State and trends of water quality

Inland water
State and trends
Water qualityWater quality
South East CoastSouth West CoastSouth Australian GulfNorth Western PlateauMurray DarlingNorth East CoastSouth Western PlateauTasmaniaTimor SeaLake Eyre
State and trends of water quality
Component
Summary
Grade
Very poor Poor Good Very good
Confidence
In Grade In Trend
Comparability
To previous years

Carpentaria Coast

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011.

  • The Gulf of Carpentaria division was renamed the Carpentaria Coast division.

The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between reporting cycles.

 
 
 
Gulf of Carpentaria

No division-scale assessment available. Minimal new development since 2011.

Year(s): 
2016
3
Unclear
Confidence (in grade): 
Low
Confidence (in trend): 
Low
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Somewhat comparable

Carpentaria Coast

20162011
Inland water
State and trends

Approach/Process

  • Author assessment of available information to determine state grades and trends
  • Assessments for all components are generally somewhat comparable to 2011, as they are based largely on the same monitoring data.

Data/Information sources

  • All sources referenced in Water Quality
  • SoE 2011 inland water chapter
  • Surface water monitoring online resources for Queensland

Data quality is generally medium

Comments

Nil.

Topics

Limited water quality data available

Year(s): 
2011
3
Unclear
Confidence (in grade): 
Limited
Confidence (in trend): 
Low
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not assessed

Topics

Lake Eyre

Observations generally consistent with sampling period and hydrological conditions

Year(s): 
2016
3
Unclear
Confidence (in grade): 
Limited
Confidence (in trend): 
Low
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not comparable

Lake Eyre

20162011
Inland water
State and trends

Approach/Process

  • Author assessment of available information to determine state grades and trends
  • Assessments for all components are generally somewhat comparable to 2011, as they are based largely on the same monitoring data.

Data/Information sources

Data quality is generally medium

Comments

Nil.

 
 

Topics

Very limited water quality data available; potential water quality issues around turbiditiy and nutrients arising from grazing and feral pests

Year(s): 
2011
0
Unclear
Confidence (in grade): 
Low
Confidence (in trend): 
Low
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not assessed

Topics

Murray-Darling

Recent local improvements in some water quality parameters, against a background of values exceeding guidelines

Year(s): 
2016
1
Improving
Confidence (in grade): 
Somewhat adequate
Confidence (in trend): 
Somewhat adequate
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Somewhat comparable

Murray-Darling

20162011
Inland water
State and trends

Approach/Process

  • Author assessment of available information to determine state grades and trends
  • Assessments for all components are generally somewhat comparable to 2011, as they are based largely on the same monitoring data.

Data/Information sources

Data quality is generally medium

Comments

Nil.

 
 

Topics

Widespread, ongoing and serious issues of sedimentation, anoxia, eutrophication and salinisation

Year(s): 
2011
1
Stable
Confidence (in grade): 
Adequate
Confidence (in trend): 
Limited
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not assessed

Topics

North-east Coast

Water quality concerns, including nutrients, sediment and pesticides. Significant development of coordinated monitoring and reporting schemes.

 
 
Year(s): 
2016
2
Improving
Confidence (in grade): 
Adequate
Confidence (in trend): 
Adequate
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Somewhat comparable

North-east Coast

20162011
Inland water
State and trends

Approach/Process

  • Author assessment of available information to determine state grades and trends
  • Assessments for all components are generally somewhat comparable to 2011, as they are based largely on the same monitoring data.

Data/Information sources

Data quality is generally medium

Comments

Nil.

Topics

Widespread concerns over water quality in rivers, particularly sediment and nitrogen; evidence of improved outcomes of land-use practices in northern and south-eastern catchments

 
 
 
Year(s): 
2011
2
Improving
Confidence (in grade): 
Adequate
Confidence (in trend): 
Adequate
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not assessed

Topics

North Western Plateau

Very little water quality data available; no comprehensive assessments available

Year(s): 
2016
0
Unclear
Confidence (in grade): 
Low
Confidence (in trend): 
Low
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Comparable

Topics

Very little water quality data available

Year(s): 
2011
0
Unclear
Confidence (in grade): 
Low
Confidence (in trend): 
Low
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not assessed

Topics

Pilbara-Gascoyne

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011.

