The Vertebrate Fauna of Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve: Final

Hydrology
JKCR encompasses the upper catchment of the Jenolan River, which many kilometres downstream of
the reserve eventually drains into Lake Burragorang via the Cox’s River. The design of the reserve
has aimed to incorporate as much of the upper catchment of the Jenolan River as possible in order to
best manage water quality entering the caves. Along the western boundary this is complete, with the
Great Dividing Range separating the Jenolan catchment from private land. Expansion of the reserve
along the northern boundary has incorporated the entirety of the Jenolan River. However, a large
proportion of Terrace Creek and some of Stockyard Creek remain outside the reserve and are
currently under pine plantation. To the south of the tourist precinct are Camp and Surveyors Creeks
which are confluent with the Jenolan River at Blue Lake, an artificial impoundment of water within the
main tourist precinct. Blue Lake was created in 1908 to provide a consistent water supply to the hydroelectric
system that supplied Jenolan Caves with electricity from 1889 until 1916 (JCT 2006). Camp
Creek is ephemeral on the surface and flows subsurface through the southern limestone. Surveyors
Creek flows reliably but becomes increasingly ephemeral towards the headwaters of the catchment.
Surveyors Creek has an artificial weir originally installed as a water supply and is a reliable source of
standing water. Both Surveyors Creek and Camp Creek flow through the drainage system underneath
the main tourist precinct and into Blue Lake.
Upstream from the Devil’s Coach
House the Jenolan River permanently
runs underground (through the karst)
and ephemerally on the surface.
Further upstream, outside of the
karst, the river flows on the surface in
a well-defined stream becoming more
ephemeral as the catchment
diminishes. Navies Creek and
Terrace Creek and multiple other
unnamed tributaries join the Jenolan
River in the northern portion of the
reserve.
Downstream from Blue Lake the
Jenolan River flows permanently on
Blue Lake, Jenolan Caves. Photo © R. Nicolai/OEH
the surface. A sewage treatment plant
discharges treated effluent into the
river at this point. At the plant there are small areas of fenced-off impounded water. Along this stretch
the flow of the river is impacted by hydro-electric generation and harvesting of water for the domestic
water supply.
There are other small dams in the reserve (around the northern section of the Jenolan River Trail and
Binda Bush Cottages), which during the survey held water but are often empty (I. Eddison pers.
comm.). An artificial water feature opposite the guide’s office provides a small permanent water
source.
Topography
JKCR is bordered to the west by the Great Dividing Range which at its highest point within the reserve
reaches 1320 metres above sea level. The lowest point, at 640 metres above sea level, occurs at the
confluence of the Pheasants Nest Creek and the Jenolan River. The Jenolan River has deeply
dissected the limestone, resulting in the characteristic steep-sided gullies and exposed narrow ridges
of the reserve. There is a relatively narrow alluvial river flat along the Jenolan River through the
McKeowns Valley. Elsewhere the riverflats are barely present as the banks rise sharply to the hillsides
above.
1.3.4 Climate
The reserve experiences a wet, cool climate typical of montane and tableland environments of NSW.
Rainfall statistics at the Bureau of Metrology weather station at Jenolan Caves (792 metres above sea
level, accessed 17 May 2011) show that the mean annual rainfall is 968 millimetres, the mean
maximum temperature occurs in January and is 25.6 degrees Celsius and the mean minimum
temperature of 0.2 degrees Celsius occurs in July.
The Vertebrate Fauna of Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve 5