Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 2009 Isaac River Sub-basin Environmental Values and Water Quality Objectives Basin No. 130 (part), including all waters of the Isaac River Sub-basin (including Connors River) September 2011 Prepared by: Environmental Policy and Planning, Department of Environment and Heritage Protection © State of Queensland, 2011. Re-published in July 2013 to reflect machinery-of-government changes (departmental names, web addresses, accessing datasets), and updated reference sources. No changes have been made to environmental values or water quality objective numbers. The Queensland Government supports and encourages the dissemination and exchange of its information. The copyright in this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY) licence. Under this licence you are free, without having to seek our permission, to use this publication in accordance with the licence terms. You must keep intact the copyright notice and attribute the State of Queensland as the source of the publication. For more information on this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en If you need to access this document in a language other than English, please call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 131 450 and ask them to telephone Library Services on +61 7 3170 5470. This publication can be made available in an alternative format (e.g. large print or audiotape) on request for people with vision impairment; phone +61 7 3170 5470 or email [email protected]. September 2011 (Re-published in July 2013) Main parts of this document and what they contain • Scope of waters covered Introduction • Key terms/how to use document (section 1) • Links to water quality plan (map) • Mapping/water type information • Further contact details • Amendment provisions • Source of EVs for this document Environmental values • Table of EVs by waterway (EVs—section 2) - aquatic ecosystem - human use • Any applicable management goals to support EVs • How to establish WQOs to protect Water quality objectives all selected EVs (WQOs—section 3) • WQOs in this document, for - aquatic ecosystem EV - human use EVs Ways to improve water quality • List of plans, reports etc containing management actions relevant to the (section 4) waterways in this area • Definitions of key terms including an Dictionary explanation table of all environmental (section 5) values • An accompanying map that shows Accompanying water quality water types, levels of protection and plan (map) other information contained in this document iii Contents Main parts of this document and what they contain .................................................................................................... iii 1 Introduction............................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Waters to which this document applies ...........................................................................................................1 1.2 Guidance on using this document ...................................................................................................................2 1.2.1 Key terms (refer to dictionary for additional terms).................................................................................2 1.2.2 Main components of this document ........................................................................................................4 1.2.3 Use of this document ..............................................................................................................................4 1.3 Information about mapped areas and boundaries...........................................................................................4 1.4 Water types and basis for boundaries .............................................................................................................5 1.4.1 Water types .............................................................................................................................................5 1.4.2 Water type boundaries............................................................................................................................5 1.5 Matters for amendment....................................................................................................................................5 2 Environmental values ............................................................................................................................................6 2.1 Environmental values ......................................................................................................................................6 2.2 Management goals to support environmental values......................................................................................6 3 Water quality objectives to protect environmental values .....................................................................................9 3.1 Water quality objectives to protect aquatic ecosystems..................................................................................9 3.1.1 Physico–chemical and biological water quality objectives....................................................................10 3.1.2 Riparian water quality objectives ..........................................................................................................16 3.1.3 Stormwater management design objectives.........................................................................................16 3.2 Water quality objectives for human use environmental values .....................................................................17 4 Ways to improve water quality.............................................................................................................................30 5 Dictionary.............................................................................................................................................................31 List of tables List of EVs and applicable waters.................................................................................................................................2 Table 1 Environmental values for Isaac and Connors Rivers catchments waters .......................................................7 Table 2 Water quality objectives to protect aquatic ecosystem environmental value under baseflow (and, where specified, high flow) conditions......................................................................................................................11 Table 3 Water quality objectives to protect human use environmental values ..........................................................17 Table 4 Drinking water EV: Priority water quality objectives for drinking water supply in the vicinity of off-takes, including groundwater, before treatment .......................................................................................................20 Table 5 Aquaculture EV: Water quality objectives for tropical aquaculture................................................................22 Table 6 Aquaculture EV: Water quality objectives for optimal growth of particular species in fresh water................23 Table 7 Aquaculture EV: Water quality objectives for optimal growth of particular marine species ..........................24 Table 8 Irrigation EV: Water quality objectives for thermotolerant (faecal) coliforms in irrigation waters used for food and non-food crops1.......................................................................................................................................25 Table 9 Irrigation EV: Water quality objectives for heavy metals and metalloids in agricultural irrigation water1— long-term trigger value (LTV), short-term trigger value (STV) and soil cumulative contamination loading limit (CCL) .............................................................................................................................................................26 iv Table 10 Stock watering EV: Water quality objectives for tolerances of livestock to total dissolved solids (salinity) in drinking water1 ...............................................................................................................................................27 Table 11 Stock watering EV: Water quality objectives (low risk trigger values) for heavy metals and metalloids in livestock drinking water..................................................................................................................................28 Table 12 Recreational waters: Alert levels and corresponding actions for management of cyanobacteria...............29 Table 13 Suite of environmental values that can be chosen for protection................................................................32 Table 14 Fitzroy groundwater: water quality objectives (aquatic ecosystem) according to water chemistry zones (refer plan WQ1310)1-4...................................................................................................................................35 v Isaac River Sub-basin Environmental Values and Water Quality Objectives 1 Introduction This document is made pursuant to the provisions of the Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 2009 (EPP (Water)), which is subordinate legislation under the Environmental Protection Act 1994. The EPP (Water) provides a framework for: • identifying environmental values (EVs) for Queensland waters,