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

Karu572 - Wallamba River at Wellers Lane

Site Condition Summary
Sampling Data and Assessments
Site report cards

Site Condition Summary

Wallamba River feeds into the Wallis Lake estuary. This site on the lower reaches of the Wallamba river was surrounded by grazing land. The riparian zone was dense and included some exotic species such as willows.

Water quality varied between the Autumn and Spring sampling occasions. Water quality in May 1999 was affected by recent rain that increased turbidity. With the exception of a higher than expected nitrogen (TKN) concentration in Autumn, water quality variables were within expected ranges.

O/E-Taxa values for the edge habitat were 0.86 in May 1999 and 1.06 in December 1999. An assessment of the riffle habitat in May indicated the fauna was impaired (O/E-Taxa value 0.56). It is possible that the low assessments for the Autumn samples may be due to the rain prior to sampling, and the resulting increased flow and turbidity.

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name	Nabiac 9333-1-N
Map Zone	56
Map Scale	1:25000
Easting	436700
Northing	6446400
Distance from source (m)	28394
Elevation (m asl)	10
Average Annual Rainfall (mm)	1100

Single Season Assessments

Edge
	Autumn '99	Spring '99
	6-May-99	17-Dec-99
O/E Taxa	0.86	1.06
Band	A	A
O/E SIGNAL	1.12	1.07

Riffle
	Autumn '99
	6-May-99
O/E Taxa	0.56
Band	C
O/E SIGNAL	1.00

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons	AUT99SPR99
Model	Eastern
O/E Taxa	0.81
Band	B
O/E SIGNAL	0.98

Riffle

Taxa Collected

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

Edge
			Autumn '99	Spring '99
Phylum	Class/Order	Family	6-May-99	17-Dec-99
Annelida	Oligochaeta			+
Arachnida	Hydracarina		X	X
Copepoda	Copepoda			+
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	X	X
Crustacea	Isopoda	Sphaeromatidae	+	+
Crustacea	Ostracoda	Ostracoda	O
Insecta	Coleoptera	Dytiscidae	O	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae		X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Gyrinidae		+
Insecta	Coleoptera	Hydraenidae	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Hydrophilidae	X	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Scirtidae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Ceratopogonidae		+
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	X	X
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	O
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	X	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae		O
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	+	O
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	X	X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Corixidae		O
Insecta	Hemiptera	Gerridae	O	O
Insecta	Hemiptera	Hydrometridae	O
Insecta	Hemiptera	Mesoveliidae	O
Insecta	Hemiptera	Notonectidae		X
Insecta	Hemiptera	Veliidae	X	X
Insecta	Lepidoptera	Lepidoptera	+
Insecta	Odonata	Aeshnidae		+
Insecta	Odonata	Coenagrionidae	+
Insecta	Odonata	Megapodagrionidae	+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Atriplectididae		+
Insecta	Trichoptera	Calamoceratidae	+	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Leptoceridae	X	X
Mollusca	Bivalvia	Corbiculidae		+
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Hydrobiidae	+	+
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	Hydrobiidae	+
Mollusca	Gastropoda	Planorbidae	+
Mollusca	Bivalvia	Corbiculidae	+
Annelida	Oligochaeta	Oligochaeta	X
Arachnida	Hydracarina	Hydracarina	O
Crustacea	Decapoda	Atyidae	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Elmidae	X
Insecta	Coleoptera	Psephenidae	O
Insecta	Diptera	Simuliidae	X
Insecta	Diptera	Tanypodinae	O
Insecta	Diptera	Orthocladiinae	X
Insecta	Diptera	Chironominae	O
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	O
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Leptophlebiidae	X
Insecta	Ephemeroptera	Caenidae	O
Insecta	Megaloptera	Corydalidae	X
Insecta	Odonata	Aeshnidae	O
Insecta	Plecoptera	Gripopterygidae	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydrobiosidae	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Philopotamidae	O
Insecta	Trichoptera	Hydropsychidae	X
Insecta	Trichoptera	Leptoceridae	O

Water Quality Data

	Autumn '99	Spring '99
Variable	6-May-99	17-Dec-99
Water Temperature (°C)	17.7	15.8
Conductivity (µS/Cm)	330	800
Alkalinity (mg CaCO₃ /L)	7.3	4.4
pH	90	90
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)	7.54	8.51
Turbidity (NTU)	9.5	0
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L)	65	410
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L)	18	18
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L)	140	17
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L)	0.39	0.56
Ammonia (µg/L)	33	15
Nitrate (µg/L)	140	15
Nitrite (µg/L)	3	2

Key

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