2021 Waterway & Catchment Report Card

WATERWAY AND CATCHMENT REPORT CARD Reporting on data November 2020 to April 2021

This project is funded by MidCoast Council’s Environmental Rate and supported by the New South Wales Government through its Coast and Estuary Program and Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.

RESULTS

MANNING RIVER ESTUARY

Overall, the condition of the Mid Manning and Lower Manning Estuaries remained good however higher than desired algal growth in the Upper Manning Estuary resulted in a continuation of its fair grade. Turbidity was consistently moderate throughout the Upper, Mid and Lower Manning Estuaries.

B

Dawson River Estuary

B

Mid Manning Estuary

ALGAE

ALGAE

ALGAE

WATER CLARITY

WATER CLARITY

WATER CLARITY

B

B

B

B

B

B

B B

B

B

B

B B

WALLIS LAKE

B B

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

2019

B

B

Farquhar Inlet

ALGAE

WATER CLARITY

B

B

Lower Manning Estuary

Grades for Wallis Lake and Charlotte Bay both returned to excellent this year with significant reductions in algal growth. Pipers Creek remained in the good range with algal levels continuing to be fuelled by runoff from the urban catchment.

N

2019 2020

C 2020

The Dawson River returned to good condition, and a good grade was also recorded at Farquar Inlet. The result was pleasing at Farquhar Inlet since the inlet was closed for four out of the six sampling periods. Although there has been some minor improvements at these sites to achieve a good grade, ongoing improvements in nutrients and sediment management from land use activities within the Manning River Catchment is required to maintain and improve on these results.

C

Upper Manning Estuary

B

Mid Wallamba Estuary ALGAE WATER CLARITY

ALGAE WATER CLARITY

Samples taken after the large flood in March 2021 showed no ongoing impacts to water quality results. It is likely that the wet summer created consistent high flows that transported contaminants out of the river.

B

B B

B

B

B

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

D D

C

C

B B

C

2013 2014

2012

C

B

C

2018

2020

C

Wallamba Cove

KHAPPINGHAT ESTUARY

C

Continued moderate algal growth and poorer than expected water clarity resulted in a fair grade in the Khappinghat Estuary.

These conditions have been influenced by a wet summer and it is also possible that the extensive fires within the Khappinghat catchment in 2020 have had an ongoing impact on estuary health.

C C 2019 2020

2015 2016 2017

2007 2011

C

Khappinghat Estuary

B

2011

2010

C

B B B B B

C

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

B

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

2018

C

C 2020

2014

2012

The depth range where seagrass is able to grow has remained excellent at most sites, but has declined to good at Wallis Lake. Seagrass depth range has declined to poor in the Mid Wallamba Estuary, similar to 2018 and 2019 which may be influenced by increased turbidity in the Wallamba River.

WATER CLARITY

WATER CLARITY

A A A A A

Wallamba Cove maintained its fair grade this year due to greater than desired algal growth and poor water clarity. This site continues to be affected by the quality of stormwater runoff from Tuncurry.

ALGAE

ALGAE

A

Mid Wallamba and Coolongolook Estuaries reported improvements to their grade to good, however excess nutrient runoff resulted in higher than desired algal growth. It is possible that strong river flows from the wet summer have also diluted and transported contaminants out of the river.

C

SMITHS LAKE

B

2019 2020

Coolongolook Estuary

Smiths Lake’s grade bounced back to excellent this summer, despite a wetter than usual year with rainfall occurring throughout the sampling period. Increased rainfall brought in nutrients which triggered some algal growth, but not enough to impact overall scores.

ALGAE WATER CLARITY

B

The Branch Estuary

B

C

2017

B 2019

C 2020

2018

ALGAE WATER CLARITY

C

C

2014

2016

C

B

Pipers Creek

C C

2018 2019 2020

ALGAE WATER CLARITY

B

B

Karuah Estuary

B

B

B

B

2007 2011 2012 2013 2014

A 2015

B

B

C 2012

Wallis Lake B 2014

C 2016

C

WATER CLARITY

A A

B

Lower Myall Estuary

The Karuah River and The Branch Estuaries improved to a good grade, but still show signs of impaired estuary health with much higher than desired algal growth in The Branch Estuary. It is possible that strong river flows from the wet summer have transported contaminants out of the river resulting in the improved grades.

WATER CLARITY

B

B 2014

B

B

2016 2017

B

B

2019 2020

B

B

Bombah Broadwater

ALGAE

ALGAE

B

B

B D 2012

B

B

2013 2014 2015

B D 2016

B

2017 2018

A 2019

B 2020

A

Smiths Lake ALGAE

WATER CLARITY

WATER CLARITY

2007 2011

A

Myall Lake

The condition of Bombah Broadwater and to some extent Myall Lake is strongly influenced by runoff from the Myall River Catchment. Rains in January and March produced excess algal growth including low levels of blue-green algae which influenced the algae results.

The Lower Myall Estuary upstream of Tea Gardens is strongly influenced by the condition of the outflow of water from the Bombah Broadwater. This is reflected in the increase in algal levels when compared to last year.

