Emigrant Creek Dam Catchment

The water in Emigrant Creek Dam comes from a catchment that is an agricultural area with rural residential and some tourist development, as well as a major highway. It contains macadamia farms and stonefruit orchards, coffee and banana plantations, dairying and cattle grazing, vegetable growing, fish farming and plant nurseries. Managing water quality risks associated with these activities is a key part of the catchment management program in this catchment.

Location and size - Where is the catchment?

The water catchment for Emigrant Creek Dam is 1,910 hectares (about 3km x 6.5km). It stretches from the dam itself, which is located between Tintenbar and Knockrow, east of the Pacific Highway, and north past the village of Newrybar.

The top of the catchment, in the headwaters of Emigrant Creek at Piccadilly Hill, is 140 metres above sea level. Water flows from there down to 68 metres above sea level at the base of dam wall. The height of the valley at this point is therefore about 70 metres.

The edges of the catchment are not well-defined because the slopes and ridges are relatively gentle.

Emigrant Creek is a tributary of the lower parts of the Richmond River, which has its estuary at Ballina, 13km south-east of the dam. The creek travels 40km between its headwaters and the estuary.

The creek is tidal (i.e. it changes level with the tide) as far as Tintenbar, about 4.5km downstream of the dam wall.

Land use in the catchment

There are 150 separate land titles in the catchment. This means that many people are responsible for its land management. In addition to providing our water supply, the catchment is used for many things, including:

Horticulture (including macadamias, coffee, bananas and stonefruit)
Grazing pasture (for beef and dairy cattle)
Plant nurseries and fish farms
Rural residential development and Newrybar village
Tourism (including the Macadamia Castle and animal park)
Roads (including Friday Hut Road and the Pacific Highway).

Each of these land-use types affects the health of the ecosystems in the catchment and the water quality in the creeks and dam. It is very important to manage the different land uses within the catchment because healthy catchments mean healthy ecosystems and a healthy water supply.

Managing water quality

Rous County Council has completed a Drinking Water Quality Risk Assessment Review for the Emigrant Creek water catchment area, which identified specific water quality hazards/risks. This review compared the Emigrant Creek water supply system to the ADWG Framework for Management of Drinking Water Quality in order to identify gaps in the existing management approach.

Summary of water quality risks and issues in Emigrant Creek Water Catchment area
Source of Risk	Most significant water quality parameter (hazard)
Septic tanks leakage and infiltration and dumping septic wastes in catchment	Microbial pathogens (e.g. viruses, protozoans)
Spraying and use of farm chemicals (spills)	Pesticides, herbicides
Dairy in catchment (especially storm events)	Microbial pathogens, algae nutrients
Existing and future development agricultural activities (macadamia wash off/orchards/cattle/sheep/dead animals) and urban, industrial and tourism	Microbial pathogens (e.g. protozoans), Algae nutrients
Algae, water weeds in Emigrant Creek Dam	Taste and odour, Toxins
Access to Emigrant Creek Dam; cattle crossing, road run off, recreation	Microbial pathogens, viruses
Human access; vandalism, defecation, erosion, fuel leaks, rubbish, etc.	Public outrage, Microbial pathogens

Identified risks are managed through the development of catchment risk management measures and through the application of appropriate water treatment technology.

Rous County Council has developed a water monitoring plan for the Emigrant Creek water catchment area to assess the significance of these identified water quality risks. The monitoring is aimed at measuring the impact from the identified issues to assess the current impact and to guide management, as well as measuring the change in these impacts over time.

Natural ecosystems in the catchment: The Big Scrub

The combination of volcanic geology and subtropical climate mean that the natural ecosystem that existed within the catchment at the time of European settlement was The Big Scrub- a dense cover of lowland subtropical riparian rainforest. As with much of the North Coast, most of the catchment was probably logged for timber between the mid-19th century and the early 20th century, before being almost completely cleared for grazing.

