The Tingalpa estuary continued to receive a “C” grading for the 2009 Report Card.  EHI water quality indicators for this system were similar to previous years with the largest change being increased turbidity.  The system had only 19% compliance with QWQ objectives for turbidity in 2008/2009 compared with 42% in 2007/2008.  Turbidity is highest about 6-9km upstream in the middle-upper reaches of the estuary, approximately at the end of the influence of the tidal cycle and likely results from resuspension of sediments due to hydrological forces, although catchment sourced sediments may have contributed during this reporting period because of heavy rainfall events.  As previously, the estuary rarely met QWQ guidelines for nutrient concentrations with 17% compliance for median TN and only 1% compliance for median TP (compared to 19% and 0% for 2008/2009, respectively).  However, although still high, median TP concentrations in 2008/2009 were some of the lowest recorded in this estuary since the EHMP began (1999).

Overall, 93% of the Tingalpa estuary contains unmodified riparian habitat with nearly 100% of the intertidal zone unmodified. Only the upper reaches of the estuary in the background behind the intertidal zone is the habitat highly modified for residential and commercial developments.  The large component of natural riparian habitat remaining in Tingalpa estuary (the most for any estuary monitored within the EHMP), helps enhance the BHR for the system and support its Report Card grade.

Abbreviations glossary | Indicators and methods

ECOSYSTEM HEALTH INDEX (EHI)

The EHI is a measure of the proportion of a reporting zone that complied with the water quality objectives for key indicators monitored as part of the Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program. The water quality objectives are defined in the South East Queensland Regional Water Quality Management Strategy (2001).

• EHI 1 = 100% of area complies with the environmental objectives.
• EHI 0 = 0% of the area complies with the environmental objectives.

BIOLOGICAL HEALTH RATING (BHR)

The Partnership's Scientific Expert Panel has endorsed a change to the BHR in 2006-07 which increase the BHR from 20% to 30% of the Report Card Grade.

The reason for the change is the implementation of the Riparian Assessment Program (RAP) which will comprise 15% of the total grade (half of the BHR). The other BHR indicators will make up the last 15%

The data from the riparian assessment is available as PDF document.