BLACK ROSS (TOWNSVILLE) WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN Upper Ross River SUB BASIN FACTSHEET The Upper Ross River Sub Basin includes the Ross River (above the dam), Six Mile Creek, Toonpan Lagoon, Antill Plains Creek, Sachs Creek and Mt Stuart catchments and waterways. There are also a number of smaller waterways that have been included in the catchments of these larger waterways. 7 Central Creek Lansdowne Creek Ross River Woodstock Six Mile Creek Toonpan Lagoon Ross River Dam Antill Plains Creek Sachs Creek Mt Stuart Stuart Alligator Creek POPULATION The 2006 census counted 1,357 residents within the Upper Ross River Sub Basin. The sub basin includes areas to the west of Mount Stuart and rural lands towards Woodstock. Woodstock township is not included in the Upper Ross River Sub Basin. The median age of the Upper Ross River Sub Basin population is reported at 38 years at the time of the 2006 Census. Average household size at 3.0 people per household is above the average occupancy for the Townsville local government area (2.8 people). LAND USE The Upper Ross River Sub Basin is 755 square kilometres in size (~75,500 hectares). The Upper Ross River Sub Basin is the catchment for the Ross River Dam, Townsville’s main raw drinking water supply. Land use in the Upper Ross Sub Basin is dominated by grazing (72%) and conservation and natural areas (21%). The Ross River Dam occupies approximately 6% of the sub basin area. Upper Ross River Sub Basin 2005 Land Use Lower Ross River 19°21'S Stuart Creek Legend: S a c h 2005 Land Use s Black C r Bohle River 7-6 e 19°24'S Utilities e River k Transport & communication 7-5 Alligator An Electricity generation/transmission ti Creek ll P Ross River la Waste treatment & disposal i n s C Dam reek Manufacturing & industrial 19°27'S Services 7-4 Mining C en tral Creek Residential 7-2 Production forestry 19°30'S U PPER Plantation forestry k r e e e 7-1 v i r Nature conservation R C s e s R Upper Ross n o Grazing natural vegetation w OSS OSS R o River d s Perennial horticulture n a 19°33'S L R Irrigated perennial horticulture IVER 7-3 Irrigated seasonal horticulture S Intensive animal production UB woodstock Irrigated cropping B 19°36'S ASIN Cropping Channel/aqueduct Marsh/wetland 7 Lake/dam/reservoir 19°39'S River Other minimal use 0 1 2 4 6 8 km Localities 19°16'S Major roads 146°33'E 146°36'E 146°39'E 146°42'E 146°45'E 146°48'E 146°51'E 146°54'E 146°57'E Major rail lines Sub basin boundary 7-1 Catchment boundary & number 19°45'S 2005 Land Use Upper Ross River Sub Basin Land Use Ha % Principal Land Use Ha % Upper Ross River Sub Basin Land Use Nature conservation 8,218 10.9 Conservation and natural 15,680 20.8 0.3 5.8 Other minimal use 7,461 10.0 areas 0.6 0.9 Grazing natural vegetation 54,082 71.7 Grazing 54,082 71.7 20.8 Residential 647 0.9 Rural residential 646 0.9 Irrigated cropping 63 <0.1 Irrigated perennial horticulture 323 0.4 Intensive agriculture 422 0.6 Irrigated seasonal horticulture 35 <0.1 Manufacturing and industrial 11 <0.1 71.7 Mining 173 0.2 Urban 259 0.3 Services 75 0.1 Reservoir/dam 4,332 5.7 River 27 <0.1 Water and wetlands 4,372 5.8 Marsh/wetland 12 <0.1 Totals 75,460 0.31005.8 75,460 100 0.6 0.30.30.35.85.85.8 0.9 0.60.60.6 0.4 2.5 5.4 0.7 0.3 0.2 0.3 4.5 0.90.90.9 0.9 17.7 0.1 Note: Totals may not tally due to rounding of sub totals 20.8 18.9 20.820.820.8 23.5 0.3 30.9 Land Use by Catchment Ha % Ha % Ha % Ha 90.9 % 63.1 75.3 64.2 Land Use Ross River (atd) (7-1) Six Mile Creek (7-2) Toonpan Lagoon (7-3) Antill Plains Creek (7-4) Conservation and natural areas 1,626 5.4 1,82171.7 18.9 3,983 23.5 3,315 30.9 71.771.771.7 0.30.3 5.85.8 Grazing 27,487 0.60.6 90.9 6,077 63.1 12,757 75.3 6,888 64.2 0.90.9 Rural residential 0 20.820.80 0 11 0.1 