No substantial remnants of rainforest are left within the actual catchment. Just 400 metres downstream from the dam, however, there is an area of remnant rainforest at Killen Falls Reserve. It provides a glimpse of what the whole catchment area was probably like. Common trees included White Booyong (Heritiera trifoliatum), Pepperberry (Cryptocarya obovata), Black Bean (Castanospermum australa), Figs (Ficus spp.), Myrtle Ebony (Diopyros pentamera), Hairy Walnut (Endiandra pubens), Native Tamarind (Diploglottis australis), Red Cedar (Toona ciliata) and the Bangalow palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamii).

Some regrowth has occurred in the catchment since the 1970s. Secondary native rainforest species and the exotic Camphor Laurel are well represented, providing a useful nucleus for further succession and expansion of rainforest corridors throughout the catchment. The existence of the remnant rainforest ecosystem at Killen Falls Reserve is very important because it provides the genetic material to restore cleared land. It means that we are able to collect seed material from this location to ensure that the seedlings that we plant around the dam and elsewhere in the catchment are suited to the local conditions.

Native animals in the catchment

Native animals that still live in the catchment include common and hardy species of frogs: Brown-striped Grass Frog (Limnodynastes peroni), Common Eastern Froglet (Crinia signifera), Eastern Dwarf tree Frog (Litoria fallax), Rocket frog (Litoria nasuta) and Tusked Frog (Adelotus brevis).
Birds inhabiting the catchment are mostly common and adaptable species that usually inhabit disturbed areas in the region, including the Pacific Black Duck (Anas supercilosa). More uncommon species include the White-Breasted Sea Eagle and the threatened species Comb-crested Jacana (Irediparra gallinacea) which inhabits floating vegetation on the dam.
Mammals include the Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), bandicoot (Isodon macrourus), ringtail and brushtail possums (Trichosurus caninusand Pseudocheirus laniginosus), and several species of bat (many of which are threatened).
One threatened species of bat, the Large Footed Myotis or Fishing Bat (Myotis adversus) is particularly interesting. It feeds on small fish by flying about 9cm above the water, sometimes catching its prey with the recurved claws of its large feet or by using its tail membrane as a scoop.

Of over a million known species of animals that live in and around creek systems such as those in the Emigrant Creek catchment, 95% are invertebrate (having no backbone such as insects, spiders, ticks, mites, prawns, lobsters and crabs), and only 5% vertebrates (such as lizards, snakes, mammals and fish).

Aquatic invertebrates are an important part of the food-web in streams and play an important role in the cycling of organic matter and nutrients. Changes in the diversity and abundance of this group of animals can reflect changes in the functioning of the stream system and so they are often used to assess the ecological health of a freshwater ecosystem. Invertebrates at Emigrant Creek Dam include a range of animals (such as the dragonfly nymph) that play an important part in the natural processes that sustain water quality.

To ensure the survival of these animals, we need to make an effort to protect them and their habitat. Restoration of riparian rainforest habitats, and linking these with other native forest patches, will significantly improve existing native species health and numbers, encourage the return of other native species and discourage introduced species.

Animals are an important part of healthily functioning ecosystems, and natural ecosystems assist in the production of good water quality drinking water. In this way, their survival is also important for our own survival.

Catchment planning

In keeping with the “catchment to tap” management approach recommended in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG), in 2013 Rous County Council developed a Catchment Management Plan (CMP) for the Emigrant Creek catchment.

Development of the Emigrant Creek CMP was undertaken in consultation with Ballina Shire Council, NSW Fire and Rescue, North Coast Public Health Unit, Northern Landcare Support Services, the Environment Protection Authority, and the Australian Macadamia Society.

The CMP provides a strategic framework to guide the catchment management activities undertaken by Rous County Council and our catchment partners over the 10-year period commencing in 2013/14 and finishing in 2022/23.

To download a copy of the Emigrant Creek CMP, click on the following link:

Emigrant Creek Catchment Management Plan

Information sheets

ECD 8 - Water Treatment

ECD 11 - Riparian vegetation

ECD 16 - Management of Emigrant Creek Catchment Info Sheet

Rocky Creek Dam Catchment

Rocky Creek Dam is an extremely healthy rainforest catchment, and the preservation of its health is the most important key to maintaining the quality of our water supply.

