Phytoplankton and physico-chemical monitoring along the River Murray were established in 1978 under the River Murray Water Quality Monitoring Program (RMWQMP).
The phytoplankton component began with sites spread across New South Wales (NSW), Victoria, and South Australia (SA) from the NSW upper Murray to the SA Lower Lakes. With the number of sites reconciled in 1980, phytoplankton monitoring has continued at 12 sites, with 10 sites along the River Murray and 2 sites near the confluence of the main tributaries, being the Darling and Murrumbidgee rivers.
Biological parameters monitored comprise phytoplankton, phycocyanin and chlorophyll-a. For further details refer to accompanying PDF the phytoplankton metadata statement [PDF 369 KB].
The physico-chemical component began with 32 sites along the Murray River and various tributaries, increasing to 35 sites in 1980 then reducing to 28 sites (along with some frequency changes) in 2012.
Physico-chemical parameters monitored vary but include temperate, EC, pH, turbidity, colour, TKN, NOx, Total P, FRP, silica, DOC, bicarbonate, sulfate, and metals. The range of parameters and frequency of monitoring undertaken at a site is determined by the site class as described in Physico-chemical meta data statement. For further details refer to accompanying PDF the Physico-chemical metadata statement [PDF 493 KB].