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Results
Catchment Results
Nerang River Catchment and Estuary
Nerang-catchment-map
Catchment Facts
  • Total area: 498km2
  • Stream network length: 928km
  • Local Councils: Beaudesert (pop. 62,441), Gold Coast (pop. 472,279)
  • Dominant land uses: native bush, grazing, intensive agriculture, rural residential, urban
  • Headwaters rise in Lamington and Springbrook National Parks
  • The Hinze Dam impounds the Nerang River 36km upstream from its mouth
  • Mid reaches flow through rural areas
  • Lower reaches extensively transformed into canal developments, with restricted flushing within the canals
Freshwater results
C+ Nerang Catchment   
  • Streams generally in very good condition
  • A large increase in nutrient cycling and ecosystem processes indicators compared to last year
  • The fish indicator continues to score lower than other indicators
Estuarine results
B Nerang Estuary   
  • Low nutrient levels and turbidity throughout the estuary
  • Lower freshwater inputs from the catchment resulting in higher salinity levels in the upper reaches of the estuary compared to 2006
  • Extremely impacted riparian habitat throughout the estuary