Location and size

Set within Nightcap National Park and the Whian Whian State Conservation Area, the water catchment area of Rocky Creek Dam is approximately 30km north of Lismore.

The catchment is approximately 2,900 hectares (29km2) in size (nearly 8km in length and approximately 4km wide), and comprises Whian Whian State Conservation Area, Nightcap National Park and areas owned and managed by Rous County Council. The Rous County Council managed area consists of former farmland that has been revegetated and restored to subtropical rainforest.

How rainwater fills the dam

Rain falls into the catchment of Rocky Creek Dam. This catchment is a beautiful, healthy ecosystem of rainforest and is one of the best protected catchments in Australia.

Rain filters through the diversity of the subtropical rainforest canopy, eventually landing on the leaf litter of the forest floor. Even when no rain is falling, the water vapour of mist and cloud is caught by the leaves and branches of rainforest trees, forms into droplets and runs down the tree trunks into the leaf litter. Once on the forest floor, the water flows downhill towards creeks and gullies, forming tiny streams that rapidly enter the creeks flowing into the dam.

Not all of the water, however, stays near the surface. Some water soaks into the soil, following the roots of trees and cracks in the soil, and deeper into the ground. Eventually it flows into the groundwater, which also feeds the dam.

Managing water quality

The run-off from the catchment produces very soft, clear water. The red soil and rainforest ecosystem in the catchment, however, result in a high level of dissolved iron and organic matter in the water supply, especially when dam water levels are low. This means that water needs to be treated and filtered before being distributed for human use. This happens at the Nightcap Water Treatment Plant, right next to the dam.

Rous County Council has partnered with the Department of Environment and Climate Change to protect water quality by limiting activities which affect the quality or quantity of water flowing to Rocky Creek Dam.

Activities such as earthworks; human habitation or extended occupation; bathing, swimming other ablutions; and recreational activities including fishing, camping, vehicular access to sensitive locations and boating can potentially introduce a range of water quality hazards. These hazards include turbidity and colour; human pathogens (including bacteria, viruses, protozoa); and imported contaminants and toxins (including fuels, oils, herbicides, foreign plant species), all of which can seriously affect water quality.

Rous County Council, in partnership with the Department of Environment and Climate Change, has adopted catchment management measures to control known water quality risks:

Within the water catchment area of Rocky Creek Dam, activities will be precluded which increase the risk of contaminating the water supply.
No additional recreational facilities will be installed in the catchment area.
Swimming, bathing or any other ablutions by humans is prohibited within the water courses of the catchment area.
No foreign aquatic species will be introduced to the water catchment (e.g. water hyacinth, salvinia, carp, etc).
The transportation of contaminants such as fertilisers, toxic chemicals, unauthorised fuel or oils in bulk quantities, is prohibited within the catchment area. Bulk fuel transportation must be authorised by the Department of Environment and Climate Change and comply with regulations and standards.
The use of herbicides and pesticides within the catchment area is to be strictly in accordance with statutory regulations (e.g. Pesticides Act, Protection of Environment Operations Act).
Camping, fishing and boating are prohibited in the catchment area.
Access to sensitive parts of the water catchment area by four-wheel drive vehicles and motorcycles shall be controlled.

Rainforest ecosystems

The water catchment for Rocky Creek Dam is a healthy rainforest ecosystem, with spectacular hills and gullies, and clear flowing creeks. Located in the upper reaches, or the headwaters, of the larger catchment of the Richmond River, it is on the southern rim of the caldera of the ancient Mount Warning shield volcano. Basalt and rhyolite lava flows from the volcano have influenced its vegetation communities.

Warm temperate rainforest is found in the catchment on brown soils (which come from rhyolite lava flows). Subtropical rainforest grows on the nutrient rich red soils (from basalt lava flows).

