Pressure has both Moderate Low where Good if Moderate actions Medium for contaminant loads — — — — — contaminant load catchments with estuary has good pressure only underway where basins with a and changes in flow, and altered run-off mixed land use, condition/function short-term stress, exposure and variegated land is still limited hydrology and regulating and/or flushing/ system has good sensitivity to run-off use pattern, components. ecosystem mixing and/or condition/ function, pressure is medium which retain and A degree of services, and/or contaminant loads/ estuary type and catchment land support uncertainty low intensity land hydrological resilient, changes use, condition, catchment surrounds use with some change are within within thresholds functional process ecosystems effectiveness of land ecosystem health integrity and natural services that strategies to degradation thresholds adaptive regulate minimise run-off management contaminant from agricultural capacity good loads and lands. transport Low Good where Low for — — — catchments with exposure and undeveloped low intensity land sensitivity to basins with low use, little or no pressure is low and intensity land use land degradation estuary has good and little or no condition and land degradation function
Pressure has both contaminant load and altered run-off hydrology components. contaminant loads and changes in flow, is still limited A degree of uncertainty surrounds effectiveness of strategies to minimise run-off from agricultural lands. Moderate — catchments with mixed land use, and regulating ecosystem services, and/or low intensity land use with some land degradation Low — where estuary has good condition/function and/or flushing/ mixing and/or contaminant loads/ hydrological change are within ecosystem health thresholds Good — if pressure only short-term stress, system has good condition/ function, estuary type resilient, changes within thresholds Moderate — actions underway where exposure and sensitivity to run-off pressure is medium and catchment land use, condition, functional process integrity and natural adaptive management capacity good Medium — for basins with a variegated land use pattern, which retain and support catchment ecosystems services that regulate contaminant loads and transport Low — catchments with low intensity land use, little or no land degradation Good — where exposure and sensitivity to pressure is low and estuary has good condition and function Low — for undeveloped basins with low intensity land use and little or no land degradation
Vulnerability-Assessment-Estuaries-2016.docx