Aquatic Life of the Ringarooma River

Aquatic life of the Ringarooma River

TOM KRASNICKI Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment

Macroinvertebrates

Ephemeroptera Mollusca (snails) Odonata Amphipoda (shrimp) (dragonflies) (mayflies)

Oligochaeta (worms) Coleoptera (beetles) Hemiptera (bugs) Diptera (true flies)

Trichoptera (caddis) 51 Sites 240+ samples

RING01 RING02 GLADSTONE

RING03

RING04 RING43 RING16 RING18 RING05

RING06 WS3 RING44 WS2 RING17 RING19 (WS1) FS3 FS2 RING08 RING46 RING07 FS1 RING10 RING09 RING23 RING21 RING22 RING28 RING25 RING27 FS4 RING11 BRANXHOLM RING45 RING26 RING20 RING24

RING29 RING12 RING31 RING30

RINGAROOMA RING34 RING37 RING42 RING32 RING35 RING38 RING13 RING14 RING36 RING39 RING33 RING41 RING40 RING15

0 5 10 Average = 18.7 taxa 30 Autumn 1998 Autumn 1998 = 19.8 taxa Autumn 2009 Autumn 2009 18.1 taxa 25

Spring 2009 Spring 2009 = 17.5 taxa

Number of Taxa Numberof 5

RING18 RING32 RING02 RING04 RING06 RING07 RING11 RING19 RING25 RING31 RING35 RING37 RING39 RING40 RING41 RING45 Sites

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Average = 19.6 taxa Autumn 1997 Spring 1997 30 Spring 2003 Autumn 2004

5 Number of Taxa of Number

RING05 RING07 RING11 RING12 RING14 RING16 RING31 RING32 RING34 RING37 RING41 RING45 Sites

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment EPHEMEROPTERA - Mayflies 80 70 Autumn 1998 60 Autumn 2009 50

Spring 2009

40 % 30 20 10

RING02 RING04 RING06 RING07 RING11 RING18 RING19 RING25 RING31 RING32 RING35 RING37 RING39 RING40 RING41 RING45

Sites

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment PLECOPTERA Autumn 1998 80 70 Autumn 2009 60 Spring 2009 50

% 30 20 10

RING02 RING04 RING06 RING07 RING11 RING18 RING19 RING25 RING31 RING32 RING35 RING37 RING39 RING40 RING41 RING45 Sites

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment TRICHOPTERA Autumn 1998 70 Autumn 2009 60 Spring 2009 50 40

30 % 20 10

RING07 RING39 RING02 RING04 RING06 RING11 RING18 RING19 RING25 RING31 RING32 RING35 RING37 RING40 RING41 RING45

Sites

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Assessment of River Health

AUSRIVAS – Australian River Assessment System

Predict aquatic macroinvetebrate fauna that would be expected to occur in the absence of environmental stress

List of probabilities of occurrence of macroinvetebrates that would be expected to occur at a test site if there were no impacts

The summed probabilities of the fauna expected to occur(E) is compared to those actually collected (O).

The O/E ratio provides a measure of the degree to which the macroinvertebrate fauna at a test site departs from that found at reference sites.

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Band OE Band Name Comments Scores X >1.18 Richer than Reference  More families than expected  Potentially biodiverse site  Possible mild organic enrichment A 0.83-1.18 Similar to Reference  Index value within range of the central 80% of reference sites B 0.48-0.82 Significantly Impaired  Fewer families than expected  Potential mild to moderate impact on water quality, habitat or both, resulting in the loss of families C 0.13-0.47 Severely Impaired  Considerably fewer families than expected  Loss of families due to moderate to severe impact on water and/or habitat quality D <0.13 Impoverished  Very few families collected  Highly degraded  Very poor water and/or habitat quality