There are 26 species of plants in the catchment that are classed as endangered, rare or threatened. These include the Minyon Quandong (Elaeocarpus sp. Rocky Creek), Peach Myrtle (Uromyrtus australis) and Tall Hibertia (Hibbertia hexandra). In the Nightcap Range a recent discovery has been made of an archaic rainforest tree, the Nightcap Oak (Eidothea hardeniana). This species is new to science and is also an endangered species.

These ecosystems provide habitat for at least 33 threatened species of animals.

Threatened amphibians and reptiles include the Giant Barred Frog (Mixophyes iteratus), the Three-toed Snake-tooth Skink (Coeranoscincus reticulatus) and Stephen's Banded-snake (Hoplocephalus stephensii).
Threatened birds include the Wompoo Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus magnificus), Double-eyed Fig-parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma), the Sooty Owl (Tyto tenebricosa), and the Masked Owl (Tyto novaeholaandiae).
Threatened mammals include the Little Bent-winged Bat (Miniopterus australis), the Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) and the Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica).

Aquatic ecosystems in the catchment

Rocky Creek and Gibbergunyah Creek are the main watercourses in the catchment, tumbling over cascades and waterfalls and slowly flowing through pools. There are also many 'occasional' creeks in the lush green gullies that only flow when it's raining. They support many aquatic animals and plants.

The shy Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a mammal that makes its burrow in the banks of the creeks and swims with its webbed feet and paddle-shaped tail. It uses its duck-like bill to scoop up worms, small shellfish, and other animals from the creek bottom.
The Water Rat (Hydromys chrysogaster) is another mammal that spends a lot of time in the creeks.
Reptiles in and around the creeks include the Saw-shelled Turtle (Elseya latisternum) and the Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesuerii). You can often hear them splashing into the water, even if you don't see them.
Several species of kingfisher dive swiftly into the waters of the catchment to catch their food, including the Azure Kingfisher (Alcedo azurea), Forest Kingfisher (Todirhampus macleayi) and Sacred Kingfisher (Todirhamptus sanctus).
Many species of frogs inhabit the creeks and wet gullies. Four of these frogs are listed as threatened species: Fleays' Barred Frog (Mixophyes fleayi); Pouched Frog (Assa darlingtoni); Giant Barred Frog (Mixophyes iterates), and Loveridges' Frog (Philoria loveridgei).
Small fish and crustaceans also live in the fast-running creeks, such as the Firetail Gudgeon (Hypseleotris galii), Cox's Gudgeon (Gobiomorphus coxii) and freshwater shrimp.

Aquatic ecosystems in the dam

The dam itself is also an aquatic ecosystem, with its own inhabitants, environment, and food chain.

The top predators in the dam are the Australian Bass (Macquaaria novemaculeata) and the Eastern Freshwater Cod (Maccullochella ikei).
These predator fish feed mainly on small fish and crustaceans such as the Firetail Gudgeon (Hypseleotris galii), Cox's Gudgeon (Gobiomorphus coxii) and freshwater shrimp.
These species, in turn, forage on the zooplankton (microscopic animals).
The amount of phytoplankton (microscopic plants including algae) in the dam is controlled by the amount of grazing by Zooplankton.

Protecting the catchment

Rous County Council works together with the Department of Environment and Climate Change (National Parks and Wildlife Service) to identify and manage the risks to water quality, and to these sensitive areas.

Rules that are enforced by Rous County Council to protect the creeks and their water quality are:

no swimming, fishing, boating or camping in the catchment area.
no motor vehicles (including motorbikes) in sensitive parts of the catchment (including major creek crossings of Rocky Creek Dam).

World Heritage Area

Most of the catchment area of Rocky Creek Dam consists of Nightcap National Park and the Whian Whian State Conservation Area. The catchment area contains:

A high concentration of species threatened with extinction
A high number of endemic species (local species with restricted distributions)
A remarkable representation of archaic (Gondwanic) rainforest species (flora and fauna) and ecosystem types
A remarkable concentration of biodiversity in a relatively small area of forest.

