Subcatchments of the Logan – Albert Catchments

  • Logan River
  • Albert River
  • Teviot Brook

The catchment of the Logan and Albert Rivers is characterised by meandering courses. The Logan River is 185km long and flows across an extensive flood-plain delta for much of its length. The headwaters are located in Mt Barney National Park and are in relatively pristine condition. The upper reaches of the river are largely cleared for grazing, dairying and some irrigated agriculture. The remainder of the Logan River flows through a combination of urban and rural residential areas and is comprised of bar-built estuaries dominated by tidal exchange. The headwaters of the Albert River and Canungra Creek rise in Lamington National Park and flow through grazing, farming and rural residential areas, eventually entering the Logan River 11.2km upstream from the mouth. Teviot Brook is approximately 103km long; it has headwaters at Wilsons Peak and after passing through national parkland, it enters agricultural farmlands. It then passes through the township of Boonah and enters grazing land before joining the Logan River at Cedar Pocket. The Logan River enters Moreton Bay at a point just south of Lagoon Island. Land use in the Logan and Albert Rivers catchment is dominated by grazing and natural bush.
The combined Logan, Albert and Teviot catchments cover 3740km2. The Logan River catchment is the largest and covers 2986km2, while the Albert River sub-catchment covers 754km2. The Beaudesert Shire Council is the main local authority governing the catchment. The Redland catchment covers 236km2 and is located on the coastal area east of the Brisbane River catchment and north of the Logan-Albert Catchment. It consists of a number of smaller creeks that flow directly into Moreton Bay. The sub-catchments of the Redlands include Tingalpa and Coolnwynpin Creeks, Tarradarrapin Creek, Hilliards Creek, Cleveland, Eprapah Creek, and Moogurrapum and Weinam Creeks. The area also includes Waterloo Bay, Raby Bay and Toondah Harbour. Many of the small tidal creeks of the Redland catchment are within a Habitat Zone of Moreton Bay Marine Park and form part of the Moreton Bay Ramsar site. Land uses in the catchment include poultry farming, plant nurseries, flower farms, market gardens, urban areas and bushland.

The current population of Logan City is just under 170 000 and that of Beaudesert Shire is 54 000; it is predicted that the catchment�s population will continue to increase by approximately 3% per year. Urbanised areas produce a concentration of wastes including wastewater and garbage. An increasing population will result in an extra load on the local waste processing facilities.

Both recreational and commercial fishing occur in the Logan River. Currently 12 950 vessels are registered for Gold Coast City and Logan City (2.5% of residents, compared with 1.6% of residents in Brisbane) and boat numbers are expected to double by 2006. Activities include cast netting for prawns, which may affect the reproductive capacity of the population. At a commercial scale, 20�30 tonnes of greasyback, school and banana prawns are harvested from the Logan and Albert River estuaries annually. The Logan and Albert Rivers catchment has the highest intensity of prawn farms (125ha, 7 farms) within a single catchment in Australia. The existing prawn farmers are keen to expand operations and new investors are seeking to establish farms in the area.

There is a concentration of industrial activity in the upper reaches of the Logan River. The Bromelton industrial area includes environmentally relevant activities such as rendering operations, soil conditioner manufacturing (e.g. worm farming), tannery activities or works for curing skins, and meat processing activities. Extractive industries near the Logan River include four sand, one sand and gravel and one hard rock. Three hard rock extractive industries operate near the Albert River. Sand and gravel is also extracted from Woollaman Creek, a tributary of Teviot Brook.