The area of the Daintree estuary reporting zone can be defined by the pre-cleared extent of mangrove and saltmarsh remnant vegetation which is characterised by species that require periodic inundation of sea water. This area extends approximately 5.5 km northeast and 6.4 km south-west of the river mouth along the coastline and extends approximately 12 km inland.

    The area includes several coastal tributaries that drain into the Daintree River. The assessment area of riparian extent extends further up the river than the mangrove and salt marsh communities to the upper tidal limit and includes vegetation types that are more typical of freshwater environments.

    Land use within and adjacent to the Daintree estuary area is dominated by cropping with some grazing and residential development. The Daintree village is approximately 16 km north-west of the river mouth. The lower Daintree River is listed in the Directory of (Nationally) Important Wetlands.

    The Daintree estuary grade has remained ‘good’ in 2021-22 with the score decreasing from 73 to 69 since the previous year.

    The diagram below shows the detailed results for each indicator by year. Click on the timeslider to see data from previous years.

    WATER QUALITY

    Water quality in the Daintree estuary declined from ‘very good’ to ‘good’ and the score decreased from 88 in 2020-21 to 79.

    Turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO) and filterable reactive phosphorus (FRP) all remained ‘very good’, meaning monthly median values for these indicators were nearly always meeting guideline values.

    Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) declined from ‘very good’ to ‘good’ meaning monthly median values often met guideline values.

    Chlorophyll a declined from ‘very good’ to ‘moderate’ meaning monthly median values sometimes met guideline values.

    Pesticides were graded ‘very good’ and scored 93, equating to over 99 percent of species protected for the risk assessment metric.

    Water quality grades are based on aquatic ecosystem guidelines for protection of estuarine waters and are not based on load reduction targets for the marine environment. The results for all indicators excluding pesticides were derived from a transect of three monitoring sites in the channel of the Daintree River. The pesticide monitoring was conducted at the Lower Daintree Great Barrier Reef Catchment Loads Monitoring Program site.

    HABITAT AND HYDROLOGY

    The habitat and hydrology index is comprised of three longer-term indicator categories that are updated every four years: mangrove and saltmarsh (extent and shoreline habitat updated in 2021-22), riparian extent (updated in 2021-22) and fish barriers (updated in 2021-22). The habitat and hydrology score remained 59 since the previous year (graded ‘moderate’).

    Mangrove and saltmarsh scored 87 (‘very good’). Shoreline mangrove habitat scored 81 whilst mangrove and saltmarsh extent scored 93 with 1.6% loss from pre-clear to 2019. There was no change in extent between the previous assessment for 2017 and the updated assessment for 2019. These results reflect a low level of development within the estuary area.

    Riparian extent is assessed to the upper tidal limit of the river which extends upstream of the estuary area that is characterised by mangroves and saltmarsh. Riparian assessment therefore includes areas that have been cleared for agriculture and other developments. Riparian extent scored 28 (‘poor’) with 43% loss from pre-clear to 2019. There was no change between the previous assessment for 2017 and the updated assessment for 2019.

    For estuary fish barriers the Daintree estuary score remained 61 (‘good’) with ‘moderate’ barrier density, ‘moderate’ percentage of stream length to the first barrier and an absence of low passability barriers (graded ‘very good’).

    The flow indicator could not be assessed for the Daintree estuary due to the lack of pre-development modelled flow, which is required for the analysis.

     

    FISH

    The fish index is currently under development and will be available in future report cards. See the detailed reports for further information on the methods used to produce the scores and grades and detailed results. 

    Â