Condition of estuarine ecosystem health
Key Finding
Queensland's estuarine aquatic ecosystems vary significantly in condition. Some are in good to very good condition while others do not meet standards for water quality.
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Queensland or report card area:
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- Healthy Land and Water South East Queensland report card
- Reef Water Quality report card
- Fitzroy Basin report card
- Gladstone Harbour report card
- Mackay–Whitsunday–Isaac report card
- Wet Tropics Waterways report card
- Townsville Dry Tropics report card
- QCatchment Archer
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- QCatchment Jeannie
- QCatchment Lake Eyre
- QCatchment Lockhart
- QCatchment Nebine
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- QCatchment Olive–Pascoe
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- QCatchment Stewart
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Water Quality report card area (select locations to filter information)
(Townsville Dry Tropics boundary is indicative only)
Queensland
Waterways in Queensland are in widely varying condition. Some estuaries are nearly untouched while historic land use, development and poor land management practices have heavily impacted others.
Healthy Land and Water South East Queensland report card
Sediment pressure continues to be the major issue impacting waterway health in South East Queensland.
Substantial erosion from historic and current land management practices cause sediment or mud to enter waterways, particularly during rain. Sediment reduces water clarity, blocking out light for animal and plant life.
The 2019 Healthy Land and Water Report Card notes that less than average rainfall during 2018–2019 has enabled Moreton Bay’s natural processes to flush the mud from earlier flood events out of the shallower areas of Moreton Bay.
- Seagrass in Moreton Bay was growing at greater extents than the previous year in 2019.
- With no major flooding events, water clarity has improved.
The 2019 report card determined:
- no estuary failed the environmental condition grade
- estuaries in the Noosa and Pumicestone catchments were reported as being in ‘excellent’ condition in 2019.
More information:
- Healthy Land and Water South East Queensland Report Card
- Healthy Land and Water South East Queensland
Reef Water Quality report card
Mangroves and salt flats help maintain water quality and clarity, filter pollutants, trap sediments originating from the land and protect the shoreline from storm surges and cyclones.
The loss of natural mangroves/salt flat extent was 259ha (less than 0.1%) between 2013 and 2017, representing a small reduction in the rate of loss relative to the 2009–2013 period (298ha, less than 0.1%).
Haughton was the only catchment to record a loss of natural mangroves/salt flats of more 0.1% between 2013 and 2017 (226ha, 0.8%). This resulted from modification to a large area near Cromarty, immediately adjacent to the Bowling Green Bay Ramsar wetlands.
Historical loss of mangrove salt/flat wetlands has been generally low. Most catchments retain more than 90% of pre-clearing extent. Exceptions are the Barron, Herbert, Mulgrave–Russell (Wet Tropics), Burdekin Delta, Don, Haughton (Burdekin region), Pioneer (Mackay Whitsunday region), Calliope, Boyne (Fitzroy region), Burnett and Kolan (Burnett Mary region) catchments.
The Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting program (Paddock to Reef program) was reviewed and updated in 2018 to reflect the new targets set in the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan 2017–2022. Due to the changed targets, some of the 2017–2018 results are not directly be comparable to previous years’ reporting.
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Fitzroy Basin report card
The Fitzroy Basin report card details the ecosystem health of the lower Fitzroy River estuary.
Condition is based on indicators related to physical/chemical, ecology and nutrients. The latest Fitzroy Basin report card, released in 2019, covers the 2017–18 reporting period.
The Fitzroy estuary was graded in ‘good’ condition.
- This is consistent with most ratings achieved since monitoring began in 1994. The only times estuarine condition has been ‘fair’ coincided with periods of major flooding, when large-scale sediment and nutrient run-off had occurred.
Barramundi abundance was introduced as part of estuarine condition assessment in 2011. In this reporting period, barramundi abundance was ‘poor’.
- Despite overall estuarine condition being ‘good’ over a long period, ratings for barramundi abundance have predominantly been ‘poor’ to ‘fail’, only achieving ‘excellent’ in 2016 and 2011, after above average rainfall in preceding years.