It is due to these characteristics that parts of Nightcap National Park have been World Heritage listed, forming part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia. This includes some areas in the upper part of the water catchment area of the dam, where Rocky Creek first starts its journey. The Department of Environment and Climate Change (National Parks and Wildlife Service) manages these special areas that form part of the catchment. They ensure that the rainforest and other ecosystems are protected.

Rules and regulations they set for people using the area are:

leave your pets at home
be careful with fires and only use the fireplaces provided
do not interfere with native plants and animals (don't pick flowers or plants, or feed the animals)
take home all your rubbish
drive and ride motor-bikes only on the roads provided; and
walk only on formed tracks (stay on the track even if it's muddy; please do not cut corners or create new tracks).

Wilsons River catchment

The Wilsons River Source was previously known as The Lismore Source and pumps water directly from the tidal pool of the Wilsons River about 5km upstream from Lismore (at Howards Grass). The Wilsons River Source was constructed in 2007 and began operation in April 2008.

The catchment area for this water source stretches from Upper Wilsons Creek and Upper Coopers Creek in the north to Byron Creek in the east (near Bangalow) and is mostly an agricultural area.

Location and size - where is the catchment?

The Wilsons River catchment forms part of the larger Richmond River catchment of northern NSW and drains to the sea at Ballina. The area is subtropical with relatively high average annual rainfall exceeding 1500mm per year. The Wilsons River joins with Leycester Creek at Lismore before joining the Richmond River at Coraki.

This locality map shows the Wilsons River source catchment area and major subcatchments, together with the location of the two water supply dams operated by Rous County Council.

The catchment area for this source is difficult to define as the extraction point draws from the upper reaches of the tidal pool and is therefore subject to potential upstream movement of water and contaminants as well as impacts originating upstream within the Wilsons River and Coopers Creek catchments. These include water quality impacts associated with the major urban area of Lismore, as well as those associated with the Leycester Creek catchment.

The total upstream catchment area for the Wilsons River upstream of Lismore is over 550 square kilometres. Inclusive of the water catchment areas for the tidal pool upstream of Lismore (including Leycester Creek catchment), the total catchment area exceeds 1,400 square kilometres.

Land use in the catchment

The dominant land uses within the catchment are cattle grazing and horticulture. The main horticultural activities include macadamia, stone fruit and coffee plantations. Small villages and towns, with their stormwater, sewage treatment plants and networks of roads, also affect this catchment.

The tidal pool of the Wilsons River is bordered by the city of Lismore and is therefore influenced by urban stormwater. In total, more than 28,000 people live in the catchment area with the catchment population increasing at approximately 2% per year. Catchment management is therefore an important part of ensuring the water quality of this water source.

Each of these land-use types affects the health of the ecosystems in the catchment and the water quality in the creeks and dam. It is very important to manage the different land-uses within the catchment because healthy catchments mean healthy ecosystems and a healthy water supply.

Managing water quality

The run-off from the Wilsons River catchment produces water with a high level of nutrient and sediment, due to large amounts of fertilisers used on the agricultural land. This can be particularly so when the flow rates are very high (in flood) and very low (in drought). This means that the water needs to be treated and filtered before being distributed for human use. The water from the Wilsons River Source is pumped up to Nightcap Treatment Plant which has recently been upgraded to treat this water.

A water quality risk assessment for the Wilsons River was undertaken as part of the planning process for the Wilsons River Source. This was based on the HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point) methodology and considered both environmental (raw) water as well as the water treatment process.

The table below summarises the water quality risks identified in this investigation for the Wilsons River water catchment area.

Summary of water quality risks Wilsons River water catchment area
Hazardous Event	Most significant water quality parameter (hazard)
Export of stock pathogens from grazing lands through storm events	Microbial pathogens (e.g. viruses, protozoans)
Instream defecation of materials from stock	Microbial pathogens (e.g. viruses, protozoans)
Export of human pathogens from sewerage systems through storm events	Microbial pathogens (e.g. viruses, protozoans)
Export of soils from grazing and cultivated lands through storm events	Turbidity, phosphorous
Low flow, warm high nutrient conditions leading to algal blooms	Taste and odour, toxins
Export of pesticides from agricultural facilities through storm events	Pesticides, agricultural chemicals
Transport upstream of urban discharges to the abstraction point during unusual tidal events	Microbial pathogens, chemical contaminants

Identified risks are managed through the development of catchment risk management measures and through the application of appropriate water treatment technology. The Rous County Council catchment management program is aimed at addressing these issues.

