Macquarie-Castlereagh Water quality management plan The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW

17 February 2016 Dr James Hitchcock

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW

Basin Plan activities

Water Resource Plan

Long-term Water quality Water sharing environmental management plan watering plan plan

Monitoring Risk evaluation assessment reporting plan

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW Water quality objectives & targets

• Water dependent ecosystems: Nitrogen, phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, turbidity, salinity • Irrigation water: Salinity • Recreational water: Blue-green algae

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW Water quality objectives & targets

• Raw water for human consumption: Blue-green algae, microbes, turbidity etc. • Managing water flows: dissolved oxygen, blue-green algae, salinity • Salt export: Salinity

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW Requirements

• Assess risks arising from water quality degradation • Identify water quality issues and probable causes • Specify measures that contribute to achieving water quality objectives • Establish water quality targets and locations for irrigation water quality targets • Consider impacts on other Basin States

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW Approach

• Meet requirements, support DPI strategic plan: • Optimise environmental, social, cultural and economic outcomes • Prioritise engagement and collaboration • Strong foundation for sustainable and long-term adaptive water quality management • Capture existing information – new framework • Strong focus on engagement, promoting existing NRM, value adding to existing measures and providing space for collaboration • Align with LLS regional strategic plans, Environment Waterways Alliance 5 year plan, other Basin Plans

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW Where are we at?

• Risk assessment (awaiting approval for review) • Identified and engaging with key NRM experts and stakeholders • Currently identifying water quality issues and probable causes

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW Risk assessment

RISK = CONSEQUENCE and LIKELIHOOD

There is a risk to the health …that may lead to loss …from poor of water dependent of instream ecological water quality ecosystems. values.

• Likelihood - number of times water quality measurements exceeded targets • Consequence – HEAVE layer (high ecological value aquatic ecosystems)

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW DPI Water Quality

• State wide monthly water quality monitoring program: nitrogen, phosphorus, pH, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen • Algal monitoring program • Blackwater early warning system • Cold-water pollution project • Salinity management program The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW

Risk assessment

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW Risk Analysis Baseline Condition Risk factor / source Conseque Level of nce Likelihood Risk Turbidity 42110171 Fish River at Hazelgrove High Low Low 42110170 Turon River at Bathurst Point Medium Medium Medium

421025 Macquarie River at Bruinbun Low Low Low • Targets: 421038 Cudgegong River at Rylstone Medium Low Low • Upland Bridge 421019 Cudgegong River at Yamble Medium Low Low 20 NTU annual Bridge 421077 Macquarie River at u/s Spillway median Medium Low Low • Lowland Burrendong Dam 421018 Bell River at Neurea Medium Low Low 35 NTU annual median 421176 Little River at Arthurville No. 2 Medium Low Low 42110101 Macquarie River at Molong High Low Low Rail Bridge 421042 Talbragar River at Elong Elong Medium High Medium

421004 Macquarie River at Warren Weir Very High High High

421011 Marthaguy Creek at Carinda* High High High 421012 Macquarie River at Carinda High Medium Medium (Bells Bridge) 421023 Bogan River at Gongolgon Medium Medium Medium The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW 420004 Castlereagh River at Mendooran Medium Medium Medium Approach: Identifying water quality issues and causes

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW Example: turbidity

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW Example: turbidity

• Bank erosion probable major cause • In headwater sediment comes from a mix of sources, otherwise mostly bank erosion (Wethered et al. 2015) • Water entering southern marshes high in NTU, low NTU leaving (Kobayashi et al. 2011) • Carp also likely cause in some locations • Land use, stock • Riverstyles, riparian condition, car hotspots layers • Links to other water quality: decreasing pH in Macquarie Marshes (Yu et al. 2015), sediment slugs and blackwater, promoting cyanobacteria, etc. The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW In brief

• Nutrients, turbidity issues downstream Burrendong • Cold water pollution – thermal curtain on Burrendong good results so far • Algal blooms – mostly dams • Salinity – EC high in Little and Bell Rivers, Salt loads mostly lower catchment • Potential dissolved oxygen issues • Urban water quality • Gaps: toxicants, pesticides, pathogens, spatial

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW

Approach: Identifying water quality measures

Management Action Priorities

Identify existing and proposed Risk mapping and measures and Gap analysis Research programs priorities and information needs Engagement and desktop analysis WQ risks and issues Constraints

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW Who are we working with?

Office of Environment & Heritage DPI Fisheries Long term environmental watering Ecological requirements plans Water management policies Wetland management

DPI WATER Lead Agency

DPI Agriculture Local Land Services Land use, industry best practice Land and riparian zone management Salinity, landscape properties Regional strategies Soils and geology Remediation

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW Timeline for Macquarie plan

Time Activities Feb 16 Defining water quality issues and probably causes Mar 16 Measures , engagement, writing Apr 16 Internal draft and review May 16 Partner agency review June 16 Final version, preparation for public exhibition, publishing/design Nov 16 MDBA review Feb 17 Public exhibition Jun 17 Final WQMP Dec 17 State and federal review/accrediation April 18 WQMP released

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW Macquarie-Castlereagh Water quality management plan The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW

17 February 2016 Dr James Hitchcock

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW

Macquarie-Castlereagh targets

Dissolved Target Water- Total Total oxygen Pesticides, heavy application zones Ecosystem Turbidity pH dependent Phosphorus Nitrogen (mg/L; or Temperature metals and other toxic (Target Type (NTU) ecosystem (μg/L) (μg/L) saturation contaminants assessment) (%)) A3 (Lowland Declared Streams and 20 30 320 80-110% 6.5–8 between the 20%ile and the protection of 99% zone) Ramsar rivers 80%ile of natural monthly of species wetlands water temperature Lakes and 20 10 350 90–110% 6.5–8.0 between the 20%ile and the protection of 99% wetlands 80%ile of natural monthly of species water temperature Other water- Streams, 35 50 600 80-110% 6.5–8 between the 20%ile and the protection of 95% dependent rivers, lakes 80%ile of natural monthly of species ecosystems and water temperature wetlands B3 (Upland Declared Streams and 5 20 310 90-110% 7–8 between the 20%ile and the protection of 99% zone) Ramsar rivers 80%ile of natural monthly of species wetlands water temperature Lakes and 20 10 350 90–110% 6.5–8.0 between the 20%ile and the protection of 99% wetlands 80%ile of natural monthly of species water temperature Other water- Streams, 20 35 600 90-110% 7–8 between the 20%ile and the protection of 95% dependent rivers, lakes 80%ile of natural monthly of species ecosystems and water temperature wetlands

The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW The Basin Plan Implementation | NSW