This report card also provides an overall condition rating for the Basin. However, as this overall score covers both freshwater and estuarine zones, it is no longer reported under the Estuarine and Marine Ecosystems sub-theme in the Queensland State of the Environment report.
Report card naming in the Queensland State of the Environment report refers to the year of report card release, which may differ from the year given in the report card title or the year data group shown on regional report card partnership websites. Only data for regional report cards released before June 30 2020 are included.
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Gladstone Harbour report card
The Gladstone Harbour report card reports on the ecosystem health condition of 10 estuaries within Gladstone Harbour: The Narrows, Graham Creek, Western Basin, Boat Creek, Calliope, Auckland Inlet, South Trees Inlet, Boyne, Colosseum and Rodds Bay.
Estuarine condition is assessed based on indicators linked to water and sediment quality, seagrass and mangrove habitat, fish and mud crabs. Condition ratings for each estuary are no longer provided in this report card. Only grades for the main ecosystem components are presented. The latest Gladstone Harbour report card, released in 2020, covers the 2018–19 reporting period.
Estuarine water and sediment quality ranged from ‘good’ to ‘very good’, continuing a trend observed since 2015.
Habitat condition was based only on seagrass up until 2017, but is now based on seagrass (where present) and mangroves. For the 2018 to 2019 period, habitat condition was mainly ‘satisfactory’ to ‘good’.
- The Narrows, Boyne, Rodds Bay and Boat Creek estuaries were exceptions, with habitat condition rating ‘poor’ in at least one year during this period.
The way fish and mud crab condition is reported has changed over time. In 2019, fish and mud-crab condition was ‘satisfactory’ in 5 estuaries and ‘poor’ in the remaining 5 estuaries.
This report card also provides an overall environment grade for the report card region. However, as this overall score covers both estuarine and marine zones, it is no longer reported under the Estuarine and Marine Ecosystems sub-theme in the Queensland State of the Environment report.
Report card naming in the Queensland State of the Environment report refers to the year of report card release, which may differ from the year given in the report card title or the year data group shown on regional report card partnership websites. Only data for regional report cards released before June 30 2020 are included.
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Mackay–Whitsunday–Isaac report card
The Mackay–Whitsunday–Isaac report card assesses ecosystem health condition in 8* estuaries: Gregory River, O’Connell River, Murray and St Helens Creek (*regarded as part of the same system for reporting purposes), Rocky Dam Creek, Vines Creek, Carmila Creek, Plane Creek and Sandy Creek.
Assessment was based on water quality and habitat and hydrology characteristics (mangrove and saltmarsh extent, riparian extent and fish passage barriers). The latest Mackay–Whitsunday–Isaac report card, released in 2019, covers the 2017–18 reporting period.
Consistent with the 2017 results, most estuaries in this region were in ‘good’ condition in 2018.
- Gregory River estuary was in ‘very good’ condition.
Estuaries in ‘moderate’ condition were Sandy Creek and O’Connell River, as well as Murray and St Helens Creek, which has previously been in ‘good’ condition since 2014. The result for Murray and St Helens Creek is considered an artefact of the lack of pesticide data for this estuary in 2018.
Estuarine habitat and hydrology condition was generally ‘good’ to ‘very good’.
- Sandy Creek, Plane Creek and O’Connell River received ‘moderate’ ratings because of limited riparian extent and the presence of fish passage barriers.
All but Carmilla estuary featured ‘good’ water quality in 2018.
- Camilla estuary water quality was rated ‘poor’ due to super-saturated oxygen levels and relatively high chlorophyll-a concentrations, both indicative of algal blooms. The cause of this is unknown.
Pesticides are an ongoing concern in estuarine ecosystems in this region, particularly in Sandy Creek, Plane Creek and Rocky Dam Creek. However, they were not incorporated in the overall rating due to lack of available data.
Report card naming in the Queensland State of the Environment report refers to the year of report card release, which may differ from the year given in the report card title or the year data group shown on regional report card partnership websites. Only data for regional report cards released before June 30 2020 are included.
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Wet Tropics Waterways report card
The Wet Tropics Waterways report card assesses ecosystem health condition in 8 estuaries: Daintree, Dickson Inlet, Barron, Trinity Inlet, Russell–Mulgrave, Johnstone, Moresby and Hinchinbrook.
