Willson River

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Archived water quality assessments

Ecological health

We collect two samples of macroinvertebrates, one from riffle (or flowing water) habitat and one from edge (still water) habitat. The diversity of the macroinvertebrate community is used to describe ecological health as being in good, moderate or poor condition.

Ecological health assessment for December 2005

Habitat	Ecological health
Edge	Good
Riffle	Good

These ratings are consistent with previous results.

Ecological health assessment for May 2005

Habitat	Ecological health
Edge	Good
Riffle	Good

Water chemistry

The indicators that are measured in the Willson River 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.

Water chemistry classification for October 2005 to March 2006

Indicator	Classification
Oxidised Nitrogen	Moderate
Total Nitrogen	Poor
Soluble Phosphorus	Good
Total Phosphorus	Good
Turbidity	Good

Elevated nutrients in the Willson River are likely to be due runoff from grazing land or horticulture in the catchment (mainly fertilisers and animal wastes). Elevated nitrogen could lead to excessive algal growth, particularly during warmer months. The classifications for nitrogen, phosphorus and turbidity for this sampling period are consistent with previous results for the summer months. The Kangaroo Island NRM Board is preparing a water management plan that will include the Willson River. This plan will prioritise actions that should lead to water quality improvements.

Water chemistry classification for April to September 2005

Indicator	Classification
Oxidised Nitrogen	Poor
Total Nitrogen	Poor
Soluble Phosphorus	Good
Total Phosphorus	Good
Turbidity	Good

The amount of nitrogen can be increased by fertilisers or animal wastes being washed off farms during storms or due to effluent outfalls. The poor nitrogen results for the recent samples are consistent with previous results.

This page was last modified 13-09-2007