Don River
Contents |
Topography
Vegetation
Riparian Habitat
The following information is summarized from the ACTFR report: Assessing the condition of riparian vegetation in the Burdekin catchment using satellitte imagery and field surveys by Leo Lymburner and John Dowe. 2006. This report can be accessed from the report section below.
iTRARC analysis of Riparian Habitat indicates that this subcatchment has undergone a large decrease in condition from good (A) to relatively poor (C+). This change is due to an increased number of gaps in the riparian corridor along all stream sizes and floodplain clearing. There has also been an increase in the amount of gullying/scalding within the catchment.
Wetlands
The following information is summarized from the ACTFR report: Assessing the condition of Wetlands in the Burdekin catchment using existing GIS and field knowledge for CCI by Mirjam Maughan, Damien Burrows, Barry Butler, Leo Lymburner and George Lukacs. 2006. This report can be accessed from the report section below.
The Don River is an ephemeral system flowing for short periods after significant rainfall. No major permanent waterholes are known though some smaller holes are likely present and these may be vulnerable to disturbance. The coastal freshwater wetlands are also mostly ephemeral or seasonal. The area is poorly known ecologically, especially the coastal freshwater wetlands. Hogan and Vallance (1998) surveyed the freshwater fish of the river, finding low diversity which is not surprising given the low amount of permanent freshwater available
Don River wetland condition summary...
Water
SedNet Modelling of Water Quality
The following statistics are summarized from the CSIRO report: Improved SedNet Modelling of Grazing Lands in the Burdekin Catchment by Kinsey-Henderson, A., Sherman, B. and Bartley, R. 2007. This report can be accessed from the report section below.
Model results for the Don River subcatchment are summarized as follows:
- Subcatchment modelled area: 1,037sq. km.
- Source contributions: Hillslope = 45%; Gully = 7%; Streambank = 48%
- Area of subcatchment with <50% ground cover: 119 sq. km or 11% of subcatchment
- Hillslope sediment supply: 610 kg/ha/yr
- Streambank sediment supply: 647 kg/ha/yr.
- Total suspended sediment (flow weighted) supply: 140 kt/yr
- Total suspended sediment supply (flow weieghted; normalized to area): 1350kg/ha/yr
- Total suspended sediment end-of-subcatchment (flow weighted) yield: 134 kt/yr
- Event Mean Concentration (EMC - flow weighted): 625 mg/L
- Mean Annual Flow: 214,461 ML
Although relatively small, the Don River sub-catchment contributes a proportionally large amount of suspended sediment (140 kt/yr) to the greater Burdekin catchment, compared to other sub-catchments of similar size (eg. Kirk River, Fanning River and Allingham Creek). Approximately 11% of the Don River subcatchment has less than 50% ground cover. This relatively small proportion may be due, in part, to the large horticultural industry that extends throughout this sub-catchment. The greatest contribution of suspended sediment, however, is provided by streambank erosion (48%). This is likely the result of large scale clearing of riparian areas along the Don River. Hillslope erosion is also important, contributing 42% of the suspended sediment and associated nutrients. Both of these sources, streambank and hillslope, provide relatively high amounts of suspended sediment per hectare compared to other sub-catchments (610 kg/ha/yr and 647 kg/ha/yr respectively).
Water Quality Monitoring
Water Quality Sampling Site
The monitoring site in the Don River catchment is located near the Bruce Highway and has been sampled by the BDTNRM Volunteers program for 2 years. The catchment area for this monitoring site is 1,078 sq km, of which 93.8% is used for grazing. Suspended sediment concentrations for the Don River have been relatively high (mean concentration of 476 mg/L) over the monitoring period compared to other coastal catchments in the Burdekin Region. A flow-weighted annual suspended sediment load of 86,500 tonnes/year was calculated using the monitoring data from the 2005/06 wet season. This load is lower than that predicted by the SedNet model (140,000 tonnes/year), although comparisons are difficult to make based on one wet seasons monitoring data. Herbicide residues of atrazine and hexazinone have been detected in the Don River, although these concentrations were low.
- Water Quality Monitoring
- Water Quality Monitoring results
- Event-based community water quality monitoring in the Burdekin Dry Tropics Region: 2002-2007. Volume 1
- Event-based community water quality monitoring in the Burdekin Dry Tropics Region: 2002-2007. Volume 2
- Pesticides in the lower Burdekin and Don River catchments: 2005-2007
Environmental Uses and Values
The following summary of environmental uses and values is based on information extracted from the following reports: Social, Economic, Cultural and Environmental Values of Streams and Wetlands in the Burdekin Dry Tropics Region by Greiner, R and Hall, N. 2006 and Burdekin Basin Draft Water Resource Plan by Queensland Dept. of Natural Resources, Mines and Water, 2006, The Greiner and Hall 2006 report may be accessed from the report section below.
Definition of Environmental Values in the Queensland Water Quality Guidelines
Aquatic Ecosystems:
Don River subcatchment draft HEV waters
Irrigation:
Use of waters of the Don River for irrigated horticulture.
Stock Watering:
Water supply for production of healthy livestock.
Cultural and Spirtual:
Custodial use of water resources by Juru traditional owners.
Landuse
Principle land uses within the Don River subcatchment as a proportion of total area:
- Grazing: 86.9%
- Irrigated horticulture & cropping: 5.3%
- Water: 3.5%
- Conservation & minimal use: 2.2%
- Urban & semi urban: 1.8%
- Mining: Limited mining water activity use identified.
- Dryland agriculture: Limited Dryland agriculture water activity use identified.
- Production & forestry: Limited Production & forestry water activity use identified.
Grazing Land
Land Condition
Definition of ABCD land condition framework
No data available for land condition in the Don River subcatchment.
Ground Cover
No data available for Ground Cover in the Don River subcatchment.
Maps
Don River
Don River Landuse (focus on Don River)
Don River Wetlands
Don River Geology
Please feel free to download the maps in the following formats:
- Don River Map as *.pdf (requires Acrobat Reader)
- Don River Landuse Map as *.pdf (requires Acrobat Reader)
- Don River Geology Map as *.pdf (requires Acrobat Reader)
- Catchment Layer as *.kmz (requires Google Earth)
Photos
Don River
Don River Sand Mining
Don River Mouth
Reports
- Assessing the condition of Riparian Vegetation in the Burdekin catchment for CCI (2.8 Mb)
- Assessing the condition of Wetlands in the Burdekin catchment for CCI (10 Mb)
- Water Quality Issues in the Burdekin Region (3.8Mb)
- Monitoring of sediments and nutrients in the Burdekin Dry Tropics region: 2005-06 wet season (4.3 Mb)
- Event based Water Quality Monitoring in the Burdekin Dry Tropics Region: 2004/05 wet season (3.1 Mb)
- A report into the water quality condition of the Burdekin River and surrounds based on the AIMS end-of-catchment sampling program (13.2 Mb)
- Limnological assessment and benchmarking of key sentinel wetlands in the Burdekin catchment
- Improved SedNet Modelling of Grazing Land in the Burdekin Catchment(812Kb)
- Economic, Cultural and Environmental values of streams and wetlands in the Burdekin Dry Tropics region. (23.5Mb)
- Draft High Ecological Value waters assessment for BDT WQIP