Assessment is based on water quality and habitat and hydrology characteristics (i.e. mangroves, riparian vegetation, seagrass, fish barriers and flow). The latest Wet Tropics Waterways report card, released in 2019, covers the 2017–18 reporting period.
Most estuaries were in ‘good’ condition.
- Barron and Trinity Inlet estuaries were in ‘moderate’ condition.
- Johnstone estuary condition had improved from ‘moderate’ to ‘good’ based on a better rating for habitat and hydrology. This likely related to the use of updated wetland extent data in 2019 and the introduction of flow indicators for habitat and hydrology condition assessment in 2018.
Hydrology (flow) indicators were incorporated as part of estuarine ecosystem health assessment in the Wet Tropics Waterways report card for the first time in 2018.
- Flow in the Russell–Mulgrave and Johnstone estuaries was graded as ‘very good’, indicating flows to the estuaries were not substantially altered from pre-development flows.
- In contrast, Barron estuary was rated ‘moderate’ for flow condition. Barron River is the most modified river in the Wet Tropics region and is heavily regulated by water supply infrastructure (e.g. Tinaroo Falls Dam on the Barron River and Copperlode Dam on Freshwater Creek).
Seagrass in the estuary zone was generally in ‘poor' condition.
- This represents a slight recovery from the ‘very poor’ condition seagrass communities in this zone following almost complete loss associated with heavy rainfall run-off during the 2009–2011 period — a disturbance that also affected the Dry Tropics region.
Seagrass biomass remains low and recovery of foundation species in some meadows has been limited.
- Seagrass condition in the Mourilyan Harbour (at the mouth of the Moresby estuary) has remained ‘very poor’ for a long period. For the first time since monitoring began in 1993, no seagrass was present in 2019. This is the only long-term monitoring location in the Wet and Dry Tropics regions where no recovery of the foundation species has occurred following severe seagrass declines associated with the 2009–2011 period.
Report card naming in the Queensland State of the Environment report refers to the year of report card release, which may differ from the year given in the report card title or the year data group shown on regional report card partnership websites. Only data for regional report cards released before June 30 2020 are included.
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Townsville Dry Tropics report card
Townsville Dry Tropics Partnership for Healthy Waters released its pilot report card in 2019, covering the 2017–18 financial year period.
Condition is assessed on a combination of biodiversity, water quality, community and economic indicators. Ecosystem health condition is not assessed, and a rating of overall condition is not provided for any ecosystem or zone. However, condition ratings for aspects that link to ecosystem health for estuarine ecosystems — mangrove and saltmarsh extent (biodiversity) and water quality (physical-chemical and nutrient indicators) — are provided.
Biodiversity ranged between ‘good’ in Cleveland Bay coast/estuary to ‘very good’ condition in Halifax Bay coast/estuary.
- This indicates largely intact mangrove and saltmarsh ecosystems in these regions. This is a product of constrained development in flood-prone areas.
Water quality, only assessed in Cleveland Bay coast/estuary, was rated ‘good’ in terms of both physical-chemical and nutrient indicators.
- Relatively high phosphorus levels require further examination.
Report card naming in the Queensland State of the Environment report refers to the year of report card release, which may differ from the year given in the report card title or the year data group shown on regional report card partnership websites. Only data for regional report cards released before June 30 2020 are included.
More information:
QCatchment Archer
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Bulloo
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
More information:
QCatchment Burdekin
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Coleman
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
More information:
QCatchment Ducie
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
More information:
QCatchment Endeavour
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Holroyd
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Jacky Jacky
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Jardine
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Jeannie
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Lake Eyre
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
More information:
QCatchment Lockhart
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Nebine
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Normanby
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Olive–Pascoe
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Paroo
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Queensland Eastern Murray Darling
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Stewart
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Warrego
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
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QCatchment Wenlock
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
More information:
Relevant Sustainable Development Goals’ targets
Estuarine ecosystems not analysed in report card publication.
See also: Estuarine and marine ecosystems assessment summary
Download data from Queensland Government data
Metadata
Condition of estuarine ecosystem health identified in various water quality report card areas across Queensland.