FITZROY REGIONFitzroy catchment water quality targets

Catchment profileUnder the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan, water quality targets have been set for each catchment that drains to the Great Barrier Reef. These targets (given over the page) consider land use and pollutant loads from each catchment.

The Fitzroy catchment covers 142,552 km2 (92% of the Fitzroy region). Rainfall averages 646 mm a year, which results in river discharges to the coast of about 6018 GL each year.

The Fitzroy catchment covers the majority of the Fitzroy region. Lying inland of the region’s smaller coastal catchments, it is the largest catchment draining to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. The Fitzroy River forms the main channel transporting run-off from the whole catchment, which comprises an extensive network of tributaries. Some of these are an extensive area in their own right. There are five main tributaries: the Connors and Isaac rivers in the north of the catchment; the Nogoa River in the western reaches of the catchment, which joins the Mackenzie; and the Dawson River in the south of the catchment, which also joins the Mackenzie to form the Fitzroy River. Agriculture is the major land use in the catchment; this is mostly grazing but also includes large areas of cropping, forestry and horticulture. The Fitzroy catchment also contains a diverse array of wetlands, waterways, floodplains and lagoon systems. It includes a number of urban centres, including Rockhampton and Emerald, and the area is known for mining.

20 40 60 80 100

Grazing ForestryNature

conservationDryland cropping

OtherIrrigated cropping

WaterUrban

Horticulture

0%

Land uses in the Fitzroy catchmentThe main land uses are grazing (80%), forestry (6%), and nature conservation (6%).

Belyando Sub-catchment

B o w e n B o g i eS u b - c a t c h m e n t

B u r d e k i n S u b - c a t c h m e n t

C o m e t S u b - c a t c h m e n t

D a w s o n S u b - c a t c h m e n t

Fitzroy Sub-catchment

I s a a c S u b - c a t c h m e n t

M a c k e n z i e S u b - c a t c h m e n t

Nogoa Sub-catchment

T h e r e s a C r e e kS u b - c a t c h m e n t

PaulReef

HeronReef

MangroveIsland (No 1)

LongIsland(No 1)

South Island

Middle Island

TurkeyIsland

RosewoodIsland

Quail Island

TownshendIsland

Curtis Island

HummockHill Island

FraserIsland

Facing Island

Great Keppel(Wop-pa)Island

LeicesterIsland

BoyneIsland

BalaclavaIsland (No 2)

Casuarina Island

Frigate Cay

Mystery Cay

TwinCays

(North)

