Spring '99
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	16-Dec-99
Annelida	Oligochaeta		+
Arachnida	Hydracarina		O
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Dytiscidae	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Gyrinidae	+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Hydrophilidae	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Scirtidae	X
Insecta	Diptera	Cecidomyiidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X
Insecta	Diptera	Culicidae	X
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	O
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Gerridae	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Hydrometridae	O
Insecta	Hemiptera	Notonectidae	+
Insecta	Hemiptera	Veliidae	X
Insecta	Megaloptera	Sialidae	+
Insecta	Odonata	Aeshnidae	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Calamoceratidae	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Leptoceridae	X
Mollusca	Bivalvia	Corbiculidae	+
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Ancylidae	+
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Physidae	+

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

Riffle
			Autumn '99
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	6-May-99
Platyhelminthes	Turbellaria		O
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Ancylidae
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Planorbidae	+
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Physidae
Mollusca	Bivalvia	Corbiculidae	+
Annelida	Hirudinea	Glossiphoniidae	+
Annelida	Oligochaeta	Oligochaeta	X
Arachnida	Hydracarina	Hydracarina	O
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Dytiscidae
Insecta	Coleoptera	Scirtidae	O
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Psephenidae	X
Insecta	Diptera	Tipulidae	+
Insecta	Diptera	Simuliidae	O
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	X
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	X
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae
Insecta	Megaloptera	Corydalidae	X
Insecta	Megaloptera	Sialidae	+
Insecta	Odonata	Aeshnidae	O
Insecta	Odonata	Gomphidae
Insecta	Plecoptera	Gripopterygidae	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydrobiosidae	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Philopotamidae	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydropsychidae	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Conoesucidae
Insecta	Trichoptera	Calocidae	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Leptoceridae	X

Water Quality Data

	Autumn '99	Spring '99
Variables	6-May-99	16-Dec-99
Water Temperature (°C)	17.8	20.8
Conductivity (µS/Cm)	781	1100
Alkalinity (mg CaCO₃ /L)	7	5.9
pH	175	165
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)	8.14	8.2
Turbidity (NTU)	11	0
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L)	49	47
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L)	14	9
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L)	47	55
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L)	0.49	0.63
Ammonia (µg/L)	15	31
Nitrate (µg/L)	46	52
Nitrite (µg/L)	1	2

Key

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