Caboolture Region Water Quality Study - Moreton Bay Regional ...

Caboolture Water Quality Study
C11: Box plots – Pumicestone Passage (PRCMP DATA) ......................................................... 115
C12: Box plots – Deception Bay (EPA DATA)............................................................................ 119
APPENDIX D: RESULTS OF REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF LONG TERM TRENDS ........................................ 123
APPENDIX E: RESULTS OF DEPTH PROFILE ANALYSIS ......................................................................... 124
APPENDIX F: MAP OF FISH COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT ........................................................................ 126
APPENDIX G: MAP OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION ASSESSMENT................................................................ 127
APPENDIX H: MAP OF LAND USE ZONES............................................................................................. 128
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Waterway attributes asessed in the State of the Rivers Reporting. .................................................................................11
Table 2. State water quality guidelines for coastal central and southern Queensland for protection of aquatic ecosystems. .......11
Table 3. Key to symbols used in the results of integrated assessment tables. ..............................................................................14
Table 4. Waterways assessed in this study and the subcatchment to which they were assigned. ...............................................15
Table 5. Results of water quality assessments for the Caboolture River Region...........................................................................17
Table 6. Concentrations of toxicants in sediments.........................................................................................................................19
Table 7. Median faecal coliform concentrations (CFU/100ml) from all samples collected since 1999...........................................19
Table 8. Water quality assessments for the Caboolture River Region...........................................................................................22
Table 9. Median faecal coliform concentrations (CFU/100ml) from all samples collected since 1999...........................................22
Table 10. Water quality assessments for Saltwater creek.. ...........................................................................................................24
Table 11. Concentrations of toxicants in sediments.......................................................................................................................25
Table 12. Median faecal coliform concentrations (CFU/100ml) from all samples collected since 1999.........................................25
Table 13. Water quality assessments for Deception Bay. .............................................................................................................27
Table 14. Water quality assessments for Bribie Island.. ................................................................................................................29
Table 15. Median faecal coliform concentrations (CFU/100ml) from all samples collected since 1999.........................................29
Table 16. Water quality assessments for tPumicestone Passage. ................................................................................................34
Table 17. Water quality assessments for the Northern Creeks......................................................................................................34
Table 18. Indicators assessed at the sites monitored by the Caboolture Shire Council’s Environmental Monitoring Program. ....39
Table 19. Indicators assessed at the sites monitored by the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency...............................40
Table 20. Indicators assessed at the sites monitored by the Pumicestone Catchment Coordination Association (PRCMP)........41
Table 21. Sites monitored by all agencies including geographic basin information, stream information and geographical
locations...............................................................................................................................................................................42
Table 22. Abbreviations for watertypes relevant for the present study. .........................................................................................47
Table 23. Water quality assessments for all indicators at all sites from 1999 to 2001. ..................................................................48
Table 24. Medians for selected water quality indicators at sites in the Northern Creeks ...............................................................53
Table 25. Medians for selected water quality indicators at sites on Bribie Island ..........................................................................53
Table 26. Medians for selected water quality indicators at sites in Pumicestone Passage............................................................54
Table 27. Medians for selected water quality indicators at sites in the Caboolture River ..............................................................55
Table 28. Medians for selected water quality indicators at sites in Burpengary Creek ..................................................................56
Table 29. Medians for selected water quality indicators at sites in Saltwater Creek......................................................................56
Table 30. Medians for selected water quality indicators at sites in Deception Bay ........................................................................56
Table 31. Significant linear trends for each site and indicator combination.. ...............................................................................123
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure i. Summary map of results of water quality assessments for the Caboolture Region for the year 2001 – 2001...................3
Figure 1. Water quality monitoring sites assessed in this study.......................................................................................................9
Figure 2. Important statistics for the test site data assessment. ....................................................................................................12
Figure 3. Schematic representation of the method of assessing individual indicators against guideline values using box plot
diagrams..............................................................................................................................................................................13
Figure 4. Decision rules used in the generation of colour ratings for sites during steps 2 and 3 of the assessment process. ......13
Figure 5. Example of a visual water quality trend assessment. .....................................................................................................14
Figure 6. Final water quality assessments for the Caboolture River Region for the year 2000-2001.. ..........................................16
Figure 7. Box plots of results for dissolved oxygen for sites in the Caboolture River.....................................................................16
Figure 8. Box plots of results for total nitorgen for sites in the Caboolture River.. .........................................................................16
Figure 9. Final water quality assessments for the Burpengary Creek for the year 2000-2001. .....................................................21
Figure 10. Final water quality assessments for the Saltwater Creek for the year 2000-2001 ........................................................23
Figure 11: Final water quality assessments for the Deception Bay for the year 2000-2001.. ........................................................26
Figure 12. Final water quality assessments for Bribie Island for the year 2000-2001....................................................................28
Figure 13. Final water quality assessments for Pumicestone Passage for the year 2000-2001....................................................30
Figure 14. Box plots of results for conductivity in sites in Pumicestone Passage ..........................................................................32
Figure 15. Box plots of results for secchi at sites in Pumicestone Passage ..................................................................................32
Figure 16. Final water quality assessments for Northern Creeks for the year 2000-2001 .............................................................33
Figure 17. Box plot of pH in Elimbah Creek ...................................................................................................................................33
Figure 18. Schematic representation of box and whisker plots......................................................................................................46
Figure 19. Example of a box and whisker plot, showing values recorded at monitoring sites (left) and reference sites (right) for
chlorophyll-a. .......................................................................................................................................................................46
Figure 20. Results of Regression Analysis for pH at site BRI-1 to test for stratification with depth. ............................................124
Figure 21. Results of Regression Analysis for dissolved oxygen at site BRI-5 to test for stratification with depth. .....................126
Figure 22. Results of Regression Analysis of dissolved oxygen for site BRI-6 to test for stratification with depth ......................125
Figure 23: Overall fish habitat ratings in the Caboolture region (Langdon, 2001)........................................................................126
Figure 24. Riparian vegetation size index ...................................................................................................................................127
Figure 25. Riparian vegetation integrity index .............................................................................................................................127
Figure 26. GIS-based land use mapping (Caboolture Shire Council) ..........................................................................................128
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