Preston River

Water Testing Results of Sites in the City of Bunbury

Control Site (Natural Habitat)

Site: Preston River , Boyanup Townsite

Water Test	15th March, 2005	31st March 2006	April 16th 2007
Nitrate mg/L	-	-	0.33
Phosphate mg/L	-	-	0.08
Ammonia mg/L	-	-	0
pH	5.8	7.54	6.98
Salinity ppk	0.38	0.38	0.40
Conductivity ms/cm 3	0.81	0.03	0.73
Turbidity	<10	<10	<10

All of these readings are within the desired levels for the breeding and growth of the Western Pygmy Perch and the Western Minnow.

After consulting “Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality” and “Water Chemistry Series”, Ribbons of Blue/Waterwatch WA *, and the data collected from the Preston River, we have produced the table below as a control for the city waterways to be compared with.

Control Results

Water Test	Desired Levels
Nitrate mg/L	< 0.4
Phosphate mg/L	< 0.1
Ammonia mg/L	< 0.1
pH	5.5 – 8.5
Salinity ppk	0.40 or less
Conductivity ms/cm 3	0.80 or less
Turbidity	<10

* Water Quality Standards according to Ribbons of Blue/Waterwatch WA

Water Type	Nitrate content mg/L
Water Type	Low	Medium	High
Standing	0 - 0.025	0.025 – 0.25	> 0.25
Flowing	0 - 0.05	0.05 - 0.4	> 0.04
Tannin	0 - 0.25	0.25 – 1.5	> 1.5

Water Type	Phosphate content mg/L
Water Type	Low	Medium	High
Standing	0 - 0.005	0.005 - 0.05	> 0.05
Flowing	0 - 0.01	0.01- 0.1	> 0.1
Tannin	0 - 0.05	0.05 - 0.2	> 0.2

pH in standing or Flowing waterbodies
Normal	May Be Polluted	Pollution
5.0 – 7.0 (no Limestone)	8.5 – 9.0	< 4
7.0 – 8.5 ( Limestone)	4.0 – 5.0	> 9

The flowing Preston River is the natural habitat to the Western Minnow and Western Pygmy Perch.

Macro Invertebrate Sampling in Water Sites in Bunbury City

KEY

Water Condition Index	Water body Quality rating
19 or less	Poor
20 - 34	Fair
35 - 49	Good
50 or more	Excellent

Site: Preston River, Boyanup

Species sampled	Sensitivity Rating
Species sampled	March 2005	March 2006	April 2007
Dragonfly larvae	6	6	6
Damselfly larvae	6	6	6
Caddisfly larvae	-	6	-
Water mites	-	-	-
Mussels	4	4
Marron	4	4	4
Beetle larvae	-	-	-
Beetle coleoptera	3	3	3
Bugs (water boatmen)	3	3	3
Daphnia/ water fleas	-	-	-
Cyclops	-	-	-
Freshwater shrimp	3	3	3
Flatworm	-	-	-
Ostracods	-	-	-
Fly larvae	2	-	-
Water Snails	3	3	3
Midgie larvae	1	1	1
Aquatic earthworms	1	-	-
Macroinvertebrate Water condition	36 Good	39 Good	29 Fair
Vertebrates	Gambusia	Gambusia	Gambusia
	Swan River Goby	Swan River Goby	Western Pygmy Perch
	Western Pygmy perch	Western Pygmy Perch	Western Minnow
	Western Minnow	Western Minnow	Ducks- Black Pacific
	-	Ducks- Black pacific	-

Water Index Rating for Test Sites

This is based on the number and type of macro invertebrates sampled.

It must be taken into account that the star ratings will also be determined by the season and the amount of water in the ponds.

Star Rating Guide:

× Wetlands is in urgent need of assistance to restore habitat and reduce nutrient input.

× × Wetland needs some assistance. Continue restoration.

× × × Wetland is in reasonable condition now. Keep monitoring it.

× × × × Wetland is healthy and diverse. Protect it.

Date	Water Index Rating	Star Rating Guide
February 2005	× × × Gambusia, Western Pygmy Perch, Western Minnow	Wetland is in reasonable condition now. Keep monitoring it
March 2006	× × × Gambusia, Western Pygmy Perch, Western Minnow	Wetland is in reasonable condition now. Keep monitoring it
April 2007	× × × Gambusia, Western Pygmy Perch, Western Minnow	Wetland is in reasonable condition now. Keep monitoring it

Conclusion

Chemical and biological analysis of the Preston River indicates the water quality is within the recommended limits for a healthy waterway able to support the Western Minnow and the Western Pygmy Perch. The fact that each sampling did show a healthy population of the Western Minnow, the Western Pygmy Perch and the Swan River Goby suggests that we can use our results from the Preston River for a model to measure the suitability of release sites in the Bunbury City Waterways.

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