Water Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-TSR-FOR-WEC General High confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range
Range: 20 to 110.9 μS/cm
Thresholds: Lower: —, Upper: 110.9
Optimal Range: 20 to 110.9
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: OptimalRange

Scoring Curve

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context. The scoring engine uses 11 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 10 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

The study found that across all sites and seasons, the electrical conductivity was consistently low, falling within a range of 20.0 to 110.9 ³S/cm.

Metric Definition:

Water Electrical Conductivity (EC) in streams within healthy, intact Australian tropical and subtropical rainforests.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the natural reference range of electrical conductivity in pristine tropical rainforest streams in Australia, indicating healthy water quality conditions.

Justification:

This range is justified by empirical field measurements from 75 forested reference streams in the Queensland Wet Tropics, representing the best available condition and an achievable target for production forestry under BMPs.

Sources (5)

Preview of Ecology of streams in a biogeographic isolatethe Queensland Wet Tropics, Australia | Freshwater Science: Vol 34, No 2
Ecology of streams in a biogeographic isolatethe Queensland Wet Tropics, Australia | Freshwater Science: Vol 34, No 2 Journal

Ecology of streams in a biogeographic isolatethe Queensland Wet Tropics, Australia | Freshwater Science: Vol 34, No 2

View Source
Preview of Namoi River Water Quality Objectives explained - NSW Government, accessed August 11, 2025,
Namoi River Water Quality Objectives explained - NSW Government, accessed August 11, 2025, Government

Percentage compliance with ANZECC water quality trigger values for aquatic ecosystems, primary contact recreation and secondary

View Source
Preview of State-Level Forest Best Management Practices - MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
State-Level Forest Best Management Practices - MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Government

The effects of forest management on water quality - SLU

View Source
Preview of TROPICAL RAINFOREST LOGGING IN NORTH QUEENSLAND: WAS IT SUSTAINABLE? - CiteSeerX
TROPICAL RAINFOREST LOGGING IN NORTH QUEENSLAND: WAS IT SUSTAINABLE? - CiteSeerX

Combined Effects of Fire and Selective Timber Harvesting on Forest Structure, Composition and Topsoil Properties in a Sub-Tropical Eucalypt Forest (Ryan et al. 2021)

View Source
Preview of Water quality guidelines - Queensland Environment Department, accessed August 1, 2025,
Water quality guidelines - Queensland Environment Department, accessed August 1, 2025, Government

Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000)

View Source

Supporting Sources (14)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Effects of increasing salinity on freshwater ecosystems in Australia - ResearchGate, accessed August 11, 2025,
(PDF) Effects of increasing salinity on freshwater ecosystems in Australia - ResearchGate, accessed August 11, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Effects of increasing salinity on freshwater ecosystems in Australia - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of (PDF) Water Quality Degradation of Coastal Waterways in the Wet Tropics, Australia, accessed August 2, 2025,
(PDF) Water Quality Degradation of Coastal Waterways in the Wet Tropics, Australia, accessed August 2, 2025,
Contextual Support

Requirements for graziers | Environment, land and water ..., accessed July 19, 2025,

View Source
Preview of 5.9 Conductivity | Monitoring & Assessment | US EPA
5.9 Conductivity | Monitoring & Assessment | US EPA
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

River ecosystem - Wikipedia

View Source
Preview of Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000) - V, accessed July 22, 2025
Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000) - V, accessed July 22, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

1.5.2.1 Surface water - Bioregional Assessments |

View Source
Preview of australian tropical rainforest: Topics by Science.gov
australian tropical rainforest: Topics by Science.gov
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

australian tropical rainforest: Topics by Science.gov

View Source
Preview of Characterizing nitrogen dynamics, retention and transport in a tropical rainforest stream using an in situ 15N addition
Characterizing nitrogen dynamics, retention and transport in a tropical rainforest stream using an in situ 15N addition
Contextual Support

Characterizing nitrogen dynamics, retention and transport in a tropical rainforest stream using an in situ 15N addition

View Source
Preview of Effects of Selection Logging on Rainforest Productivity - ResearchGate, accessed July 20, 2025
Effects of Selection Logging on Rainforest Productivity - ResearchGate, accessed July 20, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Effects of Selection Logging on Rainforest Productivity - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Effects of Selection Logging on Rainforest Productivity - UQ eSpace, accessed July 20, 2025,
Effects of Selection Logging on Rainforest Productivity - UQ eSpace, accessed July 20, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

A review of forest practice codes in Australia, accessed July 20, 2025

View Source
Preview of Forests, fire and vegetation change impacts on Murray-Darling basin water resources
Forests, fire and vegetation change impacts on Murray-Darling basin water resources
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Selective logging in the Amazon rainforest - Wikipedia

View Source
Preview of Forests, fire and vegetation change impacts on Murray-Darling basin water resources, accessed May 15, 2025,
Forests, fire and vegetation change impacts on Murray-Darling basin water resources, accessed May 15, 2025,
Contextual Support

Tropical logging harms downstream water quality - UPI.com

View Source
Preview of History of Innovative Best Management Practices Development and Its Role in Addressing Water Quality Limited Waterbodies - ResearchGate
History of Innovative Best Management Practices Development and Its Role in Addressing Water Quality Limited Waterbodies - ResearchGate
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

History of Innovative Best Management Practices Development and Its Role in Addressing Water Quality Limited Waterbodies - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Indicators: Conductivity | US EPA
Indicators: Conductivity | US EPA
Contextual Support Journal

Indicators: Conductivity | US EPA

View Source
Preview of Interception water-partitioning dynamics for a pristine rainforest in Central Amazonia: Marked differences between normal and dry years - ResearchGate
Interception water-partitioning dynamics for a pristine rainforest in Central Amazonia: Marked differences between normal and dry years - ResearchGate
Contextual Support Journal

0012 Anonymous - NSW Government Water

View Source
Preview of Water quality | Department of Primary Industries, Queensland
Water quality | Department of Primary Industries, Queensland
Contextual Support Journal

Aquatic ecosystem response to climate, fire, and the demise of montane rainforest, Tasmania, Australia - ResearchGate

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests
  • Land Use Production Forestry
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 20 Mar 2026

Notes

Lower Boundary: No critical low threshold applicable; lowest observed values (~20 μS/cm) represent high ecological health. Optimal range is synonymous with the natural reference range. Upper Boundary: The upper detrimental threshold is approximately 111 μS/cm, indicating departure from best available condition and catchment degradation.