Catchment Facts
- Total area: 630km2
- Stream network length: 438km
- Local Councils: Sunshine Coast Regional Council
- Dominant land uses: Predominantly agriculture and urban land uses with some native bush
- Most of the catchment has been cleared for agricultural and urban uses
- Cooloolabin and Wappa dams impound streams above the South Maroochy River
Freshwater results
C Maroochy Catchment
- Streams in fair condition.
- Minor improvements in the Physical/Chemical, Ecosystem Processes, Aquatic Macroinvertebrates and Fish indicators.
- Declines in Nutrient Cycling with autumn 2009 scores substantially lower than last year.
Estuarine results
C Maroochy Estuary
- Decrease in dissolved oxygen and increases in turbidity, nutrient levels and phytoplankton abundance, particularly in the mid reaches of the estuary.
- Small increase in biological health rating with lower sewage nitrogen signal detected and conservative nutrient mixing plots.
- Salinity throughout estuary lowest since 2001, indicative of high freshwater inputs.