Coast & Estuaries
Page 199
(
Tursiops aduncus
) and important bird habitat. This important habitat is showing
signs of serious environmental stress and ecosystem decline as a result of
industrial activities along the River's edge, the wharf and shipping activities,
development in coastal sites, and stormwater from large catchments of the
North Western section of Adelaide (refer to the Inland Waters section for details
of catchments that discharge to the Port River). Another potential source of
pollution are the landfills in the area, on Garden Island and Wingfield (both
closed). Figure 53 (page 215) shows the locations of major activities and
discharges, development, loss of habitat and water pollution due to industrial
development and stormwater from large catchments of the north western
section of Adelaide.
In 2004, the first attempt at a holistic study in the Port Waterways commenced.
The EPA Port Waterways Water Quality Improvement Plan 2008 (WQIP) is a
comprehensive research document that identifies environmental values, water
quality issues, river flow objectives, desired pollutant loads, sources,
requirements, and includes a time frame to attain and maintain the water quality
objectives. Essentially WQIPs are documents that detail strategies for water
quality improvement, addressing a range of pollution inputs to an area and
enabling stakeholders to agree on outcomes and the processes for achieving
them. The WQIP research is limited in scope to the nutrients nitrogen and
phosphorus.
As reported in the Port Waterways Water Quality Improvement Plan (EPA,
2008), several studies indicate that Barker Inlet-Port Adelaide River system
demonstrates clear signs of serious environmental stress and ecosystem
decline. The principal water quality issues are:
•
Nutrient enrichment (nitrogen and phosphorus) and the proliferation of
algal growth.
•
Toxic algal blooms, the largest on record stretching some 30km north from
the inlet.
•
Microbiological contamination.
•
Toxicant contamination (such as heavy metals) in some areas of the
waters and sediments.
•
Thermal effluent discharges from power generation plants, which have
direct effects on biota and also interact with other pollutants.
•
Occasional very high suspended solids loads as a result of storm events,
industrial plant failure, dredging activities, ship movements etc, which have
direct impacts on biota as well as interacting with other pollutants
Current water quality status
The EPA undertakes an ambient water quality monitoring program in coastal
areas. There are nine monitoring sites including Inner Harbor, North Arm,
Barker Inlet and Outer Harbor. Ambient water quality and sediment analysis
was undertaken. The water quality indicators used to describe the water quality
condition are nutrients, heavy metals, bacteria and turbidity.
