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 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 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 |
