Subcatchment Summaries for the Lower Johnstone (notes for workshop November 2016) Previous Overview for Johnstone WTL 2015 Johnstone River – mostly perennial Reach Natural terrain Natural hydrological Modifications Sediment and water Sufficient Other Slopes High rainfall Land zone Geology and significant natural Channel (width, depth, SW-GW, recharge Land use Weirs, dams, quality issues riverine areas surrounding features slips) areas infrastructure vegetation channels Data HR–state LZ-state layer G-state layer attendees SW-state layer LU-state layer W&D-state layer attendees attendees attendees source layer SNF – research, attendees Upper-mid- Granites Between - 8 - Basalt - Northern side has more - Overall very incised Overall: Malanda water - The area has - Riparian - Wet tropics catchment steep 1501mm and plains and topography – remnant patch of system Upper Catchment - 55% natural / minimal supply experienced tin and vegetation area 3201mm p.a. hills granite – forms catchment divide - Some GW present use lands - From North gold mining and so in there are a number North Milla Milla (to the south of the north - The North - Major diffuse spring - 16% grazing Johnstone River headwaters - Johnstone Johnstone River of abandoned mines Johnstone - High - 11 - hills and Johnstone). discharge (due to - 12% sugarcane - Bores used as back Basin area: lowlands on is a very incised, elevation changes) - 6% dairy (in upper up to the north of - Degraded 2,326 km2 elevation permanently Cowley Falls, and - Steep metamorphic - North Johnstone River mis- - No significant features catchment) in some rocks represented - main channel on flowing, confined – minor volumes - 3% bananas south of Guilfoyle areas - - Highly modified gradient Falls and Mungalli map system that is - Aquifers are ‘clogged’ - 1% other crops partially Falls. system in upper - 12 - hills and supported by - 2% urban Atherton Tablelands cleared in catchment, lowlands on - Bulgaru swamp groundwater - Incised landscapes - 4% other land uses. - Farm dams present the upper Overall pristine in mid granitic rocks discharge include smaller North throughout its Upper Catchment springs -Grazing and dairy Johnstone catchments upper reaches. Vast amounts of sediment - In the upper reaches of production occurs in - Ok on the (National Park), - The river’s sharp tied up in often weed the sub-basin, near - Spring discharge in the areas surrounding Johnstone modified in change in infested point and lateral Malanda, the dominant Upper system Malanda, Jaggan, itself. coastal zone trajectory from bars and small islands. geology consists of a layer - Metamorphics fill up Tarzali, and Minbun – north-east to Unless they are permitted to of basalts and volcanics and drain quickly on the rich, young, Beatrice south-east relates be removed they pose - Overly on granites and - GW level variation is basalt soils River to the fault line. threats to the bank stability committed sandstone-mudrocks. 20m - Riparian - The next change and long term threats of water - Steps, waterfalls The majority of vegetation in trajectory from more sediment in the GBR. - Headwaters in old, well south-east to (edges of basalt flows) intensive agriculture – good due to allocations weathered basalts. north-east may sugarcane and irrigated National in upper Source Catchments - Basalts thick in those areas relate to tree fruits – occurs on Park reach tributaries of Milla Milla modelling suggests that (100m) confinement by the alluvial flats east of however catchment not - Quick run off since European settlement - Underlain by metamorphics and metamorphics. Mount Poorka. minimal all currently (c1860) loads have granites. - The upper riparian being used (a increased: - Highway is on basalt ridge. catchment is Intensive agriculture is above the lot was used for - Lots of waterfalls recognised for its supported by good National dairy) alluvial aquifers in - 3.0 fold for SS - Perennial large number of Park down-catchment of - 2.7 fold for DIN waterfalls, which through the Atherton attracts tourism to Harts Gully. - 3.4 fold for PN Beatrice River dairy farms Tablelands this area. - 1.7 fold for DIP - Lesser major channel - Bromfield - Agricultural - 4.4 fold for PP - Perennial swamp - Low during dry years production on the - Calculated using ‘Base’ load - Series of basalt takes place in scenario Then: form of tea perched peat plantations near - The Johnstone basin swamps - Beatrice and north Johnstone Mamu and Cowley generates the highest - Volcanic River run into granites Falls. proportion of the craters - Erosion not a big issue anthropogenic pollutant - Logging (some) - Reasonable pasture loads to the Wet Tropics Milla Milla load for DIN (45%) and DIP 1 Subcatchment Summaries for the Lower Johnstone (notes for