Condamine Balonne Water Quality Management
Abstract
Water quality in the Condamine Balonne catchment has been deteriorating in recent years. Increasing community concern over declining water quality, an increased number of algal blooms and the detection of pesticides in water storage sediment has highlighted the need for a Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) for the catchment.
The Condamine Balonne Water Committee has responded to this need and commissioned Sinclair Knight Merz, under the direction of a technical review group, to prepare the plan. The technical review group consisted of departmental (DNR, DPI), industry and local government experts. Spatial variation in runoff loads was estimated using available GIS datasets and soil erodibility factors.
Outputs of the project include a quantitative, spatial model of nutrient and sediment loading across 26 subcatchments within the Condamine Balonne catchment. An implementation plan was developed with specific actions for each subcatchment. The implementation plan provides a concise summary of the nutrient and sediment loadings and documents the steps required for industry and community to achieve the desired level of water quality.