Environmental Protection (Water and Wetland Biodiversity) Policy 2019 Jeannie and Endeavour River Basins Environmental Values and Water Quality Objectives Basins 106 and 107, including all surface waters of the Jeannie and Endeavour River Basins and adjacent coastal waters Prepared by: Environmental Policy and Planning Division, Department of Environment and Science © State of Queensland, 2020 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. 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October 2020 Main parts of this document and what they contain • Waters covered by this document Introduction • Key terms/how to use document (section 1) • Links to water quality plans (maps) • Mapping/water type information • Further contact details • Amendment provisions • Source of EVs for this document Environmental values • Any applicable management goals (EVs—section 2) to support EVs • Table(s) of EVs by waterway o aquatic ecosystem o human use • • Guidance on use Water quality objectives • WQOs in this document, for (WQOs—sections 3, 4) o aquatic ecosystem EV o human use EVs • Vegetation management and planning provisions • List of sources relevant in considering Ways to improve water ways to improve water quality quality (section 5) • Definitions of key terms including a Dictionary table of all environmental values (section 6) • Accompanying maps that show Accompanying water quality water types, levels of protection and plans (maps) other information contained in this document i Contents Main parts of this document and what they contain ................................................................................................ i List of tables ................................................................................................................................................................ ii 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Queensland waters to which this document applies ..................................................................................... 1 1.3 Great Barrier Reef end-of-basin load objectives .......................................................................................... 2 1.4 Guidance on using this document ................................................................................................................ 2 1.5 Information about mapped areas and boundaries ........................................................................................ 4 1.6 Water types and basis for boundaries .......................................................................................................... 4 1.7 Matters for amendment ................................................................................................................................. 5 2 Environmental values and management goals ............................................................................................. 7 2.1 Environmental values.................................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Management goals to support environmental values ................................................................................... 7 3 Water quality objectives to protect aquatic ecosystem environmental values ....................................... 16 3.1 Aquatic ecosystem water quality objectives ............................................................................................... 16 3.2 Vegetation management and planning provisions ...................................................................................... 45 4 Water quality objectives for human use environmental values (EVs) ...................................................... 49 4.1 Human use EVs water quality objectives.................................................................................................... 49 4.2 Drinking water EV water quality objectives ................................................................................................. 52 4.3 Aquaculture EV water quality objectives..................................................................................................... 53 4.4 Irrigation EV water quality objectives .......................................................................................................... 56 4.5 Stock watering EV water quality objectives ................................................................................................ 58 4.6 Recreation EV water quality objectives - cyanobacteria ............................................................................. 60 5 Ways to improve water quality ...................................................................................................................... 62 6 Dictionary ........................................................................................................................................................ 63 List of tables Table 1 Environmental values: Jeannie River Basin and adjacent coastal waters ...................................................... 9 Table 2 Environmental values: Endeavour River Basin and adjacent coastal waters ............................................... 12 Table 3 Aquatic ecosystem water quality objectives – freshwaters: physico-chemical (nutrients, algal, water clarity, etc.) (baseflow except where noted) ...................................................................................................... 19 Table 4 Aquatic ecosystem water quality objectives – freshwaters: electrical conductivity (by flow) ........................ 26 Table 5 Aquatic ecosystem water quality objectives – freshwaters: other ions and related indicators (baseflow except where noted) ............................................................................................................................... 28 Table 6 Aquatic ecosystem water quality objectives (indicative ranges) – fresh water dune lakes ........................... 30 Table 7 Aquatic ecosystem water quality objectives: estuarine, coastal and marine waters ..................................... 31 Table 8 Human use EVs water quality objectives ...................................................................................................... 49 ii Table 9 Drinking water EV: Priority water quality objectives for drinking water supply in the vicinity of off-takes, including groundwater, before treatment ............................................................................................... 52 Table 10 Aquaculture EV: General water quality objectives for tropical aquaculture ................................................. 53 Table 11 Aquaculture EV: Water quality objectives for optimal growth of particular freshwater species ................... 54 Table 12 Aquaculture EV: Water quality objectives for optimal growth of particular marine species ........................ 55 Table 13 Irrigation EV: Water quality objectives for thermotolerant (faecal) coliforms in irrigation waters used for food and non-food crops1 ....................................................................................................................... 56 Table 14 Irrigation EV: Water quality objectives for heavy metals and metalloids in agricultural irrigation water— soil cumulative contamination loading limit (CCL), long-term trigger value (LTV) and short-term trigger value (STV)1 ........................................................................................................................................... 57 Table 15 Stock watering EV: Water quality objectives for tolerances of livestock to salinity, as total dissolved solids, in drinking water1 .................................................................................................................................... 58 Table 16 Stock watering EV: Water quality objectives (low risk trigger values) for heavy metals and metalloids in livestock drinking water .......................................................................................................................... 59 Table 17 Recreational waters: Alert levels and corresponding actions for management of cyanobacteria ............... 60 Table 18 Environmental values that can be identified for protection .......................................................................... 64 iii Jeannie and Endeavour River Basins Environmental Values and