Long term Historical Trend Water Quality Monitoring Data

Program start date

1968

Program end date

Objectives of the program

Provide discovery and access and encourage interpretability, reusability and citability to over four million water quality records in the Queensland Waterways Database.

Drivers for monitoring program

To collect and record and promote data exchange of water related data evidence on aquatic health condition and trend on the qualities and characteristics of the environment including the natural and physical resources such as the ecosystems and their constituent parts that contribute to their biological diversity and integrity, intrinsic or attributed scientific value or  interest, amenity, harmony and sense of community as required under:

• the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 (SD&PWO Act);
• the Integrated Planning Act 1997 (IP Act);
• the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NC Act);
• the Marine Parks Act 1982 (MP Act);
• the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act);
• the Commonwealth Environment Protection and / or Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EP&BC Act)

when considering any environmental impact assessment during the integrated planning for development proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made.

Who is involved?

Lead organisation

Department Science, Information Technology, innovation and the Arts

Contact details of lead organisation: water.data♲qld.gov.au

Partner organisations

The department has been the lead agency over the decades, with a range of formal and informal partnerships including individual researchers, and academic, public and private organisations.

List of indicators monitored

Determine and results cover chemical, physical and biological properties of water, sediment, plant and tissue samples and direct measurements from across Queensland.

Scale of program

Statewide.

Brief description of sampling locations

Measurements and sampling at 2969 monitoring locations (350 bay sites, 990 river sites and 1176 creek sites) in 419 water bodies and offshore locations, in and downstream of 40 drainage basins.

Frequency of monitoring (temporal resolution)

Routinely the measurement and sampling frequency is monthly, on a mid to falling tide, however database contains measurement and sampling frequencies ranging from once only sampling to continuous or sequential event based measurements and sampling and also includes programs with fortnightly, weekly, daily and multiple tidal phase frequencies.

Where is the program reported?

A range of departmental and peer reviewed publications.

Frequency of Reporting

The raw data published interpretation as reports occur annually for programs, monthly for monthly surveys and daily for observed incidents.

Last updated: 22 March 2013