Upstart Bay Catchments

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Subcatchments

Smaller Catchments within the Upstart Bay 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 zones adjacent to the streams in this subcatchment have declined from very good (A) condition to poor (C) condition in the last 30 years. This is primarily due to floodplain clearing and clearing along small headwater streams.

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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 creek systems of this sub-division are mostly ephemeral, only running for short periods after significant rainfall. The coastal freshwater wetlands are also mostly ephemeral or seasonal. Several of them are included in the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia, though this is largely based on their marine and estuarine wetland values. Very little is known about these wetlands ecologically, and any permanent waterholes within the creeks are likely small in size and very vulnerable to disturbance. Condition is generally considered to be relatively good, but this assumption has a low confidence associated with it, due to a lack of relevant information. Saltwater Creek is the exception as it retains several large, permanent waterholes and wetlands, giving the wetlands in this system higher ecological values, though these are surrounded by intensive agriculture and their condition is relatively poor, being affected by altered flow regimes and water quality and infestation by aquatic weeds.

Apart from sugar cane in the Saltwater Creek section of this sub-division, cattle grazing dominates with some significant irrigation for horticulture along several other creeks. Increased irrigation development is proposed for this sub-division, with delivery of water coming from the Burdekin River (Burdekin Falls Dam). Lukacs (1999) provides a brief overview of the freshwater wetlands in this sub-division in relation to potential irrigation development.

Upstart Bay Catchments 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 Upstart Bay subcatchment are summarized as follows:

Subcatchment modelled area: 438 sq. km.

Source contributions: Hillslope = 80%; Gully = 16%; Streambank = 5%

Area of subcatchment with <50% ground cover: 39 sq. km or 9 % of subcatchment

Hillslope sediment supply: 443 kg/ha/yr

Total suspended sediment (flow weighted) supply: 24 kt/yr

Total suspended sediment supply (flow weighted; normalized to area): 557kg/ha/yr

Total suspended sediment end-of-subcatchment (flow weighted) yield: 22 kt/yr

Event Mean Concentration (EMC - flow weighted): 280 mg/L

Mean Annual Flow: 78,493 ML

In summary, Upstart Bay is the smallest of all of the Burdekin subcatchments, with low mean annual flow (78,493 ML) and the least amount of total suspended sediment (24 kt/yr) entering the waterways. This results in low event mean concentrations of sediments and nutrients. A large proportion of this small, coastal subcatchment has less than 80% ground cover, probably accounting for the high proportion of sediments sourced from hillslope erosion (80%). Gully erosion also contributes 16% of the sediment supply in the Upstart Bay subcatchment.

Water Quality Monitoring

The monitoring site in the Upstart Bay (Yellow Gin Creek) catchment is located at the Bruce Highway and has been sampled by the ACTFR for 2 years (2005/06 and 2006/07 wet seasons). The catchment area for this monitoring site is 38 sq km, of which 99.2% is used for grazing. Suspended sediment concentrations have been relatively high at this site (mean concentration of 435 mg/L) compared to other coastal catchments in the Burdekin Region over the monitoring period.

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., Burdekin Basin Draft Water Resource Plan by Queensland Dept. of Natural Resources, Mines and Water, 2006, and Draft Environmental Values and Water Quality Objectives for the estuarine and coastal areas of the Lower Burdekin by Lankester, A., Dight, I., Brodie, J., Bainbridge, Z. and Lewis, S. 2007. These reports may be accessed from the report section below.

Definition of Environmental Values in the Queensland Water Quality Guidelines

Aquatic Ecosystems:

Several areas of the Upstart Bay subcatchment have been identified as containing High Ecological Value (HEV) waters by the BWQIP ecological values technical panel. These include: (i) the area covered by Cape Upstart National Park; (ii) the estuarine wetland area located on the southern side of Saltwater Creek extending to the northern side of Rocky Ponds estuary (taking in Yellow Gin, Sugarloaf and Little Sugarloaf Creeks); (iii) the estuarine wetland area located at the base of Cape Upstart surrounding Nobbies Inlet; and (iv) the coastal/marine waters of Upstart Bay extending into Abbot Bay. The estuarine wetland areas are listed on the Directory of Important Wetlands as the Burdekin Delta and Southern Upstart Bay Aggregations respectively. The aquatic ecosystems values of most other parts of the subcatchment while poorly known, are considered to be Slightly to Moderately Disturbed (SMD) as a consequence of the surrounding land use. The upper reaches of Inkerman and Saltwater Creeks are identified as Highly Disturbed (HD) due to discharge of irrigation tailwater.

The aquatic ecosystem values of Upstart Bay Catchment ?

Cape Upstart Cape Upstart is a granite headland covered in a range of vegetation types from vine thicket to heath and flanked by sandy beaches. The surrounding waters are part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The area is a declared National Park and accessible only by boat.

