Water quality sampling for the Great Barrier Reef Catchment Loads Monitoring Program

The Great Barrier Reef Catchment Loads Monitoring Program is a large-scale water quality monitoring program conducted along the east coast of Queensland.

This program measures annual loads (mass) of total suspended solids and nutrients from 11 priority catchments and annual loads of pesticides from eight priority catchments that discharge to the Great Barrier Reef.

The Catchment Loads Monitoring Program is part of the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan and the Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting Program. It provides loads data for the validation and improvement of catchment models.

These models are used to report on progress towards meeting water quality targets in the annual Reef Plan Report Card.

Catchment Solutions staff undertake manual water quality sample collection on behalf of the program at two sub-catchment sites near Emerald (Theresa Creek and Comet River).

They also support Reef Catchments staff undertake automated sampling and equipment maintenance at three sites in the Mackay Whitsunday region (O’Connell River, Pioneer River and Sandy Creek).

Client – RCL and Queensland Government