TRAINING

1
TRAINING ACCREDITATION
Field Data
Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater
Ecology and the Natural Heritage Trust
2
Site Information
Record Latitude Longitude
Take photo sketch access route

• River flow direction

• Mark site location

• Roads crossings

• Location of turn-offs, distances, landmarks,
  etc.

• Northing

3
Site Information
Sketch the reach include

• Flow direction

• Location of riffle, edge, run, pool macrophytes

• Mark where the samples were taken

• Access point

• Northing

Photograph the site upstream downstream
Narira Creek, NSW South Coast
4
General Information

• Date Time
• River
• Location code Drainage
• division/Basin/2/Site No.
• Location
• Project
• Test/Reference Site
• Recorders name
• Photos
• Weather
• Air Temp
• Cloud cover
• Rain in last week?

Murrumbidgee River, NSW
Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology
5
Field data sheets
Page 2
RIVER..........................................
.. DATE...............................LOCATION
CODE........................... OBSERVATIONS
(Circle and indicate appropriate number in
box) WATER ODOURS 1. normal 2. sewage 3.
petroleum 4. chemical WATER OILS 1.
slick 2. sheen 3. globs 4. flecks TURBIDITY
1. clear 2. slight 3. turbid 4.
opaque Date, river site number should be
recorded on each page
6
Measurements Water samples water measurements
Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology
7
Measurements
Alkalinity - Field
8
Stream Measurements
Left?
Right?
Flow
Perisher Ck, Kosciuszko National Park
9
Stream Measurements cont.
length of a reach
E.g., Mode bank-full width 10m, therefore the
length of the reach is 100m (ie. 5 times the mode
bank-full width on either side of the riffle
sampling area, or 10 times the mode bank-full
width)
10
Stream Measurements cont.
11
Stream Measurements cont.
Riffle, Pool Run
12
Stream Measurements cont.
Edge Macrophytes
13
Depth Velocity
Stream velocity may be measured in a variety of
ways e.g., flow meter or by timing a floating
object over a specified distance
14
Riparian Vegetation
lt5 Shading
gt76 Shading
The riparian zone is the area from the waters
edge to a distance from the bank where the stream
still interacts with influences the type
density of bank-side vegetation
Queanbeyan River, NSW
Middle Ck, Kosciuszko National Park
15
Field data sheets
Vegetation type Cover of riparian
zone13 trees (gt10m) ........................
............... trees (lt10m) ............35.....
................... shrubs ................60...
...................... grasses / ferns /
sedges ............50............................
.
0
Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology
Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater
Ecology and the Natural Heritage Trust
Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater
Ecology and the Natural Heritage Trust
16
Observations
Plume
Copper Ck near Captains Flat, NSW
17
Observations cont.
Flow level
Reedy Ck, NSW
Low flow
Paddys River, ACT
Flood
18
Observations cont.
Local catchment erosion
Some erosion
Gundaroo Ck
Heavy erosion
19
Observations cont.
Bega Valley
Non-point source pollution e.g., widespread
livestock grazing
Point source pollution Captains Flat, NSW
20
Observations cont.
Captains Flat Reservoir, Molonglo R., NSW
Vanitys Crossing, Cotter River, ACT
Dams Barriers
21
Observations cont.
Forestry (ACT)
Goulburn, NSW
Urban
Agriculture
22
Observations cont.
Bars of bed surface protruding from normal
water level forming a bar within the reach.
Does not include stream bars that would be
submerged during normal flows
Micalong Ck, NSW
23
In-stream Characteristics Substratum Description

• substrate categories within the reach or
  habitat
• bedrock
• boulder gt256mm
• cobble 64-256mm
• pebble 16-64mm
• gravel 2-16mm
• sand 0.06-2mm
• silt 0.004-0.06mm
• clay lt0.004mm

24
Boulders
Perisher Ck, Kosciuszko National Park
Bogong Ck, Kosciuszko National Park
25
Cobbles
26
Pebbles
27
Sand Gravel
Sand gravel
Gravel
Sugar (sand sized)
28
Pebble, gravel sand
Cobble Pebble
29
Cobble Pebble
30
in reach habitats
Micalong Ck, NSW
31
Substratum cont.
gt90 periphyton cover
Filamentous algae
32
Macrophytes
Emergent
Submerged
33
Habitat Assessment
The habitat assessment quantifies various aspects
of the site assesses the quality of the habitat
available for macroinvertebrates
Observations are taken from the reach Each
habitat variable is recorded as a value within
categories that range from poor to excellent
34
Habitat Assessment cont.
Bank stability
Gundaroo Ck
Unstable
Moderately unstable
35
Habitat Assessment cont.
Excellent streamside vegetation cover
Gudgenby River, NSW
36
Habitat Assessment cont.
Poor streamside vegetation cover
Goodradigbee River, Wee Jasper
37
Check your field data sheets
Check that all variables have been recorded
Record all zero measurements as such - do not
leave blank
Missing data may mean the site cannot be assessed
or you may need to return to the site (a costly
mistake)
Blanks may be interpreted as missing data
result in the site not being assessed