Saltwater and Wangaratta Estuaries. Protected Status: GBRWHA; Fish Habitat Areea of management level B. Tidal barrages and sand dams affect connectivity and salinity regimes in the dry season; fish barriers; elevated concentrations of sediments and nutrients entering waterway; freshwater flows from irrigation tail water into "naturally" saline areas.

Yellow Gin Estuary. Relatively pristine as no cane run off enters this estuary. This creek may be considered modified where it enters the Burdekin River.

Upstart Bay catchment subcatchment draft HEV waters

Irrigation:

Irrigation of sugar cane and horticulture, particularly around Gumlu.

Stock Watering:

Water supply for production of healthy livestock.

Primary Recreation:

Swimming in Upstart Bay.

Secondary Recreation:

Fishing at Cape Upstart.

Visual Recreation:

Flora, fauna and bird observing at Cape Upstart National Park.

Cultural and Spirtual:

Upstart Bay is an important place for the Juru people and the Wothan (Black Crow) clan. Wetlands, ocean and beach systems in the area formed major hunting and gathering habitats by Juru Traditional Owners.

Landuse

Principle land uses within the Upstart Bay subcatchment as a proportion of total area:

Grazing: 70%

Water: 13.6%

Conservation & minimal use: 10.4%

Irrigated sugar: 4%

Irrigated horticulture & copping: 1.5%

Urban & semi urban: Limited urban & semi urban water activity use identified.

Mining: Limited mining water activity use identified.

Dryland agriculture: Limited dryland agriculture water activity use identified.

Grazing Land

Land Condition

Definition of ABCD land condition framework

No data available for land condition in the Upstart Catchments subcatchment.

Ground Cover

No data available for Ground Cover in the Upstart Catchment subcatchment.

Resource Condition Summary

Upstart Bay is a small coastal subcatchment where the major land use is grazing on natural pastures. However, approximately 4% of the land is used for irrigated sugar and 1.5% for horticulture, while around 14% of the land is set aside for conservation and other minimal use. Riparian habitat in the subcatchment has declined over the last 30 years due to clearing of vegetation along headwater streams and floodplain. The catchment was in good (A) condition in the 1970s, but by 2004 its condition had declined to poor (C). The creek systems and wetalnds of this subcatchment are mostly ephemeral and only flow for short periods after significant rainfall. Very little is known about the wetlands ecologically, and any permanent waterholes within the creeks are likely to be small in size and very vulnerable to disturbance.

Hillslope erosion is identified by models as the major source of sediment and particulate nutrients affecting water quality from within the Landers Creek subcatchment, while a contribution from gully erosion is also identified. The rate of soil erosion is predicted to be moderate, yet well below the Basin average, while the total soil loss from the subcatchment to waterways is comparatively very low. There are no rapid assesment data for land condition and ground cover available for the subcatchment. However, analysis of ground cover from satelite imagery (reference) shows that the mean ground cover across the entire subcatchment declined from 94% in 1999 to 71% in 2004, and had recovered to 88% in 2006.

Water quality in the Upstart Bay subcatchment is predicted by models to be only slightly impacted by suspended sediment during wet season event flows. However, water quality monitoring data from Yellow Gin Creek recorded slightly more elevated concentrations of sediment than predicted by models.

The area of sugar production in the Upstart Bay subcatchment is identified as a priority focus for improved management practice to reduce fertilizer and herbicide loss to waterways on the basis of the disproportionately high dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations and loads, and elevated concentrations of several herbicides that are associated with sugar production elsewhere in the Lower Burdekin Basin.

Draft Environmental Values

Several areas of the Upstart Bay subcatchment have been identified as containing High Ecological Value (HEV) waters by the BWQIP ecological values technical panel. These include: (i) the area covered by Cape Upstart National Park; (ii) the estuarine wetland area located on the southern side of Saltwater Creek extending to the northern side of Rocky Ponds estuary (taking in Yellow Gin, Sugarloaf and Little Sugarloaf Creeks); (iii) the estuarine wetland area located at the base of Cape Upstart surrounding Nobbies Inlet; and (iv) the coastal/marine waters of Upstart Bay extending into Abbot Bay. The estuarine wetland areas are listed on the Directory of Important Wetlands as the Burdekin Delta and Southern Upstart Bay Aggregations respectively. The aquatic ecosystems values of most other parts of the subcatchment, while poorly known, are considered to be Slightly to Moderately Disturbed (SMD) as a consequence of the surrounding land use. The Upper reaches of Inkerman and Saltwater Creeks are identified as Highly Disturbed (HD) due to the discharge of irrigation tailwater. The human use Environmental Values of the subcatchment waters are understood to include recreation (swimming, boating & visual appreciation), irigation, stock watering, human consumption of aquatic food, and the cultural and spiritual values of the Juru traditional owners.