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

Wyong River

Tugg572 - Wyong River at Kiddmans Lane

Site Condition Summary

Native forest lined the river banks of at this site, but beyond the riparian zone, the land was used for grazing. The riparian zone consisted of mostly native vegetation, although some exotic species had become established.

The river water had a natural tannin-brown colour, but otherwise appeared clean. Concentrations of nitrogen (NOx) and dissolved oxygen were higher, but other variables were as expected for a lowland coastal stream.

AusRivAS assessments indicated slight impairment to the macroinvertebrate communities. Single and combined season models returned O/E-Taxa values between 0.81 and 0.85.

Location Map

Location Map

Location Details
Map Name Wyong 9131-2-N
Map Zone 56
Map Scale 1:25000
Easting 347200
Northing 6317400
Distance from source (m) 32652
Elevation (m asl) 10
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 1100

Sampling Data and Assessments

Single Season Assessments

Edge
  Autumn '99 Spring '99
  29-Mar-99 16-Dec-99
O/E Taxa 0.81 0.85
Band B A
O/E SIGNAL 1.07 1.10

Riffle

Combined Season Assessments

Edge
Seasons AUT99SPR99
Model Eastern
O/E Taxa 0.83
Band A
O/E SIGNAL 1.08

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 29-Mar-99 16-Dec-99
Arachnida Hydracarina   X X
Crustacea Amphipoda Talitridae   +
Crustacea Cladocera Cladocera +  
Crustacea Decapoda Atyidae X O
Insecta Coleoptera Dytiscidae X X
Insecta Coleoptera Elmidae + +
Insecta Coleoptera Gyrinidae + +
Insecta Coleoptera Hydrophilidae O O
Insecta Coleoptera Noteridae   +
Insecta Coleoptera Scirtidae O X
Insecta Diptera Ceratopogonidae + +
Insecta Diptera Chironominae O X
Insecta Diptera Culicidae   O
Insecta Diptera Orthocladiinae O +
Insecta Diptera Tanypodinae X X
Insecta Diptera Tipulidae   +
Insecta Ephemeroptera Baetidae X +
Insecta Ephemeroptera Caenidae + +
Insecta Ephemeroptera Leptophlebiidae X X
Insecta Ephemeroptera Oniscigastridae   +
Insecta Hemiptera Corixidae + O
Insecta Hemiptera Gelastocoridae   +
Insecta Hemiptera Gerridae X X
Insecta Hemiptera Hebridae   +
Insecta Hemiptera Hydrometridae   O
Insecta Hemiptera Veliidae O X
Insecta Odonata Aeshnidae   +
Insecta Odonata Gomphidae + +
Insecta Odonata Megapodagrionidae +  
Insecta Odonata Synlestidae   +
Insecta Trichoptera Calamoceratidae +  
Insecta Trichoptera Hydrobiosidae   +
Insecta Trichoptera Hydropsychidae   +
Insecta Trichoptera Leptoceridae X X
Insecta Trichoptera Odontoceridae + +
Insecta Trichoptera Philorheithridae + +
Insecta Trichoptera Polycentropodidae   +
Mollusca Bivalvia Corbiculidae   +

Riffle

Water Quality Data

Water Quality Data
  Autumn '99 Spring '99
Variable 29-Mar-99 16-Dec-99
Water Temperature (°C) 17.4 18.5
Conductivity (µS/cm) 199 246
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) 8.4 7.8
Alkalinity (mg CaCO3/L) 23 18
pH 7.21 7.27
Turbidity (NTU) 1.1 4.4
Low Total Phosphorus (µg/L) 34 38
Free Reactive Phosphorus (µg/L) 6 2
NOx Nitrogen (µg/L) 57 150
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L) 0.56 0.34
Ammonia (µg/L) 24 25
Nitrate (µg/L) 54 140
Nitrite (µg/L) 3 6

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