  • The Indian Ocean division was renamed the Pilbara–Gascoyne division.

The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between reporting cycles.

 
 
 
Indian Ocean

Very little water quality data available; no comprehensive assessments available

Year(s): 
2016
0
Unclear
Confidence (in grade): 
Low
Confidence (in trend): 
Low
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Comparable

Topics

Very little water quality data available

Year(s): 
2011
0
Unclear
Confidence (in grade): 
Low
Confidence (in trend): 
Low
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not assessed

Topics

South Australian Gulf

Broadscale enriched levels of nutrients and sediment

Year(s): 
2016
2
Unclear
Confidence (in grade): 
Somewhat adequate
Confidence (in trend): 
Limited
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Somewhat comparable

South Australian Gulf

20162011
Inland water
State and trends

Approach/Process

  • Author assessment of available information to determine state grades and trends
  • Assessments for all components are generally somewhat comparable to 2011, as they are based largely on the same monitoring data.

Data/Information sources

Data quality is generally medium

Comments

Nil.

Topics

Ongoing, widespread exceedences of nutrient and suspended solids

 
 
 
Year(s): 
2011
2
Stable
Confidence (in grade): 
Adequate
Confidence (in trend): 
Adequate
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not assessed

Topics

South-east Coast (NSW)

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011.

  • The South East Coast division was divided into 2 divisions: South East Coast (New South Wales), covering catchments north from Towamba River, and South East Coast (Victoria), covering catchments west from the East Gippsland river region.

The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between reporting cycles.

 
 
 
South-east Coast

Widespread exceedance of nutrient guidelines

Year(s): 
2016
2
Unclear
Confidence (in grade): 
Somewhat adequate
Confidence (in trend): 
Limited
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Somewhat comparable

South-east Coast (NSW)

20162011
Inland water
State and trends

Approach/Process

  • Author assessment of available information to determine state grades and trends
  • Assessments for all components are generally somewhat comparable to 2011, as they are based largely on the same monitoring data.

Data/Information sources

  • All sources referenced in Water Quality
  • SoE 2011 inland water chapter
  • State of the Environment reports for NSW

Data quality is generally medium

Comments

Nil.

Topics

Ongoing, widespread exceedences of nutrient and suspended solids guidelines; little evidence of substantial, long-term improvements

 
 
 
Year(s): 
2011
2
Stable
Confidence (in grade): 
Adequate
Confidence (in trend): 
Limited
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not assessed

Topics

South-east Coast (Victoria)

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011.

  • The South East Coast division was divided into 2 divisions: South East Coast (New South Wales), covering catchments north from Towamba River, and South East Coast (Victoria), covering catchments west from the East Gippsland river region.

The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between reporting cycles.

 
 
 
South-east Coast

Majority of sites in moderate to poor condition

Year(s): 
2016
2
Stable
Confidence (in grade): 
Somewhat adequate
Confidence (in trend): 
Limited
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Somewhat comparable

South-east Coast (Victoria)

20162011
Inland water
State and trends

Approach/Process

  • Author assessment of available information to determine state grades and trends
  • Assessments for all components are generally somewhat comparable to 2011, as they are based largely on the same monitoring data.

Data/Information sources

Data quality is generally medium

Comments

Nil.

Topics

Ongoing, widespread exceedences of nutrient and suspended solids guidelines; little evidence of substantial, long-term improvements

 
 
 
Year(s): 
2011
2
Stable
Confidence (in grade): 
Adequate
Confidence (in trend): 
Limited
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not assessed

Topics

South-west Coast

Continuing exceedance of water quality guidelines

Year(s): 
2016
1
Stable
Confidence (in grade): 
Limited
Confidence (in trend): 
Limited
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Somewhat comparable

South-west Coast

20162011
Inland water
State and trends

Approach/Process

  • Author assessment of available information to determine state grades and trends
  • Assessments for all components are generally somewhat comparable to 2011, as they are based largely on the same monitoring data.