SnakeCays

CapeCapricorn

Cape Clinton

CapeKeppel

CapePalmerston

Cape Manifold

CapeTownshend

S W A I NR E E F S

H e r v e y B a y

Ke ppe lBa y

B r o a dS o u n d

ShoalwaterBay

GinGin

Childers

Mundubbera

TinCanBay

Biggenden

ProstonMurgon

WondaiCherbourg

Kilkivan

Gladstone

Yeppoon

Emu Park

Tannum Sands

Miriam ValeBororen

Calliope

Mackay

Mount Morgan

Gayndah

Monto

Nambour

Kingaroy

NanangoKumbia

Yandina

NoosaCooroy

Bundaberg

Maryborough

Gympie

RosedaleAvondale

Burnett HeadsBargara

Imbil

Eidsvold

HerveyBay

Augathella

Walkerston

Nebo

SarinaSarina Beach

Alpha

Emerald

Springsure

Rockhampton

Clermont

St Lawrence

Marlborough

Moranbah

Dysart

Middlemount

Capella

BlackwaterDingoBluff

Woorabinda

Banana

Biloela

Thangool

MorvenMitchell

Injune

Miles

Taroom

Wandoan

Theodore

Roma

Moura

KeppelSands

MountLarcom

Boyne Island

Carmila

Tieri

Duaringa

Baralaba

Gracemere

FitzroyCatchment

Bur

nett

River

Eagle fi eld

Creek

R o

lf C reek

Roper Cr eek

ClaudeRi ver

De

e Rive

r

Don R

iv e r

Nogo River

Cad

ar

gaC

reek

VandykeC

reek

Diam

ond Creek

Fun

nel

Cre

ek

Baffl e Cre ek

Fox

Cr

eek

Kroombit C reek

Co

nnor

s Rive

r

TinanaCreek

Zam

ia

Cree

k

Hutton Creek

BeeCre ek

Juandah

C

reek

Logan Creek

Thre e MoonC

ree

k

Robinson Creek

S

tuartR

iverAlpha

Creek

Ca

l lideCreek

Eurom b ahCree

k

Pla

netC

reek

Barambah

C reek

Mim

os aC

r eek

Comet

Ri ver

Kolan

River

Mis

take

Cree

k

BelyandoRiver

Ther e

saCr

ee

k

Native

Com

panion

Creek

BoyneRiver

Auburn River

Isaac River

Sutto

rR

iv er

Ma

ry

Rive

r

Fitzr

oy Riv er

Mackenzie

Rive

r

N ogoa

Ri ve

r

DawsonR iver

0 30 60 90 120 150

Kilometres

C:\WORKING\3_WORK\Nyssa\GBR catchments map_A4P_v03_Jeremy_Edit_Fitzroy.mxd23 August 2017

Page of

LanduseNature conservationForestry

GrazingIrrigated croppingDryland croppingSugarcaneHorticultureBananaDairyUrban and other intensive usesMiningStream/water inc. damsOther

Legend

!(T

MangroveSeagrass

Sewage treatment plant (STP)[

Ý

Z Dams and weirs

GBR WHA boundary

CatchmentHighwaysSecondary roads

Modelled water quality pollutant loadsThe Fitzroy has minimal anthropogenic loads of dissolved inorganic nitrogen.

The Fitzroy catchment contributes the largest loads of anthropogenic fine sediment in the region, and is the second biggest contributor of the 35 catchments that drain to the Great Barrier Reef. Most of the sediment comes from grazing lands, and includes gully and streambank erosion.

reefplan.qld.gov.au

2025 water quality targets and priorities

End-of-catchment anthropogenic load reductions required from 2013 baseline

Pesticides

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN)

Fine sediment Particulate phosphorus (PP)

Particulate nitrogen (PN)

maintain current load

30% 390 kilotonnes

30% 380 tonnes

30% 640 tonnes

To protect at least

99% of aquatic species at the end of catchment

The 2025 targets aim to reduce the amounts of fine sediments, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and pesticides flowing to the reef. Where there are minimal anthropogenic pollutant loads, the aim is to maintain current water quality so there are no increases in loads. Each target for sediment and nutrients is expressed as: (a) the percentage load reduction required compared with the 2013 estimated load of each pollutant from the catchment; and (b) the load reductions required in tonnes. Progress made since 2013 will count towards these targets. Previously reported progress between 2009 and 2013 has already been accounted for when setting the targets. The pesticide target aims to ensure that concentrations of pesticides at the end of each catchment are low enough that 99% of aquatic species are protected. The targets are ecologically relevant for the Great Barrier Reef, and are necessary to ensure that broadscale land uses have no detrimental effect on the reef’s health and resilience.

A high percentage reduction target may not necessarily mean it is the highest priority. The priorities (ranked by colour) reflect the relative risk assessment priorities for water quality improvement, based on an independent report, the 2017 Scientific Consensus Statement. The priorities reflect scientific assessment of the likely risks of pollutants damaging coastal and marine ecosystems.

Water quality relative priority

Very high

High

Moderate

Low

Minimal

Not assessed

Most anthropogenic fine sediment loads come from streambank erosion, grazing and dryland cropping areas.

Fine sediment

Streambankerosion

Grazing Dryland cropping

OtherUrban

Horticulture

Forestry

Most sediment erosion comes from streambanks and gullies in the Fitzroy catchment.

Types of sediment erosion

Streambank Gully Hillslope

0% 100

http://reefplan.qld.gov.auhttp://www.reefplan.qld.gov.au/measuring-success/report-cards/http://www.reefplan.qld.gov.au/about/scientific-consensus-statement/