Mary River WQIP
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Draft Version 1.2 December 2008 PREPARATION STATEMENT The Mary Catchment Water Quality Improvement Plan (WQIP) was drafted by Dr Michael Walker, Water Management Officer, Mary & Burrum, Wide Bay Water Corporation. Funding for this task was provided jointly by the Burnett Mary Regional Group for Natural Resource Management (BMRG) and Wide Bay Water Corporation under a strategic partnership to improve water quality. Dr Graeme Esslemont Water Quality and Equitable Use Coordinator (BMRG) assisted with editing the Mary Catchment Water Quality Improvement Plan (Draft 1.2), and with the condition assessments (chapter 2) and time series projections (chapter 3). Mary Catchment Water Quality Improvement Plan - i - Mary Water Quality Improvement Plan, Preparation Status Document and Version Control Document Title: Mary Water Quality Improvement Plan Client: Wide Bay Water Corporation and Burnett Mary Regional Group for Natural Resource Management Date Created: August 2007 Last Updated: December 2008 Authors: M Walker (Versions 1 and 1.1), G Esslemont (Version 1.2). Version: First draft Version Control Version Date and description Distribution 1 Partially completed first draft to BMRG WBWC WQIPs Mary & Burrum Steering Committee 15 9 Oct 07 Oct 2007 meeting postponed 1.1 Partially completed first draft to BMRG WBWC WQIPs Mary & Burrum Steering Committee 29 25 Oct 07 Oct 2007 1.2 Completed first draft to 15 BMRG WBWC WQIPs Mary & Burrum Steering Committee 15 Dec 08 Dec 2008 Mary Catchment Water Quality Improvement Plan - ii - CONTENTS PREPARATION STATEMENT ....................................................................... i ACRONYMS ................................................................................................. vi CHAPTER 1: Background to the Mary Water Quality Improvement Plan 1.1 UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL PROGRAMME OF ACTION .....................................................2 1.2 NATIONAL WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ................................................2 1.3 FRAMEWORK FOR MARINE AND ESTUARINE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION……. 3 1.4 THE WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLANNING PROCESS…………………………. 4 1.5 THE GREAT BARRIER REEF WATER QUALITY PROTECTION PLAN (REEF PLAN)… 5 1.6 THE COASTAL CATCHMENTS INITIATIVE………………………………………………….. 6 1.7 THE REEF WATER QUALITY PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAMME (REEFPLAN)…………. 7 1.8 NATIONAL, STATE, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND NRM BODY PLANNING………………………………………………………………………………………… 9 1.8.1 The Wide Bay Burnett Coastal Management Plan………………………………….. 10 1.8.2 The Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan…………………………………….................. 10 1.8.3 The Great Sandy Region Management Plan………………………………………... 12 1.8.4 The Burnett Mary Regional Group for Natural Resource Management NRM Plan: Country To Coast – A Healthy Sustainable Future ...........................................13 CHAPTER 2: LANDSCAPE DRIVERS AND PRESSURES ON THE MARY RIVER CATCHMENT 2.1 THE MARY CATCHMENT AND OVERVIEW ........................................................................18 2.2 LANDSCAPE DRIVERS ON WATER QUALITY………………………………………………………………………………………… 22 2.3 LANDSCAPE PRESSURES ON WATER QUALITY ..............................................................28 CHAPTER 3: WATER QUALITY IN THE MARY RIVER AND PROJECTIONS TO 2020 3.1 THE CURRENT CONDITION OF WATER QUALITY IN RELATION TO MANAGEMENT ACTION TARGETS ....................................................................................................... 41 3.1.1 Estuary and Freshwater concentration values. ................................................. 41 3.1.2 Development of local guideline concentration values as targets for on-ground delivery of River-care and Land-care management actions. ............................. 42 3.1.3 Herbicide and Pesticide Risks In Fresh Waters ................................................. 46 3.1.4 Herbicide and Pesticide Risks In Marine Waters ................................................ 48 3.1.5 Groundwater Dependent Surface Water Systems in the Upper Mary Headwaters. ..................................................................................................... 49 3.1.6 Groundwater Dependent Surface Water Systems associated with coastal zone Mary Catchment Water Quality Improvement Plan - iii - development. .................................................................................................... 49 3.2 WATER QUALITY TRENDS IN RELATION TO RESOURCE CONDITION TARGETS .. 50 3.2.1 Nutrient trends in the Mary Catchment ............................................................... 50 3.2.2 Physical-chemical trends in the Mary Catchment ............................................... 