July 2026: Chemical, Water Quality and Macroinvertebrate Analysis

Alison Loxton

6 days ago

2 min read

Hi everyone

I trust you are all as safe and well as can be managed.

Attached are the Water Quality Monitoring results for July 2026.

It was great to finally receive the chemical reagents so that the chemical analyses could be completed. Many thanks to our State MP Mark Boothman for providing an annual allocation of funds so as to ensure the continuity of the program. For every sample we complete three tests with an average cost of $ 6 per per sample.

The results themselves show higher levels of Reactive Phosphates and Ammonia Nitrogen than normal, however with the exception of Waterhen Lake the results are within the normal experience and expectation.

Many thanks to Brian and Helen for assisting in the sampling process.

What is of greater concern is the lack of rainfall.

Looking around it is easy to see the green grass however the streams and rivers are suffering from a distinct lack of rain, water which flushes out the waterways and replenishes the water table.

In the Coomera River, the salinity is currently around 38 ppt at Paradise Point and around 20ppt at the Causeway, which is as high a salinity reading as is normally experienced.

On another note, it is great to see birdlife out and about, undertaking their breeding cycle. It is interesting to note the number of crows building nests ahead of the annual influx of channel billed cuckoos which parasitize their nests – the cuckoos generally arrive in the last week of September.

There also seems, locally at least, the growing number of currawongs – perhaps it is at the expense of the magpie which is gradually lessening in numbers. Currawongs of course are a great forager and well known for taking the young of other birds such as the noisy miner.

There is a world of wonder out there to explore.

Just get out and enjoy it.

Kind regards

Steven