Preliminary Water Quality Data Report
For the fist leg of the trip, Steve was towing a probe supplied by Dr. Peter Pollard (Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University). This was attached to the front of the kayak and sat about 40cm below the surface. The purpose was to measure water quality parameters over the entire length of the river from West End Brisbane (where Steve started) to Cribb Park Ipswich (where Steve started to walk). The information will be used in an ongoing ecosystem health assessment of the Brisbane and Bremmer Rivers.
Water quality measurements included:
Salinity is a measure of the salt concentration in the water. It is measured here in parts per thousand (ppt)
Conductivity is a measure of the ability of the water to pass an electrical current. Here it is measure in milliSiemens per centimetre (mS/cm)
Total Dissolved Solids is a measure of dissolved minerals in solution. It is closely related to conductivity and salinity. High levels mean lower water quality. Here it is measure in grams per litre (g/L)
pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the water. Extremes of pH (less than 6.5 or greater than 9) can be toxic to aquatic organisms.
Total Dissolved Oxygen is a measure of the total amount of gaseous oxygen in the water. Levels below about 5mg/L (milligrams per litre) start to cause stresses to aquatic life
Temperature of the water can be affected by many things (such as season and time of day) but generally it increases toward the lower end of the catchment.
Preliminary data and a map of the paddle sample are presented below.
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