55 3.3 SEDIMENT AND NUTRIENT LOADS IN THE MARY CATCHMENT, AND PROJECTION OF LOADS WITH RESPECT TO MANAGEMENT OPTIONS. ....................................... 64 3.3.1 Improvements to catchment load delivery projected by landscape modelling. .... 64 3.3.2 Measured off site movement of sediment, nutrients, and herbicides from cane, forestry, mining, and main roads. ....................................................................... 65 3.3.3 Phosphorus measured in river sediment ............................................................ 73 3.3.4 Best available projections of sediment and nutrient additions to receiving waters. 75 3.4 WATER QUALITY WITH RESPECT TO RESOURCE CONDITION TARGETS ............. 75 3.4.1 Hervey Bay and Great Sandy Straits................................................................. 75 3.4.2 The Mary Estuary Management Unit ................................................................. 76 3.4.3 The Lower Mary Management Unit ................................................................... 78 3.4.4 The Upper Mary Management Unit ................................................................... 78 3.5 WATER QUALITY WITH RESPECT TO ASPIRATIONAL TARGETS ............................ 79 CHAPTER 4: ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES AND WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES OF THE MARY RIVER AND MARINE RECEIVING WATERS 4.1 ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES ........................................................................................... 81 4.2 WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................... 82 4.3 ECOLOGICAL CHARACTER DESCRIPTION OF THE GREAT SANDY STRAIT 83 RAMSAR SITE................................................................................................................. CHAPTER 5: COORDINATED MANAGEMENT ACTIONS TO ACHIEVE TARGETS 5.1 WATER QUALITY TARGET SETTING ............................................................................ 86 5.2 MARINE RECEIVING WATERS: HERVEY BAY, GREAT SANDY STRAITS, MARY 88 ESTUARY MANAGEMENT AREA ................................................................................... 5.3 LOWER MARY MANAGEMENT AREA ........................................................................... 96 5.4 TINANA CREEK MANAGEMENT AREA.......................................................................... 101 5.5 WESTERN MARY MANAGEMENT AREA ....................................................................... 106 5.6 UPPER MARY MANAGEMENT AREA ............................................................................ 111 CHAPTER 6: REASONABLE ASSURANCE STATEMENT 6.1 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................... 118 6.1.1 Statement ......................................................................................................... 118 6.1.2 Knowledge of the Response of the System to Pollutant Loads .......................... 119 6.1.3 Effectiveness of Proposed Interventions to achieve Load Reductions and improve Water Quality....................................................................................... 119 6.1.4 Adoption of Proposed Interventions, in terms of Timing and Extent. ................. 121 Mary Catchment Water Quality Improvement Plan - iv - REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 122 Mary Catchment Water Quality Improvement Plan - v - ACRONYMS BMRG Burnett Mary Regional Group for Natural Resource Management CCI Coastal Catchments Initiative COAG Council of Australian Governments DEW Department of Environment and Water (formerly Department of Environment and Heritage [DEH]) DLPG Department of Local Government and Planning DPIF Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries EPA Environmental Protection Agency EPP (W) Environmental Protection Policy – Water FBRSG Friends of the Burrum System Group (Inc) GPA Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment ICM Integrated Catchment Management IROL Interim Resource Operating Licence MRCCC Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee NAPSWQ National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality NRM Natural Resource Management NRW Department of Natural Resources and Water (formerly Department of Natural Resources and Mines [DNRM]) NWQMS National Water Quality Management Strategy PMF Probable maximum flood RMP Riverine Management Planning WBWC Wide Bay Water Corporation WMU Waterway Management Units WQIP Water Quality Improvement Plan WQM Water Quality Management WRP Water Resource Plan Mary Catchment Water Quality Improvement Plan - vi - CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND TO THE MARY WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN Mary Catchment Water Quality Improvement Plan - 1 - 1.1 UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL PROGRAMME OF ACTION Land-based sources of marine pollution are internationally recognised as a major environmental issue. The