Data/Information sources

  • All sources referenced in Water Quality
  • SoE 2011 inland water chapter

Data quality is generally medium

Comments

Nil.

Topics

Ongoing exceedences of nutrient and salinity levels

 
 
 
Year(s): 
2011
1
Stable
Confidence (in grade): 
Adequate
Confidence (in trend): 
Limited
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not assessed

Topics

South Western Plateau

Very little water quality data available; no comprehensive assessments available

Year(s): 
2016
0
Unclear
Confidence (in grade): 
Low
Confidence (in trend): 
Low
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Comparable

Topics

Very little water quality data available

Year(s): 
2011
0
Unclear
Confidence (in grade): 
Low
Confidence (in trend): 
Low
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not assessed

Topics

Tanami-Timor Sea Coast

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011.

  • The Timor Sea division was renamed the Tanami–Timor Sea Coast division.

The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between reporting cycles.

 
 
 
Timor Sea

Limited data, mainly from Daly and Darwin

Year(s): 
2016
3
Stable
Confidence (in grade): 
Very limited
Confidence (in trend): 
Very limited
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Somewhat comparable

Tanami-Timor Sea Coast

20162011
Inland water
State and trends

Approach/Process

  • Author assessment of available information to determine state grades and trends
  • Assessments for all components are generally somewhat comparable to 2011, as they are based largely on the same monitoring data.

Data/Information sources

  • All sources referenced in Water Quality
  • SoE 2011 inland water chapter

Data quality is generally medium

Comments

Nil.

Topics

Very little water quality data except for Ord River and around Darwin; sedimentation issues arising from extensive land uses

 
 
 
Year(s): 
2011
3
Unclear
Confidence (in grade): 
Limited
Confidence (in trend): 
Low
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not assessed

Topics

Tasmania

Local areas of high nutrient values; otherwise, moderate to very good condition

Year(s): 
2016
3
Stable
Confidence (in grade): 
Limited
Confidence (in trend): 
Very limited
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Somewhat comparable

Tasmania

20162011
Inland water
State and trends

Approach/Process

  • Author assessment of available information to determine state grades and trends
  • Assessments for all components are generally somewhat comparable to 2011, as they are based largely on the same monitoring data.

Data/Information sources

  • All sources referenced in Water Quality
  • SoE 2011 inland water chapter

Data quality is generally medium

Comments

Nil.

Topics

Nitrogen levels of local concern; salinity generally within guidelines

 
 
 
Year(s): 
2011
3
Stable
Confidence (in grade): 
Adequate
Confidence (in trend): 
Limited
Comparability (to previous reports): 
Not assessed

Topics

Assessment Summary Key

Grades

Very good

There are no significant changes in long-term water quality as a result of human activities

Good

Water quality has changed substantially as a result of human activities in some areas, but not to the extent that the changes are significantly affecting ecosystem function

Poor

Water quality has changed substantially as a result of human activities, and these changes are significantly affecting ecosystem function in some areas

Very poor

Water quality has changed substantially across a wide area of the region as a result of human activities, and ecosystem function is seriously affected in much of the region

Recent Trends

  • Improving

  • Stable

  • Deteriorating

  • Unclear

Confidence

  • Adequate: Adequate high-quality evidence and high level of consensus

  • Somewhat adequate: Adequate high-quality evidence or high level of consensus

  • Limited: Limited evidence or limited consensus

  • Very limited: Limited evidence and limited consensus

  • Low: Evidence and consensus too low to make an assessment

Comparability

  • Comparable: Grade and trend are comparable to the previous assessment

  • Somewhat comparable: Grade and trend are somewhat comparable to the previous assessment

  • Not comparable: Grade and trend are not comparable to the previous assessment

  • Not previously assessed

Argent RM (2016). Inland water: State and trends of water quality. In: Australia state of the environment 2016, Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra, https://soe.environment.gov.au/assessment-summary/inland-water/state-and-trends-water-quality, DOI 10.4226/94/58b656cfc28d1