The Finniss River near Yundi |
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Water quality links: Monitoring program & assessments << back to Murray Darling Basin NRM region |
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| Habitat |
Ecological health
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| Edge |
Good
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| Riffle |
Good
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The ecological health of this site has always been rated good. A riffle habitat is rarely available for sampling due to low flows in the river. However when it is present, it has been rated good as well.
The most common species in the edge habitat were the amphipod (Austrochiltonia australis) and oligochaete worms. In the riffle hydrobiid snails, gripopterygid stonefly larvae, chironomid midge Cricotopus species and oligochaete worms were the most common macroinvertebrates. Several different molluscs, oligochaetes, midges, mayflies and caddisflies were also present at the site.
There were a number of unusual species at the site in autumn 2006, including two cnidarians (the solitary and sessile Hydra species and the colonial and sessile Cordylophora species), two leeches (Richardsonianidae and Glossiphoniidae), and a nemertean. Of note, three types of blackfly larvae (Austrosimulium furiosum, Simulium melatum and S. ornatipes) were also found in the riffle habitat.
Many of the macroinvertebrates present at the site are detritivores
and herbivores. It appears that the high nutrient concentrations
in the stream promote the growth of a rich aquatic plants community
that in turn provides habitat for a wide range of aquatic macroinvertebrates.
Download ecological health data
Water chemistry
The indicators that are measured in the Finniss River near Yundi are nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), turbidity and salinity. The concentrations of these indicators are used to classify the water chemistry as being in good, moderate or poor condition, according to the needs of aquatic ecosystem protection.
Go here to find out how we organise and classify the chemistry data.
Water chemistry classification for April to September 2006