10.Surface water quality

The intent of this target is to protect and enhance riverine ecosystems across the ACT. All urban and rural rivers, streams, lakes and ponds hold potential for various ecological services such as habitat, water quality, and biodiversity. Activities, such as sediment in-wash, litter and point source pollution may lead to degradation unless intervention based on sound ecological and planning principles is undertaken.

The measurable target

The target has two components:
  • One is based on defined water quality standards assessed by physical and chemical methods (e.g. turbidity, oxygen concentration, nitrate concentration). Big rainfall events often lead to the standards being exceeded for a short time. The target recognises this, but aims to see improvements in catchment health gradually decrease the number of times the standard is exceeded.
  • The second component is based on the AUSRIVAS method of monitoring aquatic macroinvertebrates as a more integrative method of assessing the impact of water quality and habitat condition. Sites are given scores of A (good) to D (severely impaired). The average score over the last four years was about half way between a B and a C.
OUTCOMES OUTPUTS ACTIONS

Intermediate

Surface water quality in all rivers, streams and lakes is ‘fit for purpose’ for 90 % of the time with respect to the Water Quality Standards as defined in the Environment Protection Regulations 1997 (ACT) (2015)

AUSRIVAS scores average ‘B’ or better (2030)

Long-term

Surface water quality in all rivers, streams and lakes is ‘fit for purpose’ for 95 % of the time with respect to the Water Quality Standards as defined in the Environment Protection Regulations 1997 (ACT) (2030)

AUSRIVAS scores average half way between ‘A’ and ‘B’ (2030)

Related plans

Lake Burley Griffin Management Plan (NCA) 1995

Riparian Zone Management Plan (Think water, act water)

Water2Water

Canberra’s Urban Lakes and Ponds Plan of Management

Foundation

Develop an index of stream condition

Develop an integrated water quality and stream health GIS data system that combines agency and accredited Waterwatch monitoring data

On-ground

Rural
Assess riparian buffer zone health in non-urban streams and restore buffers in priority zones

Fence waterways to protect riparian zones

Restore in-stream habitat in priority reaches

Incentives for rural landholders to enhance the functionality of farm dams

Urban
Reconstruct urban off-stream wetland basins and assess their functionality

Remove weeds and revegetate urban waterways to improve infiltration and reduce nutrient run-off

Involve schoolchildren in catchment health activities through the sustainable schools programs

Rural + urban
Maintain community and landholder volunteer hours addressing waterway health and water quality monitoring