Ambient estuarine water quality monitoring data - 1993 to 2013

Monthly chemical, physical and biological water column profile data at 88 sites in tidal rivers, streams and inshore waters of Central Queensland from samples and in situ measurements.

Monitoring department: DSITIA and predecessor organisations
Monitoring program name: Central Queensland Ambient
Monitoring program design: National Water Quality Management Strategy (NWQMS), Australian Guidelines for Water Quality Monitoring and Reporting (ANZECC & ARMCANZ 2000)
Monitoring protocols: Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (2009) Monitoring and Sampling Manual 2009
Monitoring methods: American Public Health Association (APHA) and American Water Works Association (AWWA) (1998) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater
Monitoring frequency: Monthly
Monitoring platform: Drifting boat
Monitored water body: Tidal Estuary
Monitored location: Mid stream or mid channel at routine sites and regular depths
Monitored tidal condition: Mid to falling tide
Data format: Comma separated text
Data missing or not monitored: Blank cell
Data resolution: Monitoring site, Monitoring date, Monitoring water depth
Data quality: Data results are best available and comply with all documented methods
Data format for each parameter: Data qualifier text field and may contain a "less than" symbol, "greater than" symbol or blank cell. Data numerical value
Monitoring site ID: A 13 character ID code unique for each DSITIA monitoring site
Monitoring site description: Description detail that may include distance to a river mouth
Monitoring site latitude: Latitude as decimal degrees in GDA94 datum
Monitoring site longitude: Longitude as decimal degrees in GDA94 datum
Monitoring date: Date of the monitoring survey in DD/MM/YYYY format
Monitoring time: Time of the monitoring survey at a site as HHMMSS in 24h format
Monitoring water depth: Depth below the water surface with 0.2m the near surface depth
Secchi depth (m): Surface measurement
Chlorophyll-a (ug/L): Surface algal biomass samples collected at 0.2m depth
Physiochemical parameters: in situ physiochemical profile measurements start at a depth of 0.2m near the water surface and the water column profile is monitored at regular 2m intervals plus the last available depth greater than 0.5m above the bottom

• Dissolved Oxygen concentration (mg/L)
• Dissolved Oxygen % saturation (%)
• pH
• Salinity (PSU)
• Specific Conductance at 25 deg C (mS/cm)
• Temperature (°C)
• Turbidity (NTU)

Surface nutrient parameters: samples collected at 0.2m depth

• Ammonia as N (mg/L)
• Organic Nitrogen as N (mg/L)
• Nitrogen Oxides as N (mg/L)
• Total Nitrogen as N (mg/L)
• Filterable Reactive Phosphorus as P (mg/L)
• Total Phosphorus as P (mg/L)