Alligator Rivers region regional surface water quality monitoring : November 1978 - April 1981
Alligator Rivers Region - Regional Surface Water Quality Monitoring, Volumes 1,2,3 (Plus draft)
Northern Territory. Department of Transport and Works. Water Division, Environmental Section
E-Publications; E-Books; PublicationNT; Report ; 49/1983
1983-04-01
At head of title: Water Division, Dept. of Transport & Works, Northern Territory. "April 1983".
English
Water quality -- Northern Territory -- Alligator Rivers Region; Hydrology -- Northern Territory -- Alligator Rivers Region
Northern Territory Government
Darwin
Report ; 49/1983
3 volumes. ; 30 cm
application/pdf
Attribution International 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)
Northern Territory Government
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https://hdl.handle.net/10070/672725 [Alligator Rivers region regional surface water quality monitoring : November 1978 - April 1981 - WRD83049_v_1.pdf]; https://hdl.handle.net/10070/672727 [Alligator Rivers region regional surface water quality monitoring : November 1978 - April 1981 - WRD83049_v_2.pdf]; https://hdl.handle.net/10070/672729 [Alligator Rivers region regional surface water quality monitoring : November 1978 - April 1981 - WRD83049_v_3.pdf]
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/229664
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/672725
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/672729; https://hdl.handle.net/10070/672727
Technical Report WRD83049 Viewed at 14:07:10 on 29/07/2010 Page 43 of 440. 42. and fluctuation in pH. The pH fluctuations cause some fluctuation in heavy metal concentration, particularly zinc, however the pH fluctuations cannot be easily explained. They may be due to high sulphide sediments (anaerobic conditions), as evidenced by odours from these sediments. 7.4.3 Activities on the ?anger site may be affecting the water qualities of some adjacent waterbodies, in particular Georgetown and Gulungul Billabongs. The fact that these have shown extremely high turbidity and anaerobic conditions which may cause some of the affects, and the close proximity of the ore body all make the situation more complex. The Billabong most similar to Georgetown is Goanna Billabong which shows similar eccentricities in water quality, but this body may be affected to a similar extent by the Jabiru townsite. 7.4.4 The baseline water quality has been fairly well established at most sites and is either fairly constant or goes through a well defined seasonal cycle, caused mainly by evaporation induced concentration processes. 7.4.5 As backflow billabongs show degradation during the dry season, they must be considered carefully when investigating the effects of contaminant releases. If wet season contaminant releases are trapped in backflow billabongs, dry season degradation will be magnified. Backflow will normally only occur on the rising stage of a hydrograph, thus investigation and predictive modelling are required to describe the phenomenon. 7.4.6 The majority of the information deduced by Walker and I I I I I I I I I I Tyler(l) has been shown to be correct. The billabong classification I scheme has also been accurate. Information however, may be helpful in supporting and refining this classification. 7.4.7 Figures 7.1-7.5 plot and compare selected parameters from It upstream and downstrea~ of the four mining sites. a) b) c) Ranger:- For plots shown, para~eters are of similar magnitude, with the upstream magnitudes being often slightly larger than the downstrea~ values. One exception is a single phosphorous measurement, however, this may have been derived from many sources. Thus it may be concluded that the mine site has had no direct detectable chemical effect on the Hagela Creek water quality. Nabarlek:- A similar effect to Ranger is noted here also. One exception ap?ears to be uranium CO!'.cen tration during the initial clearing and construction stages, where direct runoff gave rise to some uranium downstream of the site. Jabiluka:- Here again upstream and downstrea!n trends are very similar. A great similarity is noted between Ja Ja and Jabiluka Billabongs with no significant I I I I I I I I