Methods
How was Data Collected?
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The Aquatic Health Unit sampled the water quality at more than 60 sites (pdf 300Kb) during the dry season in 2005. Some data were measured in the field using special instruments and other data were measured from samples delivered to laboratories.
The collected data were used to establish the targets. They were also used to model the relationships between the water quality and environmental determinants in the catchments (see below).
How was Data Predicted?
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Since it was not feasible to visit every river in the study area, the water quality in streams that were not visited were predicted by statistical modelling.
The relationships between the water quality and the environment in catchments (land uses and soil types - pdf 300Kb) were mathematically modelled. As a result, the equations predicted the water quality at more than 47 additional sites (pdf 512Kb).
The combined measured and predicted data were presented as the water quality resource condition targets.
