Victorian Water Quality Monitoring Annual Report: 1999 Report prepared for Department of Natural Resources and Environment By AWT Victoria WATER ECOscience Pty Ltd trading as AWT Victoria ACN 067 477 989 68 Ricketts Road Mt Waverley Vic Australia 3149 Private Bag 1 Mt Waverley Vic Australia 3149 telephone +61 3 9550 1000 facsimile +61 3 9543 7372 Report Number: 554/00 Project Number: 2258 October 2000 “Victorian Water Quality Monitoring Annual Report: 1999” ISSN: 1445-1646 VICTORIAN WATER QUALITY MONITORING ANNUAL REPORT: 1999 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS......................................................................................................................................I LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................................................III LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................................................V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ IX 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 WATER QUALITY LEGISLATION AND GUIDELINES ....................................................................................... 2 1.1.1 State Environment Protection Policies (SEPPs) ................................................................................. 2 1.1.2 Water Quality Guidelines .................................................................................................................. 3 1.1.2.1 The Australian Water Quality Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Waters (ANZECC 1992) ................................. 4 1.1.2.2 EPA Preliminary Nutrient Guidelines for Victorian Inland Streams (Tiller & Newall 1995) .............................. 4 1.1.3 Commonly Assessed Water Quality Parameters ................................................................................. 4 1.2 CURRENT WATER QUALITY NETWORKS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE STATUS..................................................... 5 1.2.1 Victorian Water Quality Monitoring Network .................................................................................... 5 1.2.1.1 Rivers and Streams Program ........................................................................................................................... 6 1.2.1.2 Lakes and Wetlands Programs......................................................................................................................... 7 1.2.2 Environment Protection Authority Fixed Site Network ....................................................................... 7 1.2.2.1 Environment Protection Authority Program ..................................................................................................... 7 1.2.2.2 Melbourne Water Program.............................................................................................................................. 7 1.2.3 Major Storages Operational Monitoring Program ............................................................................. 8 1.2.4 Murray-Darling Basin Commission................................................................................................... 8 2 METHODS .................................................................................................................................................11 2.1 WATER QUALITY CHARACTERISATION ..................................................................................................... 11 2.1.1 Mapping Attainment within Regions ................................................................................................ 11 3 DATA REQUESTS.....................................................................................................................................13 3.1 DATA WAREHOUSE .................................................................................................................................. 15 4 QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL...........................................................................17 4.1 THIESS ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES QUALITY SYSTEM.............................................................................. 17 4.2 AWT VICTORIA’S QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM................................................................................. 17 4.2.1 Field Sample Collection .................................................................................................................. 18 4.2.2 Biological Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 18 4.2.3 Chemical Analysis........................................................................................................................... 18 4.2.4 Data Entry and Retrieval................................................................................................................. 19 5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION..................................................................................................................21 5.1 STATE-WIDE OVERVIEW OF WATER CONDITION– 1999 ............................................................................. 21 5.1.1 Dissolved Oxygen............................................................................................................................ 21 5.1.2 Electrical Conductivity.................................................................................................................... 22 5.1.3 pH .................................................................................................................................................. 23 5.1.4 Turbidity......................................................................................................................................... 23 5.1.5 Suspended Solids............................................................................................................................. 24 5.1.6 Total Nitrogen................................................................................................................................. 24 5.1.7 Total Phosphorus............................................................................................................................ 25 i VICTORIAN WATER QUALITY MONITORING ANNUAL REPORT: 1999 5.1.8 Chlorophyll-a.................................................................................................................................. 26 5.1.9 Arsenic ........................................................................................................................................... 26 5.1.10 Cadmium .................................................................................................................................... 27 5.1.11 Chromium................................................................................................................................... 27 5.1.12 Copper ....................................................................................................................................... 28 5.1.13 Nickel ......................................................................................................................................... 28 5.1.14 Lead ........................................................................................................................................... 29 5.1.15 Zinc ............................................................................................................................................ 29 5.2 CMA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY........................................................................................................... 31 5.2.1 Corangamite CMA Region .............................................................................................................. 31 5.2.1.1 Water Quality Characterisation.......................................................................................................................33 5.2.1.2 Station Specific Water Quality: Pirron Yallock Creek at Pirron Yallock ..........................................................39 5.2.2 East Gippsland CMA Region........................................................................................................... 43 5.2.2.1 Water Quality Characterisation.......................................................................................................................45 5.2.2.2 Station Specific Water Quality: Genoa River at The Gorge .............................................................................51 5.2.3 Glenelg CMA Region ...................................................................................................................... 55 5.2.3.1 Water Quality Characterisation.......................................................................................................................57 5.2.3.2 Station Specific Water Quality: Lake Burrumbeet...........................................................................................63 5.2.4 Goulburn-Broken CMA Region ....................................................................................................... 71 5.2.4.1 Water Quality Characterisation.......................................................................................................................73 5.2.4.2 Station Specific Water Quality: Seven Creeks