Access keys | Skip to primary navigation | Skip to secondary navigation | Skip to content | Skip to footer |
Problems viewing this site
Environmental management > Water > Water quality monitoring > Projects > Water quality monitoring programs

Logan-Nerang Water Quality Monitoring Program

In 1992 the Councils of Logan, Redland, Beaudesert and Gold Coast, in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), commissioned a Regional Wastewater Management Study. This study addressed the Albert, Logan, Coomera and Pimpama River catchments and was completed in 1994.

In 1996, annual monitoring of the area was started. The waterways included in the program encompass freshwater, estuarine and marine sites that have varying degrees of urban, agricultural and industrial development within their catchments. Various indicators have been monitored, detailed below, covering physical, chemical and biological attributes of the water and sediment. Full versions of the water quality reports published since 1996 are available.

Which creeks are monitored?
What indicators are monitored?
Recent results

Which creeks are monitored?

View map of the sites monitored in this program.

Several waterways in the Redland Shire are included in the regular monitoring program:

Logan RiverLogan River has its headwaters in the Mt Barney National Park and flows for approximately 185km across an extensive flood plain delta before entering southern Moreton Bay near Lagoon Island. For much of its length, the river is relatively narrow with steep walls subject to erosion and much of its bed is covered with gravel which is sought for extraction.

Land use in the upper reaches is mainly rural: primarily dairy farming and grazing activities. These activities are present around the middle reaches of the Logan River along with crops, nurseries and rural residential uses.

Along the lower reaches there is a mixture of residential, rural residential and commercial farming which comprises mainly sugarcane, dairying and grazing activities. At around 150 km upstream from the mouth, the river receives fresh water mainly from the Maroon Dam. This area also provides fresh water for the township of Rathdowney.

Albert River is a tributary of Logan River entering at approximately 11.2km upstream from the mouth of the Logan, and has its headwaters in the Lamington National Park. For most of its length in the study area, it is surrounded by rural residential land use. At around 67km from its confluence with the Logan River, the Albert provides fresh water for the town of Beaudesert.

Coomera RiverCoomera River flows for 90km from its headwaters in Lamington National Park to the Northern Broadwater near Coomera Island. The upper reaches pass through mainly rural areas comprising crops and cattle grazing. From 22km to 56km upstream from the mouth, the Coomera River passes through the Land Warfare Centre at Canungra. In the middle to lower reaches, landuses include dairying, crops and nurseries. 20km upstream from the mouth, the river has been widened as a consequence of sand and gravel extraction operations in the 1970s and 1980s. The lower reaches of Coomera River pass through highly developed areas including canal estates such as Santa Barbara, Hope Island Resort, Sanctuary Cove Resort and Coomera Mooring Marina.

Canungra Creek is located in the upper Albert River catchment and has its headwaters in Lamington National Park. The creek flows mainly through rural areas including farming and cattle grazing before entering the Albert River at approximately 47km upstream. There are two monitoring sites in Canungra Creek, one upstream and one downstream of the Canungra wastewater treatment plant (approximately 23km from the river mouth).

Pimpama River flows through a catchment with mainly rural landuse before entering the Northern Broadwater near Woogoompah Island. Hotham Creek enters the Pimpama River at around 7.3km upstream, and the Eggersdorf Drain enters the river at around 11km. Landuses are mostly rural including sugarcane, dairying, cattle and crop farming. Drains from sugar cane areas and from the Gainsborough Greens Golf Course enter the Pimpama River at about 4.5km upstream. The Kerkin Weir forms the tidal limit of Pimpama River at approximately 3.5km from the river mouth. Acid sulfate soils are known to occur fairly extensively in the Pimpama River catchment, particularly in the areas used for cane farming. 

Behm Creek has a short estuary with its mouth in the Northern Broadwater. The catchment of the creek is mainly used for cane farming. Since the 1950s riparian areas including salt marshes and mangroves have reduced in area with encroachment of cane lands and some residential development. A one-way tidal gate within one kilometre of the creek mouth restricts the flow of salt water into Behm Creek and associated cane fields.

Jumpinpin BarNorthern Broadwater and Southern Moreton Bay are connected to the open ocean through South Passage bar (between Moreton and North Stradbroke Islands), Jumpinpin Bar (between North and South Stradbroke Islands), and through the Gold Coast Seaway south of South Stradbroke Island. Parts of Moreton Bay and the Northern Broadwater are declared marine parks and there are designated fish habitats and refuges within the area.

What indicators are measured?

At all sites we monitor: 

At some sites only, we monitor:

Some recent results: Water Quality during 1999

View maps to showing the results of water quality monitoring during 1999.


Last updated: 28 November 2003