Intensive agriculture 279 0.9 0 112 0.716.3 29 0.3 19.3 1.8 Urban 109 0.4 26 0.3 49 0.3 0 0.0 0.1 Water and wetlands 747 2.5 1,701 17.7 34 0.2 484 0.04.5 Totals 30,247 9,625 16,935 15.4 10,72645.3 80.6 0.4 2.5 71.771.7 0.7 0.3 0.2 0.3 4.5 Note: atd is above the dam 0.40.40.42.52.52.55.4 0.70.70.70.30.30.30.20.20.2 0.1 0.30.30.34.54.54.5 0.9 5.45.45.4 17.7 18.9 21.1 0.10.10.1 0.90.90.9 17.717.717.7 18.918.918.9 23.5 0.3 23.523.523.5 0.30.30.3 30.9 30.930.930.9 90.9 63.1 75.3 64.2 90.990.990.9 63.163.163.1 75.375.375.3 64.264.264.2 Land Use Sachs0.40.4 C2.5reek2.5 (7-5) Mt Stuart (7-6) 0.70.70.30.30.20.2 0.30.34.54.5 5.45.4 0.10.1 0.90.9 17.717.7 18.918.9 Conservation and natural areas 1,873 45.3 3,062 80.6 The Upper Ross23.523.5 River is one of the main 0.30.3 16.3 19.3 30.930.9 Grazing 16.387216.316.3 21.1 19.3119.319.3 0.0 sub basins requiring special attention in 1.8 1.81.81.8 0.0 Rural residential 634 15.4 0.00.00.0 2 0.0 0.1 terms of water quality management, as 0.10.10.1 90.990.9 0.0 63.163.1 75.375.3 64.264.2 3 0.1 0.00.00.0 0 Intensive agriculture it is the main water supply catchment for 15.4 45.3 80.6 Urban 15.415.415.475 1.845.345.345.3 0 80.680.680.6 the Townsville region. While land use is Water and wetlands 21.1673 16.3 733 19.3 U 21.121.121.1 PPER Totals 4,130 3,798 ostensibly dominated by grazing, there are a number of additional pressures that 16.316.3 19.319.3 R 1.81.8 can impact water quality in the sub basin, OSS 0.00.0 0.10.1 0.00.0 including peri-urban and rural residential R IVER 15.415.4 45.345.3 80.680.6 activities, and potential urban development. 21.121.1 S UB B ASIN 7 [ More information about the basins, sub basins and catchments of the Black Ross WQIP can be found in; Basins, Catchments and Receiving Waters of the Black Ross Water Quality Improvement Plan Area (Gunn and Manning 2009) ] BLACK ROSS (TOWNSVILLE) WQIP WATER RESOURCE CONDITION Despite a very limited dataset, the Black Ross WQIP area water quality condition assessment (Connell Wagner 2008) indicated that the water quality of this sub basin was most likely to be slightly to moderately impacted. The data associated with the Ross Dam Catchment was all taken from within the Ross River Legend: Dam so it was not considered to be representative of the various catchments feeding into Drainage - Ecological Impact the dam. Recent data from Sachs Creek generally confirms the rating for this sub basin i.e. No data slightly to moderately impacted. However this may Insufficient data only be indicative of the land use and management Healthy/Slightly impacted S activities of the Sachs Creek Catchment and a c h s Slightly/Moderately impacted C 7-6 r e not of the whole sub basin. e Moderately/Heavily impacted k 7-5 An ti Moderately/Heavily impacted ll P Ross River l a i Dam ns Creek B Upper Ross River Sub R U Catchments - Ecological Impact C E 7-4 Basin Ecological H I G Ce H No data W ntr k al Cree A Impact Y Insufficient data 7-2 k r e e e v 7-1 r Healthy/Slightly impacted i R C s e s Upper Ross n o Note: Water quality data was R w Slightly/Moderately impacted o d River s n a assessed against water quality objectives Moderately/Heavily impacted L 7-3 (WQOs) derived from the Queensland Water Localities Quality Guidelines (EPA 2006) for the Central Coast Region for lowland streams Major roads Major rail lines Sub basin boundary 0 1 2 4 6 8km 7-1 Catchment boundary & number WATER QUALITY AND WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES (WQOS) The water quality condition data does not match the WQOs for many of the water quality indicators in the Upper Ross River Sub Basin. It should be noted that the water quality data for Lake Ross has been compared to the WQOs for lakes, which are more stringent than the WQOs for lowland streams.