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment RING01 Ringarooma River off Waterhouse Road RING02 Ringarooma River at Bells Bridge RING03 Ringarooma River at Ogilvies Bridge RING04 Ringarooma River at Garibaldi Road Spr94 RING05 Ringarooma River at Pioneer pipeline Au95 RING06 Ringarooma River at Moorina Spr95 RING07 Ringarooma River at Mutual Bridge Au96 RING08 Ringarooma River at Derby Station Road Au97 Spr97 RING09 Ringarooma River at Long Bridge (Derby Back Rd) Au98 RING10 Ringarooma River off Warrentina Road Spr98 RING11 Ringarooma River upstream of Branxholm Au99 RING12 Ringarooma River below Ringarooma Town Spr99 Au00 RING13 Ringarooma River at Cottons Bridge Road Sp00 RING14 Ringarooma River off East Maurice Road Au01 RING01 RING02 RING15 Ringarooma River off Peterwood Road Spr01 Au08 Au08 RING16 Wyniford River at Tebrakunna Road Au02 Au09 RING17 Wyniford River off Three Notch Road Spr02 Spr09 Au03 RING18 Davids Creek above Gladstone Rd Sp03 RING19 Weld River at Frome Road Au04 RING03 RING20 Weld River at Emu Road Spr04 Au08 Au05 RING21 Frome River off Frome Road near Moorina Spr05 RING22 Frome River off Frome Road above Dam Au06 RING23 Main Creek at Mutual Road Sp06 Au97 RING24 Main Creek off Forestry Road Au07 Spr97 RING25 Cascade River off Tasman Highway Spr07 Au98 Au08 Au08 Spr03 Au98Au08 Au09 RING26 Cascade River above dam Spr08 Au04 Spr07Au09 Spr09 RING27 Black Rivulet at Tasman Highway Au09 Au07 Au08 RING18RING04 RING28 Legerwood Rivulet at Warrentina road Spr09 Au97 Spr08 Au09 RING29 Legerwood Rivulet at Ringarooma Road Au10 Au09 Spr09 Spr97 RING11 Spr09 RING06 RING16 RING30 Legerwood Rivulet at Peddles Rd RING07 RING05 RING31 Dorset River at Ruby Flats Road Au98 Spr06 Spr94 WS3 Au98 RING32 Dorset River at New River Rd Au98 Au95 WS2 Spr03 RING33 Dorset River at Alberton Road Au04 RING10RING08 RING46 RING44 FS3 RING34 New River at Pera Flats Road FS2 Au98 RING17 RING35 New River at Singline Road Spr07 RING09 RING19 FS1 Au98 Au08 Au98 RING23Au98 RING22 RING36 New River at New River Road RING28 Au98 Au09 RING21 Au98 RING37 Maurice River at Cuckoo Hill Road (Neils Bridge) RING45 RING27RING25 Spr09 Au98 RING38 Maurice River off Cuckoo Hill Road Au97 Au98 WS1 FS4 Spr97 Au98 Au09 RING20 RING39 Dunns Creek off Maurice Rd Au07 Spr03 Spr09 RING24 Au98 RING40 Federal Creek at Maurice Road Spr08 Au04 RING26 Au98 RING41 Ringarooma River at Trenah Au09 RING12 Au98 RING42 Ringarooma River us of Maurice R Spr09 RING31 RING34 RING44 Weld River at Moorina Au97 RING45 Legerwood Rt at Tasman Hwy Au98 RING30 Spr94 Au97 Spr97 Au98 RING29 Au95 Spr97 Au98 RING46 Ringarooma River below Derby Spr95 Au98 Sp03 Au98 RING13 Au96 RING35 Riffle Edgewater FS1 Frome River Site 1 Au98 Au04 Au08 RING38 RING42 Au09 Spr04 FS2 Frome River Site 2 RING37 Spr09 Au05 FS3 Frome River Site 3 Spr05 X - Richer than Reference FS4 Frome River Site 4 Au97 RING14 RING33 Au06 A - Equivalent to Reference Spr97 Au98 Au08 Sp06 WS1 Weld River Site 1 Au98 Spr03 RING32 RING36 Au07 B - Significantly Impaired WS2 Weld River Site 2 Au09 Au04 Au97 C - Severely Impaired Spr09 Spr94 Spr07 WS3 Weld River Site 3 RING40 Spr97 Au95 Au08 D - Impoverished RING39RING15 RING41 Au98 Au98 Spr95 Spr08 NS - Not Sampled Spr94 Au98 Spr03 Au09 Au09 Au96 Au09 Au95 Au04 Spr09 Spr09 Au98 Spr09 Outside the experience Spr95 Au09 Au10 of the model Au96 Spr09 Au98 Au09

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Ringarooma River upstream of Branxholm

Spring 2004 Spring 2005

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment 1.6 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6

O/E Taxa O/E 0.4 Riffle 0.2 Edgewater

Spring 1994 Spring 1995

Autumn2008 Autumn1997 Autumn1998 Autumn1999 Autumn2000 Autumn2001 Autumn2002 Autumn2003 Autumn2004 Autumn2005 Autumn2006 Autumn2007 Autumn2009 Autumn2010 Season

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Dorset River at Ruby Flats Road

Au04 Au06

Au07 Au08

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6

O/E Taxa O/E 0.4 Riffle 0.2 Edgewater

Spring 2003Spring 2004Spring 2005Spring 2006Spring 2007Spring 2008Spring 2009Spring Autumn1997 Season

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Cascade River off Tasman Highway

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Summary -River condition

Most sites in good to very good condition Number of sites undergo periodic episodes of slight impairment. Impacts appear to be due to insufficient habitat caused by high flows or low substrate heterogeneity. Impacts at other sites due to habitat degradation (unrestricted stock access, eroded banks, instream sedimentation channelisation, and the presence of exotic weed species in the riparian zone.

Impacts from the physical degradation of instream and streamside habitat can be compounded by poor water quality due to elevated conductivity and turbidity levels.

Implementation of better riparian management practices, decreasing agricultural run-off, providing adequate environmental flows especially during periods of low flow

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Acknowledgements

Thanks to the Northern Waterways Monitoring Team, NRM North and GHD for the provision of their data which has helped “fill in the gaps” and provide a more complete picture of the health of the Ringarooma catchment

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Further information

DPIPWE (2010). River Health of the Ringarooma River Catchment. Water Assessment Water Monitoring Report Series, (Internal Reference No. WA 10/07.) Water Assessment Branch, Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart.

Krasnicki, T., Pinto, R.D. and Read, M.G. (2001). Australia Wide Assessment of River Health; Tasmania Program Final Report. Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart, Technical Report No. WRA 01/2001.

DPIW (2009) Annual Waterways Report Ringarooma Catchment Water Assessment Branch 2009. http://www.stors.tas.gov.au/item/stors/f6877aef- 64ae-399b-477d-ef620d13099a/1/Microsoft%20Word%20- %20Ringarooma_Report.pdf

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment