The development of water qualtiy methods within ecological Reserve assessments, and links to environmental flows

Palmer, CG; Rossouw, N; Scherman, PA; Muller, WJ

The development of water qualtiy methods within ecological Reserve assessments, and links to environmental flows

Palmer, CG Rossouw, N Scherman, PA Muller, WJ

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Publisher:: Water Research Commission
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Water SA, 2005, 31 pp. 161 - 170
Issue Date:: 2005-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Palmer, CG	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Rossouw, N	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Scherman, PA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Muller, WJ	en_US
dc.date.issued	2005-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Water SA, 2005, 31 pp. 161 - 170	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1816-7950	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/5846
dc.description.abstract	n the South African National Water Act (NWA, No 36 of 1998), the ecological Reserve is defined as the quality and quantity of water required to ensure appropriate protection of water resources, so as to secure ecologically sustainable development and use. Aquatic ecosystems are recognised as the core location of water resources, and although considerable progress has been made in developing methods for quantifying environmental flow requirements, this paper describes and discusses the first agreed method for quantifying environmental water quality requirements in an ecological Reserve assessment. Integration of flow and water quality is emphasised, and is based on the philosophy that environmental flows should be motivated to provide ecologically important flow-related habitat, or geomorphological function, but should not be motivated to solve water quality problems by dilution. Water quality is multivariate, and not all variables can be considered in an ecological Reserve assessment, but core water quality variables include: system variables (salts, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, temperature), nutrients (phosphate, nitrite, nitrate) and toxic substances (those listed in the South African Water Quality Guidelines for Aquatic Ecosystems, including toxic metal ions, toxic organic substances, and/or substances from a chemical inventory of an effluent or discharge). In addition, biological indicator data (e.g. SASS data), chlorophyll-a (e.g. phytoplankton and periphyton data) and toxicity test data may be used. For each variable, a concentration range or response is linked to a class within a water resource classification system, where classes range from minimally to severely modified. There are five main stages in the environmental water quality method: Initiate study and determine scope of assessment. Delineate water quality sub-units. Select sites and collect data and information.	en_US
dc.publisher	Water Research Commission	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Water SA	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Environmental Engineering	en_US
dc.title	The development of water qualtiy methods within ecological Reserve assessments, and links to environmental flows	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	31	en_US
utslib.for	0502 Environmental Science and Management	en_US
utslib.for	04 Earth Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	05 Environmental Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	09 Engineering	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.consider-herdc	false	en_US
pubs.volume	31	en_US

Abstract:

n the South African National Water Act (NWA, No 36 of 1998), the ecological Reserve is defined as the quality and quantity of water required to ensure appropriate protection of water resources, so as to secure ecologically sustainable development and use. Aquatic ecosystems are recognised as the core location of water resources, and although considerable progress has been made in developing methods for quantifying environmental flow requirements, this paper describes and discusses the first agreed method for quantifying environmental water quality requirements in an ecological Reserve assessment. Integration of flow and water quality is emphasised, and is based on the philosophy that environmental flows should be motivated to provide ecologically important flow-related habitat, or geomorphological function, but should not be motivated to solve water quality problems by dilution. Water quality is multivariate, and not all variables can be considered in an ecological Reserve assessment, but core water quality variables include: system variables (salts, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, temperature), nutrients (phosphate, nitrite, nitrate) and toxic substances (those listed in the South African Water Quality Guidelines for Aquatic Ecosystems, including toxic metal ions, toxic organic substances, and/or substances from a chemical inventory of an effluent or discharge). In addition, biological indicator data (e.g. SASS data), chlorophyll-a (e.g. phytoplankton and periphyton data) and toxicity test data may be used. For each variable, a concentration range or response is linked to a class within a water resource classification system, where classes range from minimally to severely modified. There are five main stages in the environmental water quality method: Initiate study and determine scope of assessment. Delineate water quality sub-units. Select sites and collect data and information.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/5846