Appendix D Terrestrial and Aquatic Biodiversity - Environment ...

5.5.4 Waterbodies
Waterbodies provide an important extended water source available to fauna within the broader landscape.
The construction of the haul road could potentially result in changes to surface hydrology. Identifying these
areas is important to ensure road design and construction minimises impact on waterbodies
It is recommended that waterbodies are avoided during construction of the haul road. A minimum 50m buffer
should be put in place around these waterbodies and extend to all waterbodies identified during the survey.
Field surveys of waterbodies along the haul road 6km corridor has identified a number of high value areas
transected by the proposed route (W59, W65, W79, W126, W127, W131, W132 and W133) (maps shown in
Figure 34 to Figure 37). These were classified as high value due to presence of permanent or semipermanent
water and established Melaleuca communities (see Figure 38 – right).
A closed sink hole (i.e. linked to groundwater) with calcrete substrate was also located during the surveys at
571720E and 8281632N approximately 15km south east of the proposed Nathan River haul road crossing
(see Figure 38 – left). This is a unique habitat type and will not be crossed or impacted by the haul road
development (i.e. road drainage will direct water away from sink hole and be buffered by at least 100 m).
Figure 38: Photo of sinkhole – SH1 (left image); typical high value waterbody (right image)
Road design adjacent to these areas should minimise impacts from road drainage by directing it towards
overland flow so that runoff is filtered through ground vegetation prior to settling in waterbody depressions.
Moreover, an approved ESCP of the haul road construction will also prevent erosion resulting in
sedimentation of these high value habitat areas.
Locations, descriptions, habitat value and recommendations for each waterbody surveyed are shown in
Appendix D-10.
5.5.5 Major Watercourse and Minor Creek Crossings
The haul road corridor intersects with a number of rivers and creeks (Figure 34 to Figure 37). The major
rivers and creeks along the haul road route are associated with north-south linearly arranged sandstone
landforms. The Limmen Bight in particular, breaks through the tall sandstone escarpment at a location called
the Four Arches. Areas where the tributaries intercept or align with the rocky relief are likely to feature a
significant proportion of the regions terrestrial and aquatic species. Compared to the vast majority of the
land which the haul road traverses, the rivers and sandstone ranges present a diversity of habitats in close
proximity. The rocky ridges and ranges feature, either or both surface or ground feed water flows, rocky
crevices and a range of vegetation types associated the surface drainage. The flows from the major rivers
feed into estuarine habitat (approx. 40km downstream of the likely haul road) and many of these are likely to
Client: Western Desert Resources Ltd Page 113 of 150
Doc No. DW120004-C0302-EIA-R-0036
Doc Title: Appendix D – Terrestrial Biodiversity Technical Report