Stones Creek

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Contents

Subcatchments

Smaller Catchments within the Stones Creek Catchment include:

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 was in relatively poor condition (C+) in the 1970s and has declined to poor (C) condition in 2004. This catchment has relatively simple riparian zones (no floodplains, no anabranches, no wetlands) which is why this catchment had a low Maximum iTRARC score too. However clearing of forest from the main channel and an increase in the number of low cover hill slopes has lead to a further decline in condition. The one field survey collected in this catchment indicates very poor condition, however additional sites would be required to characterise the diversity of on-ground conditions encountered in this catchment.

more...

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.

This sub-division is poorly known ecologically, though the creeks are considered to be generally dry with limited habitat availability. Condition is not well known though thought to be typical of sub-divisions in this area.

Stones Creek 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 Stones Creek subcatchment are summarized as follows:

  • Subcatchment modelled area: 766 sq. km.
  • Source contributions: Hillslope = 76%; Gully = 21%; Streambank = 2%
  • Area of subcatchment with <50% ground cover: 160 sq. km or 21% of subcatchment
  • Hillslope sediment supply: 901 kg/ha/yr
  • Gully sediment supply: 252 kg/ha/yr
  • Total suspended sediment (flow weighted) supply: 90 kt/yr
  • Total suspended sediment supply (flow weighted; normalized to area): 1182kg/ha/yr
  • Total suspended sediment end-of-subcatchment (flow weighted) yield: 85 kt/yr
  • Event Mean Concentration (EMC - flow weighted): 1,302 mg/L
  • Mean Annual Flow: 65,049 ML

Of all the Burdekin subcatchments, Stones Creek receives the lowest flow (65,049 ML). It is also one of the three smallest subcatchments. Total suspended sediments are moderate at 90 kt/yr, however, due to the very low, seasonal flow, event mean concentrations of sediments and associated nutrients are the highest of all Burdekin sub-catchments.

Sediments are believed to be derived principally from hillslope erosion (estimated at 76% of all sediment sources in Stones Creek). Due to its relatively small size, hillslope sediment supply from Stones Creek subcatchment is also the highest of all Burdekin subcatchments (901 kg/ha/yr). Similarly, gully erosion (estimated 21% of all sediment sources in Stones Creek subcatchment) produces a very high per-hectare supply compared to other subcatchments in the Burdekin.

Water Quality Monitoring

There are no water quality data available for this catchment.

Relevant information of Water Quality Monitoring in the Lower Burdekin River Basin can be found by following these links:

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


Fish.jpg Aquatic Ecosystems:

The aquatic ecosystem values of the Stones Creek subcatchment are poorly known but, while considered to be Slightly to Moderately Disturbed (SMD) as a consequence of the surrounding land use for cattle grazing, the biological communities are thought to remain in a healthy condition and ecosystem integrity is likely to be largely retained. No High Ecological Value (HEV) waters have been identified in the subcatchment.

Stones Creek subcatchment draft HEV waters


Cow.jpg Stock Watering:

Water supply for production of healthy livestock.


Feet.jpg Cultural and Spirtual:

Custodial use of water resources by Birri traditional owners.

Landuse

Principle land uses within the Stones River subcatchment as a proportion of total area:

  • Grazing: 99.9%
  • Water: Limited water activity use identified.
  • Urban & semi urban: Limited urban & semi urban water activity use identified.


Grazing Land

Land Condition
Definition of ABCD land condition framework

Results of a Rapid Land Condition Assessment (adopted from Hassett et al. 2000) are presented below. The assessment has been devised to subjectively characterise condition while traversing the BDT region by vehicle. The data are based on a total of 4666 observations across the Burdekin region between 2004 and 2007.

The data were collected to provide independent information on land condition and provide a regional perspective. Resource assessment data are most useful when interpreted with other sources of data e.g. time-series remote sensing, modelling and water quality monitoring.

The estimated condition of the Stones Creek sub-catchment is proportioned as follows:

  • A Condition: n/a
  • B Condition: n/a
  • C Condition: 88%
  • D Condition: 12%

Data from the Stones Creek sub-catchment is based on 26 observations.

On the basis of the rapid assessment, the Stones Creek sub-catchment is estimated to have the largest proportion of land in poor (C) condition (88%), followed by very poor (D) condition (12%). Data not available for Good (A) Condition Land and Fair (B) Condition Land.

Ground Cover

Ground Cover in the Stones Creek sub-catchment is proportioned as follows:

  • ( BC) Bare Cover:6%
  • ( LC) Low Cover: 72%
  • ( MC) Moderate Cover: 22%
  • ( HC) High Cover: 0%
  • (VHC) Very High Cover: 0%

Data from the Stones Creek sub-catchment are based on 18 observations.

On the basis of the rapid assessment (2004-2007), the Stones Creek sub-catchment is estimated to have the highest proportion of land within the low (LC) ground cover category (72%), followed by moderate (MC) cover (22%). 6% of land was estimated to fall into the bare cover (BC) category.

Resource Condition Summary

Stones Creek is a very small subcatchment where land use is exclusively grazing on natural pastures. Riparian habitat in the subcatchment has undergone relatively little change in the last 30 years and is currently assessed to be in poor (C) condition. The subcatchment has relatively simple riparian zones (no floodplains, no anabranches, no wetlands). Stones Creek subcatchment is understood to be a largely dry, sandy creek system but very little is known about the ecology and condition of aquatic habitats.

Hillslope erosion is identified by models as the major source of sediment and particulate nutrients affecting water quality from within the Stones Creek subcatchment, while gully erosion is also predicted to contribute substantially to the total sediment load. The rate of soil erosion is predicted to be quite high, yet below the Basin average, while the total soil loss from the subcatchment to waterways is comparatively very low due to the small subcatchment area. Grazing land has been assessed to be, mostly, in poor (C) condition, while some very poor (D) condition land was also evident. This is also reflected in the rapid ground cover assessment (2004-2007). Analyses of ground cover from satelite imagery (reference) identify areas of land that are particularly vulnerable to 'D' condition along the middle and lower reaches of Stones Creek. The mean ground cover across the entire subcatchment declined from 94% in 1999 to 72% in 2004, and had recovered to only 82% in 2006.

Water quality in the Stones Creek subcatchment is predicted by models to be quite highly impacted by suspended sediment during wet season event flows, with very elevated concentrations of sediment at end-of-catchment. There are no water quality monitoring data, however, with which to compare the modelled concentrations and loads. On the basis of the land condition and ground cover assessments, verification of modelling should be undertaken as a priority.

Draft Environmental Values

The aquatic ecosystem values of the Stones Creek subcatchment are poorly known but, while considered to be Slightly to Moderately Disturbed (SMD) as a consequence of the surrounding land use for cattle grazing, the biological communities are thought to remain in a healthy condition and ecosystem integrity is likely to be largely retained. No High Ecological Value (HEV) waters have been identified in the subcatchment. Little is known about the human use Environmental Values of water in the subcatchment, which are thought to be limited to use for stock watering, and the cultural and spiritual values of the Birri traditional owners.

Maps

  • Stones Creek

  • Stones Creek Landuse (focus on Stones Creek)

  • Stones Creek Wetlands

  • Stones Creek Geology

Please feel free to download the maps in the following formats:

Photos

  • StonesCreek1.jpg
  • StonesCreek2.jpg
  • StonesCreek3.jpg

Reports

Data

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