B

B

B

B

2012 2013 2014 2015

2016 2017

B 2018

A A A 2014 2015 2016

B 2017

A A 2018 2019

A

ESTUARY SCORE KEY B 2020

very poor

A A

A

A

A

A

A

2019 2020

2011

2013

2015

2017

2019

B 2020

B

Estuary ALGAE

WATER CLARITY 2007 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Overall grade: This represents ecological condition, it is a combination of algae and water clarity scores.

Indicator 2020 change 2021 scores: score score

ALGAE

A A A A A A A A A A

excellent

B 2020

Historical grades

WATER CLARITY

B B 2007 2011

D 2012

WATER CLARITY

A A

B

2012 2013

Charlotte Bay

ALGAE

2011

B 2020

Grades in Myall Lake, Bombah Broadwater and Lower Myall Estuary remained the same as last summer.

ALGAE

C C

2018 2019 2020

2007 2011

KARUAH RIVER ESTUARY

2019

A

ALGAE WATER CLARITY

A

B

2016 2017 2018

MYALL LAKES

C 2013

B 2014

C 2015

B B B D 2016

2017 2018 2019

C 2020

Seagrass depth range score: The seagrass score indicates how deep the seagrass is growing and if the seagrass area is expanding or contracting. Where there are no seagrass results, no data was collected at these locations.

For more details on the scientific methods and results contained in this Report Card (Waterway and Catchment Technical Report) www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/reportcard

Our estuaries are unique and diverse ecosystems that are sensitive to catchment inputs.

Improving the health of the Mid Wallamba Estuary has been the focus of MidCoast Council for many years.

MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MID WALLAMBA ESTUARY

Spurred into action by oyster and fishing industry concerns about its health, Council partnered with agencies, industry, landholders and end users to protect and rehabilitate the catchment and riverbanks. Extensive efforts include establishing an agreement with water skiers and wake boarders to restrict boat wash and prevent erosion, stabilising banks, removing cattle from the foreshore, restoring wetlands and riparian zones and protecting natural areas.

Together, the success of these actions is demonstrated in the Report Card results with the Mid Wallamba Estuary improving from poor to good ecological health (D-B grade) over the last ten years.The results for the Wallamba River Estuary show how measurable improvements can be achieved when industries, communities and agencies work together towards a common goal.

12KM OF RIVER BANK STABILISED

4KM OVER

OF RIPARIAN FENCING WORKS

22KM OF DRAINS DECOMMISSIONED

TO REHABILITATE WETLANDS AND REDUCE ACID RUNOFF

7

PROPERTY OWNERS ENGAGED

OVER 300 HECTARES OF WEED CONTROL

4000

MANGROVES PLANTED

2500 HECTARES

OF LAND UNDER CONSERVATION

15,000

NATIVE TREES PLANTED

30 400M

ABORIGINAL RANGERS ENGAGED

OF OYSTER REEF RESTORATION

AGREEMENT WITH WATER SKIERS AND WAKE BOARDERS TO RESTRICT BOAT WASH

The MidCoast community values the health of our natural environment. Our annual report card is a tool to monitor ecological health of the beautiful lakes and rivers that make up the MidCoast region. Since 2011 the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment has been monitoring MidCoast catchments as part of a state-wide program providing independent scientific evaluation of waterway health.

Over time, in partnership with MidCoast Council, the program has expanded to cover key sites across the Wallis, Smiths and Myall Lakes, Karuah and Manning River Estuaries and Khappinghat Estuary. More sites continue to be added to the monitoring program to provide even greater insight into our waterways.

10

ANNUAL REPORT CARDS

6

CATCHMENTS MONITORED

1910

SAMPLES TAKEN

The importance of data

The Report Card provides a high-level assessment of the ecological health of our waterways. It helps us track their condition over time and understand how our waterways are faring when compared to estuaries across NSW. The results identify ‘problem areas’ for further investigation and on-ground action is targeted to those areas. In this way, the Report Card helps us to protect the waterways that our community values.

The quality of the water that runs off the catchment impacts the ecological health scores. They can also be impacted by natural variations to climatic conditions: drought, bushfires or heavy rains. As we face a changing climate, long term monitoring is a valuable tool in recognising how our waterways are being impacted by more frequent and extreme weather events such as bushfires and large floods.

Ten years of data also provides us with a deeper understanding of our waterways, identifying important patterns, trends, cycles and key issues that could be addressed through management actions.

Where to from here?

Over the next few years MidCoast Council will be working with our community, industry and agencies to prepare Estuary and Catchment Management Programs (ECMPs) for catchments and estuaries across the region.

These programs will set the long-term direction for the coordinated management of our waterways and catchments, identifying issues and actions required to address these in a strategic and integrated way.

The last ten years of Report Card data is our baseline. Not only will it inform the actions included in the ECMPs, it establishes a basis for comparing the current conditions with what we might see in the future following on-ground action.

midcoast.nsw.gov.au

MidCoast Council Tel 7955 7777 Email council@midcoast.nsw.gov.au

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