Rous County Council currently conducts water quality monitoring within the Wilsons River water catchment area to assess water quality conditions and the significance of these identified water quality risks.

Natural ecosystems in the catchment: The Big Scrub

The combination of volcanic geology and subtropical climate mean that the natural ecosystem that existed within the catchment at the time of European settlement was 'The Big Scrub' - a dense cover of 'lowland subtropical riparian rainforest'. As with much of the North Coast, most of the catchment was probably logged for timber between the mid-19th century and the early 20th century, before being almost completely cleared for grazing.

Whilst the majority of the Big Scrub has been cleared within the Wilsons River catchment, glimpses of what the whole catchment area was probably like can be obtained in the many remnants that occur throughout the catchment. Some regrowth has occurred in the catchment since the 1970's. Secondary native rainforest species and the exotic Camphor Laurel are also well represented, providing a useful nucleus for further succession and expansion of rainforest corridors throughout the catchment. The existence of the remnant rainforest ecosystems is very important because they provides the genetic material to restore cleared land. It means that we are able to collect seed material from these locations to ensure that the seedlings that we plant in the catchment are suited to the local conditions.

Native animals in the catchment

Of over a million known species of animals that live in and around creek systems such as those in the Wilsons River catchment, 95% are invertebrate (having no backbone such as insects, spiders, ticks, mites, prawns, lobsters and crabs), and only 5% vertebrates (such as lizards, snakes, mammals and fish). Aquatic invertebrates are an important part of the food-web in streams and play an important role in the cycling of organic matter and nutrients. Changes in the diversity and abundance of this group of animals can reflect changes in the functioning of the stream system and so they are often used to assess the ecological health of a freshwater ecosystem. Invertebrates in the Wilsons River catchment include a range of animals (such as the dragonfly nymph) that play an important part in the natural processes that sustain water quality.

To ensure the survival of these animals, we need to make an effort to protect them and their habitat. Restoration of riparian rainforest habitats, and linking these with other native forest patches, will significantly improve existing native species' health and numbers, encourage the return of other native species and discourage introduced species.

Catchment planning

In keeping with the “catchment to tap” management approach recommended in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG), in 2009 Rous County Council developed a Catchment Management Plan (CMP) for the Wilsons River catchment.

To download a copy of the Wilsons River CMP, click on the following link:

Wilsons River Catchment Management Plan

Background to the CMP

The Wilsons River Source (previously known as the Lismore Source) involves pumping water from the tidal pool on the Wilsons River at a site adjacent to Howards Grass and pumping to Nightcap Water Treatment Plant for subsequent supply to consumers through the existing water distribution infrastructure.

Due to the open (uncontrolled) nature of the water catchment areas that influence water quality in the Wilsons River at Howards Grass, a comprehensive catchment (risk) management program forms a key component of the operation of the Wilsons River source. Rous County Council developed the CMP during 2008 and 2009 as part of the establishment of this new major water source for the Far North Coast region. The CMP comprises an integrated whole-of-catchment Catchment Management Plan (CMP) including an environmental monitoring program to support the adaptive management of the Wilsons River source and its associated water catchment area.

Community involvement

A community consultation program was integrated into the catchment management planning process. It included a range of ways to get involved with the project and many people had productive input.

Aspects of community consultation included:

• specific information and local knowledge about sub-catchment areas
• a working group of interested stakeholders met throughout the plan-making project
• information days in sub-catchments and at Big Scrub Rainforest Day
• a series of newsletters and information provided on the Rous County Council website and to an e-list

Key stakeholders engaged included:

• commerce and industry (rural and urban based)
• community and interest groups (including conservation, Landcare and sub-catchment communities)
• government authorities and local councils
• local Aboriginal community