Freshwater Basins Across the Region
The environmental health of the Wet Tropics freshwater basins is assessed on water quality, habitat and hydrology, and fish. For 2017-18 scores and grades are provided where data is available, with further development required for the fish index.
The nine basins included in the Wet Tropics Report Card region are Daintree, Mossman, Barron, Mulgrave, Russell, Johnstone, Tully, Murray and Herbert. Overall grades are provided for all basins, most are graded B (good) except for the Daintree which was graded A (very good) and the Murray which was graded C (moderate).
The 2017-18 monitoring period ended three consecutive reporting years (2014-17) of below average rainfall and low discharge in the region. The Herbert, Murray and Barron basins experienced above average rainfall in 2017-18, with other basis in the Wet Tropics experiencing average annual rainfall. However, much of the rainfall and subsequent river flow occurred as a result of extreme rain events during March 2018, with below average rainfall experienced in all basins during the other months
These rainfall events resulted in short term impacts on water quality scores during March, which were largely masked by better water quality in the remaining months.
Freshwater
indicators and confidence
Grading
very good
good
moderate
poor
very poor
insufficient data
Environmental results
click on the grades for more information about each zone