Seasonal Water Quality Patterns in the Swan River Estuary, 1994–1998, Technical Report
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A SUPPORTING DOCUMENT TO THE SWAN-CANNING CLEANUP PROGRAM ACTION PLAN November 2001 Swan-Canning Cleanup Program Seasonal water quality patterns in the Swan River Estuary, 1994–1998, technical report SWAN RIVER TRUST 3rd floor, Hyatt Centre 87 Adelaide Terrace EAST PERTH Western Australia 6004 Telephone: (08) 9278 0400 Fax: (08) 9278 0401 Website: www.wrc.wa.gov.au/srt While negotiation and economic mechanisms provide external influences, people’s own understanding and attitudes are power- ful determinants of the extent to which they respond to environmental challenges. So the process of guiding the develop- ment of behaviour through education should be an integral part of any strategy for environmental protection. NSW Government Green Paper, 1996 Printed on recycled paper ISBN 0-7309-7549-5 ISSN 1444-3279 SWAN RIVER TRUST Swan-Canning Cleanup Program Seasonal water quality patterns in the Swan River Estuary, 1994–1998, technical report A supporting document to the Swan-Canning Cleanup Program Action Plan SCCP Report No. 23 November 2001 Acknowledgments The Aquatic Science Branch (ASB) of the Water and Rivers Commission established and managed this monitoring program since 1994 on behalf of the Swan River Trust through the Swan Canning Cleanup Program. Several past and present environmental officers from the ASB have made substantial contributions to the collection of the field data, including Kathryn McMahon, Petrina Raitt and Mischa Cousins. Kathryn McMahon and Rachel Spencer performed preliminary data analysis. Logistical support was provided by the Swan River Trust Field Operations unit, David Fardig, Vaughan Smith, Ivan Stork, Barry Boydell and Neil Chapman. Reference details The recommended reference for this publication is: Thomson, C.E., Rose, T. and Robb, M. 2001, Seasonal water quality patterns in the Swan River Estuary, 1994-1998, technical report. Swan River Trust, Western Australia. ii Contents Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................................................ii 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1 2. Objectives .................................................................................................................................. 2 3. Background .............................................................................................................................. 3 3.1 Previous monitoring programs ............................................................................................. 3 3.2 Geology and climate ............................................................................................................. 3 3.3 Bathymetry and artificial changes ........................................................................................ 3 3.4 Tides ...................................................................................................................................... 4 3.5 Freshwater inflows ................................................................................................................ 5 3.6 Hydrodynamics ..................................................................................................................... 5 4. Methods .................................................................................................................................... 6 4.1 Sampling sites ...................................................................................................................... 6 4.1.1 Estuary (from Blackwall Reach to Upper Swan) ....................................................... 6 4.1.2 Catchment (Upper Swan) ........................................................................................... 6 4.2 Sampling program................................................................................................................ 6 4.2.1 Physico-chemical data ................................................................................................ 6 4.2.2 Nutrients ..................................................................................................................... 8 4.2.3 Chlorophyll................................................................................................................. 8 5. Results ....................................................................................................................................... 9 5.1 Physico-chemical parameters............................................................................................... 9 5.1.1 Freshwater inflows ..................................................................................................... 9 5.1.2 Salinity........................................................................................................................ 9 5.1.3 Dissolved oxygen ....................................................................................................... 9 5.1.4 Temperature .............................................................................................................. 12 5.1.5 pH ............................................................................................................................. 12 5.1.6 Secchi depth ............................................................................................................. 14 5.2 Water quality data: Summary statistics .............................................................................. 14 5.3 Nutrients: Seasonal patterns ............................................................................................... 14 5.3.1 Nitrogen .................................................................................................................... 14 5.3.2 Phosphorus ............................................................................................................... 17 5.3.3 Silica ......................................................................................................................... 19 5.4 Chlorophyll: Seasonal patterns .......................................................................................... 20 iii 6. Discussion ................................................................................................................................ 23 7. Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 26 8. References ..............................................................................................................................27 Appendix A ............................................................................................................................. 28 Boxplot explanation ........................................................................................................... 28 Appendix B ............................................................................................................................. 28 ANZECC/ARMCANZ 2000 Guidelines ........................................................................... 28 Publication feedback form ................................................................................................... 29 Tables 1. Swan River estuary site details ................................................................................................... 7 2. Swan River catchment site details .............................................................................................. 7 3. Water quality: Swan River estuary summary statistics (N = total number of samples, units for all parameters are mgL-1) ........................................... 15 4. ANZECC water quality default trigger values for estuaries and lowland rivers, southern Western Australia .............................................................................. 28 iv Figures 1. Map of Western Australia, showing the Swan River estuary, Canning River and major catchment tributaries ........................................................................ 4 2. Water quality sampling sites for the Swan River estuary .......................................................... 6 3. Swan River discharge (Avon and Ellen Brook flows) ............................................................. 10 4. Annual hydrodynamic cycle, 1997 .......................................................................................... 10 5. Dissolved oxygen (% saturation) monthly medians for the surface and bottom waters of the lower, middle and upper estuary ................................................................................... 11 5a. Annual dissolved oxygen dynamics, 1997 .............................................................................. 11 6. Monthly median temperatures in the surface and bottom waters of the lower, middle and upper estuary ................................................................................... 12 7. Monthly median pH in the surface and bottom waters of the lower, middle and upper estuary .............................................................................................. 13 8. Monthly median Secchi depths in the lower, middle and upper estuary ................................. 13 9. Monthly median concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in the surface and bottom water of the lower, middle and upper estuary ................................ 16 + 10. Monthly median concentrations of NOx and NH4 in the surface