Information Series QI00032 Natural Resources of the Barron River Catchment 1. Stream habitat, fisheries resources and biological indicators DJ Russell1, AJ McDougall1, TJ Ryan2, SE Kistle1, G Aland3, AL Cogle3 3 and PA Langford 1Northern Fisheries Centre, Cairns, Queensland 4870 2Freshwater Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre, Walkamin, Queensland 4883 3Centre for Tropical Agriculture, Mareeba, Queensland 4880 June 2000 QI00032 ISSN 0727-6273 Agdex 470/041 First published 2000 Other publications in the same series: Russell, DJ and Hales, PW (1993). 'Stream Habitat and Fisheries Resources in the Johnstone River Catchment.' QI93056. (Queensland Department of Primary Industries: Brisbane). 60pp Russell, DJ; Hales, PW and Helmke, SA (1996). 'Stream Habitat and Fish Resources in the Russell and Mulgrave Rivers Catchment.' QI96008. (Queensland Department of Primary Industries: Brisbane). 58pp. Russell, DJ; Hales, PW and Helmke, SA (1996). 'Fish Resources and Stream Habitat in the Moresby River Catchment.' QI96061. (Queensland Department of Primary Industries: Brisbane). 50pp. Russell, DJ and Hales, PW (1997). 'Fish Resources and Stream Habitat of the Liverpool, Maria and Hull Catchments’ QI97039. (Queensland Department of Primary Industries: Brisbane). 68pp. Russell, D.J., Mc Dougall, A.J. and Kistle, S. E. (1998). ‘Fish Resources and Stream Habitat of the Daintree, Saltwater, Mossman and Mowbray Catchments'. QI98062. (Queensland Department of Primary Industries: Brisbane). 72 pp. Cogle, A..L., Langford, P.A.., Kistle, S.E., Ryan, T.J., McDougall, A.E., Russell,D.J., Best, E. (2000). ‘Natural resources of the Barron River Catchment: 2.. Water Quality, Land Use and Land Management Interactions”. QI00033, Queensland Department of Primary Industries:Brisbane). Information contained in this publication is provided as general advice only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought. The Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, has taken all reasonable steps to ensure the information contained in this publication is accurate at the time of publication. Readers should ensure that they make appropriate inquiries to determine whether new information is available on the particular subject matter. © The State of Queensland, Department of Primary Industries, 2000 Copyright protects this publication. Except for purposes permitted by the Copyright Act, reproduction by whatever means is prohibited without the prior written permission of the Department of Primary Industries, Queensland. The Manager Publishing Services GPO Box 46 Brisbane Qld 4001 Inquiries should be directed to: John Russell Coastal Resources Assessment Group Northern Fisheries Centre PO Box 5396 Cairns Qld 4870 ii Stream Habitat, Fisheries Resources and Biological Indicators TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................................iii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ v LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................vi LIST OF MAPS AND PLATES.....................................................................................vii LIST OF ACRONYMS..................................................................................................viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...........................................................................................viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 3 Project Summary.................................................................................................. 3 Catchments Description....................................................................................... 4 Water infrastructure........................................................................................... 5 Climate .............................................................................................................. 6 Reserves ............................................................................................................ 6 Fishing Activities................................................................................................. 8 Fishery management ......................................................................................... 8 Commercial fisheries......................................................................................... 8 Recreational fisheries ........................................................................................ 9 Fish stocking ................................................................................................... 10 Aquaculture ..................................................................................................... 10 Previous Biological Studies ............................................................................... 10 METHODOLOGY.......................................................................................................... 12 General............................................................................................................... 12 Instream Habitat Assessment............................................................................. 12 Site Selection ..................................................................................................... 12 Habitat Assessment Techniques ........................................................................ 13 Riparian vegetation ......................................................................................... 14 Sedimentation.................................................................................................. 15 Stream structure............................................................................................... 15 Fish habitat types............................................................................................. 15 Invasive grasses............................................................................................... 15 Wetlands ............................................................................................................ 16 Freshwater communities ................................................................................. 16 Tidal communities........................................................................................... 16 Land Use............................................................................................................ 16 Macroinvertebrate Sampling.............................................................................. 17 Water Quality..................................................................................................... 18 Fish Resources ................................................................................................... 18 Freshwater ....................................................................................................... 18 Estuarine.......................................................................................................... 18 Data Analysis..................................................................................................... 19 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION...................................................................................... 20 Wetlands ............................................................................................................ 20 Barron River.................................................................................................... 20 Half Moon Creek............................................................................................. 21 Other freshwater wetlands............................................................................... 23 Land Use on Reclaimed Wetlands..................................................................... 23 iii Stream Habitat, Fisheries Resources and Biological Indicators Barron River catchment .................................................................................. 23 Half Moon Creek catchment ........................................................................... 23 Stream Habitat ................................................................................................... 24 Riparian zone assessment................................................................................ 24 Riparian continuity.......................................................................................... 30 Land use impacts on riparian vegetation......................................................... 32 Substrate.......................................................................................................... 34 Overhanging vegetation .................................................................................. 37 Aquatic plants.................................................................................................. 39 Snags ............................................................................................................... 40 Undercut banks/roots....................................................................................... 41 Invasive grasses............................................................................................... 41 Rocks..............................................................................................................