Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program    2009 Report Card Results   Freshwater Indicator Results

For the 2008–09 Freshwater Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program (EHMP) a total of 135 sites were assessed during spring (Oct–Nov) 2008 and autumn (Apr–May) 2009. Assessments of the freshwater (non-tidal) reaches of South East Queensland (SEQ) streams are made using five different indicators that may be modified, directly or indirectly, by human activities. These indicators have been chosen as the key elements of healthy freshwater ecosystems in SEQ (see Smith and Storey, 2001); they are (1) Physical and Chemical, (2) Nutrient Cycling, (3) Ecosystem Processes, (4) Aquatic Macroinvertebrates, and (5) Fish. Assessments were conducted by staff of the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM). To ensure the comparability of results, all assessments were conducted as per previous years using standardised methods.