River Murray at Tailem Bend

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Archived water quality assessments

Water quality data at Tailem Bend is collected weekly by the Murray Darling Basin Commission (MDBC). The indicators that are measured in the River Murray at Tailem Bend are nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), turbidity, bacteria and salinity. The concentrations of these indicators are used to classify the water quality as being in good, moderate or poor condition, according to the needs of aquatic ecosystem protection and recreational environmental values. >> More

Water quality classification for October to March 2006

Indicator	Ecosystem	Recreational
Oxidised Nitrogen	Poor	NA
Total Nitrogen	Moderate	NA
Soluble Phosphorus	Good	NA
Total Phosphorus	Poor	NA
Turbidity	Good	Poor
Bacteria	NA	ND

Notes NA = not applicable; ND = data not currently available

The high nutrient concentrations (nitrogen and total phosphorus) and in the lower reaches of the River Murray are largely due to discharges from the Lower Murray Irrigation area.

Water quality classification for April to September 2005

Indicator	Ecosystem	Recreational
Oxidised Nitrogen	Poor	NA
Total Nitrogen	Good	NA
Soluble Phosphorus	Good	NA
Total Phosphorus	Moderate	NA
Turbidity	Good	Poor
Bacteria	NA	Good

Notes NA = not applicable

The high nutrient concentrations (oxidised nitrogen and total phosphorus) and in the lower reaches of the River Murray are largely due to discharges from the Lower Murray Irrigation area.

The poor turbidity means that visibility is low and may lead to bathing accidents. It also makes water look less appealing for swimming. Much of the turbidity in the River Murray is due to water from the Darling River, which tends to carry fine clay particles.

This page was last modified 13-09-2007