workshop November 2016) - Rafting from Beatrice down Historically (23%), and the second - Cultural tourism - Tin mining highest regional values - Waterfall circuit is the edge of the - Gold mining contributions for TSS (20%), significant basins PN (33%), PP (35%) and - A very high Upper reaches PSII herbicides (20%). - Malanda - The greatest anthropogenic number of - Possible fault line (ID: - Milla Milla loads of DIN and PSII nique 2030301 - Fault herbicides are sourced from microcosms in Approximate): running sugarcane. waterfalls north-south from - National Parks: - The Source Catchments approximately 3km south- Herberton Range, analysis suggests that 56% - S west of Topaz (in Russell Maalan, Tully of the total DIN load is o sub-basin) to Gorge, sourced from sugarcane u approximately 5km north- Wooroonooran, land use while bananas t east of Mungalli. Palmerston contribute 9% of the total h Rocks, Ella Bay. DIN load from the J - North Johnstone River runs - Forest Johnstone Basin. The o parallel to the fault line. Reserves: model suggests that h Mount Fisher. sugarcane in this basin - Granites create areas - Regional n where water runs off Parks: Warrina, contributes 80% of the s rapidly into nearby rivers Carello Palm anthropogenic DIN load t and creeks. Swamp exported from the basin. o - - Sugarcane contributes 96% n - In the lower reaches of the - Warrina – of the PSII herbicide loads e sub-basin, the North Wetlands/Tropical from the basin. c Johnstone River flows Froggery a through basalts on proposed project t sandstone-mudrocks. It to filter c then flow through agricultural, h alluvium, on sandstone- industrial waters) m mudrocks and e metamorphics, and joins n the South Johnstone River t in the coastal zone of i Innisfail. From this point s onwards, the coastal zone 1 is part of the South , Johnstone sub-catchment. 2 - The coastal zone is 9 confined by a ridge of 4 metamorphic rocks which k stretches along the m coastline and confines the ² Johnstone River mouth. , 5 . 8 % o f t h e r e g 2 Subcatchment Summaries for the Lower Johnstone (notes for workshop November 2016) i o Mid-lower Floodplain Between - 3 - Alluvium Northern side of Johnstone - Very incised East Palmerston area Mid reaches to - Bores in the Wangan - North and South - Riparian - Good swamp catchment 3201mm and (river and catchment - Sand within the - Dynamic system Innisfail / coastal into weathered Johnstone and Liverpool vegetation forming 4001mm p.a. creek flats) Johnstone River bed - Lots of spring areas metamorphics 11% of the total area limited in systems North Mid reaches to coast - Some sand beds are discharge because of - Bananas - more topography, - 2% of the Wet Tropics more Johnstone - 8 - Basalt - Floodplain more silty changes in elevation. - Mixed crops (some) draining onto the flat TSS developed - River plains and - Mixture of geologies and - Stony riffles near mouth - High ridges fill in wet - Sugarcane (hilliest lands - 30% DIN (high –not from areas improvement hills sediments season cane district in region) the uplands, probably 80% trust - Quite clayey (not sandy) - Drain out in dry - Fruits Innisfail water supply from cane, 12% bananas, - Lower - 11 - hills and substrate season - Tea - Supply gained from 5% urban) reaches in lowlands on - Depth of alluvium up to 40m - Up to 60m change in North Johnstone - 21%of the PS2 poor metamorphic - Underlain by basalts, granites GW Coastal areas - Bores in Palmerston condition / rocks and metamorphics - ~50% sugarcane East extent - Still undulating relative to other Mid reaches to coast - ~50% bananas - Weeds are present in areas - Some GW present this sub-basin – varying - Improves densities / distributions. - Not a sandy aquifer near mouth Coastal areas - Flooding significant / extensive - Johnstone River has narrow outlet - Confined area out to sea - Gorge section above Nerada flattens out below Upper-mid Steep Between - 8 - Basalt - Shallow basin. - Very incised - Water available but - Sediment from banana catchment 2801mm and plains and - Higher proportion of granites in not in good supply farms 4001mm p.a. hills headwaters South - Some contribution of Johnstone - 12 - hills and First: GW from granites lowlands on - Not a large aquifer granitic rocks - Basalt along main river channel, system and some metamorphic rock. - Sheer zone running north/south – - valley from Cairns south. - Results in limited catchment extent. - Not same reliability of flow as North Johnstone River Steep while holds water, drains out quickly Then: - Metamorphics - Alluvial development similar to Russell River - A lot of fine sediments - River loses energy rapidly in flatter coastal plain 3 Subcatchment Summaries for the Lower Johnstone (notes for workshop November 2016) Mid-lower Floodplain Between