improvement in stream stability. Declining water quality Improvements in recent years Decline in inshore ecosystem Likely to improve as a result Improvements expected but although still a major threat to health and resilience. of management actions will take time to take effect. the World Heritage Area. targeted at improving water quality. Barriers to fish Water security and proposed Reduction/loss of connectivity Projects planned to improve Dependent upon effective migrations expansion of agriculture and fish passage. fish passage through works being implemented driving pressure to create lowering of smaller bund and connections restored dams and weirs. walls or installing fish and maintained. ladders. New dams proposed may reduce fish passage. Introduced species Established throughout the Introduced grasses generate Eradication to date has Likely to lead to increases basin (mostly in modified hotter fires that can affect native been ineffective and many in erosion and therefore landscapes). species, destroy forest canopies grasses are still used for more suspended sediments and expose soil which can be pasture grass. Strategic in the GBRWHA. eroded, especially when fires basin scale management occur late in the dry season. actions are needed to manage and control. Mine release/tailwater Releases regulated by the Heavy metals entering the river Dependent on content of Likely to increase as a Queensland Government. systems which flow into the World mine release. result of expansion in the Heritage Area as part of mining industry. authorised releases. Changed overland Most Changes to connectivity and Development continues to Likely decline in water hydrology development/modification has water retention which has occur on the floodplain and quality and aquatic occurred on the floodplain and impacted on all ecological coastal zone. biodiversity in the coastal zone. processes. GBRWHA. Ponded pasture/wetland It became illegal to establish Loss of connectivity and declines Plans to modify ponded Improved productivity, production new ponded pastures in the in fish productivity, blackwater, pastures to improve ecosystem health and coastal zone in 2001 (policy and the potential release of acid ecosystem health. resilience if significant for development and use of sulphate soils. restoration works ponded pasture). undertaken.
improvement in stream stability. Declining water quality Improvements in recent years although still a major threat to the World Heritage Area. Decline in inshore ecosystem health and resilience. Likely to improve as a result of management actions targeted at improving water quality. Improvements expected but will take time to take effect. Barriers to fish migrations Water security and proposed expansion of agriculture driving pressure to create dams and weirs. Reduction/loss of connectivity and fish passage. Projects planned to improve fish passage through lowering of smaller bund walls or installing fish ladders. New dams proposed may reduce fish passage. Dependent upon effective works being implemented and connections restored and maintained. Introduced species Established throughout the basin (mostly in modified landscapes). Introduced grasses generate hotter fires that can affect native species, destroy forest canopies and expose soil which can be eroded, especially when fires occur late in the dry season. Eradication to date has been ineffective and many grasses are still used for pasture grass. Strategic basin scale management actions are needed to manage and control. Likely to lead to increases in erosion and therefore more suspended sediments in the GBRWHA. Mine release/tailwater Releases regulated by the Queensland Government. Heavy metals entering the river systems which flow into the World Heritage Area as part of authorised releases. Dependent on content of mine release. Likely to increase as a result of expansion in the mining industry. Changed overland hydrology Most development/modification has occurred on the floodplain and coastal zone. Changes to connectivity and water retention which has impacted on all ecological processes. Development continues to occur on the floodplain and coastal zone. Likely decline in water quality and aquatic biodiversity in the GBRWHA. Ponded pasture/wetland production It became illegal to establish new ponded pastures in the coastal zone in 2001 (policy for development and use of ponded pasture). Loss of connectivity and declines in fish productivity, blackwater, and the potential release of acid sulphate soils. Plans to modify ponded pastures to improve ecosystem health. Improved productivity, ecosystem health and resilience if significant restoration works undertaken.
Fitzroy-basin-assessment-2013.docx