Water Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-AMR-AQU-WEC General Low confidence

Benchmark Value

14400 µS/cm

Direction: Lower is desirable ↓

Form: MaximumOnly

Scoring Curve

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context.

Evidence & Context

The upper detrimental threshold is not a single value but is defined by three tiers: (1) the physiological tolerance of the cultured species (e.g., >14,400 µS/cm for Murray Cod).

Metric Definition:

Upper detrimental threshold of water electrical conductivity (EC) beyond which Murray Cod experience chronic stress and mortality.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the upper limit of water electrical conductivity beyond which Murray Cod experience chronic stress and mortality in aquaculture.

Justification:

Based on species-specific physiological tolerance data indicating stress and mortality above this EC.

Sources (1)

Preview of CHAPTER 1: Introduction - University of Canberra Research Portal

CHAPTER 1: Introduction - University of Canberra Research Portal GreyLiterature

CHAPTER 1: Introduction - University of Canberra Research Portal

Supporting Sources (40)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) A review of the salt sensitivity of the Australian freshwater biota, accessed August 11, 2025,

(PDF) A review of the salt sensitivity of the Australian freshwater biota, accessed August 11, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

Salinity Tolerances of Freshwater Macroinvertebrates

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 GreyLiterature

(PDF) Effects of increasing salinity on freshwater ecosystems in Australia - ResearchGate

Preview of (PDF) Water quality parameters and population characteristics for the Flinders Ranges Gudgeon - ResearchGate

(PDF) Water quality parameters and population characteristics for the Flinders Ranges Gudgeon - ResearchGate

Direct Evidence

Toxicant default guideline values for aquatic ecosystem protection ...

Preview of 66693 - Approved Conservation Advice for Mogurnda clivicola (Flinders Ranges Gudgeon)

66693 - Approved Conservation Advice for Mogurnda clivicola (Flinders Ranges Gudgeon)

Contextual Support Journal

66693 - Approved Conservation Advice for Mogurnda clivicola (Flinders Ranges Gudgeon)

Preview of A BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE FLINDERS RANGES SOUTH AUSTRALIA - Enviro Data SA

A BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE FLINDERS RANGES SOUTH AUSTRALIA - Enviro Data SA

Contextual Support Journal

A BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE FLINDERS RANGES SOUTH AUSTRALIA - Enviro Data SA, accessed July 28, 2025

Preview of Aquaculture - CSIRO

Aquaculture - CSIRO

Contextual Support

Aquaculture - CSIRO

Preview of Aquaculture - Government of Western Australia

Aquaculture - Government of Western Australia

Regulatory Framework Journal

Aquaculture - Government of Western Australia

Preview of Aquaculture in desert and arid lands: development constraints and opportunities. - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Aquaculture in desert and arid lands: development constraints and opportunities. - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Contextual Support Journal

Aquaculture in desert and arid lands: development constraints and opportunities. - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, accessed July 25, 2025,

Preview of Arid springs: the hidden evolutionary cradles of Outback Australia - CSIRO

Arid springs: the hidden evolutionary cradles of Outback Australia - CSIRO

Contextual Support Government

Arid springs: the hidden evolutionary cradles of Outback Australia - CSIRO

Preview of Assessment of endemic fish (Mogurnda clivicola) and native vegetation at springs in the northern Flinders Ranges - ResearchGate

Assessment of endemic fish (Mogurnda clivicola) and native vegetation at springs in the northern Flinders Ranges - ResearchGate

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Assessment of endemic fish (Mogurnda clivicola) and native vegetation at springs in the northern Flinders Ranges - ResearchGate

Preview of Australia - Brackish Water Aquaculture, accessed July 20, 2025,

Australia - Brackish Water Aquaculture, accessed July 20, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

SA Arid Lands Landscape Regional Summary 2022 Aquatic ...

Preview of Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000), accessed May 11, 2025,

Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000), accessed May 11, 2025,

Regulatory Framework Journal

Northern Territory Government (2020) Darwin Harbour Region Water Quality Objectives, Report Card Section 3.0.

Preview of Characterising the relationship between water quality and water quantity, accessed August 5, 2025

Characterising the relationship between water quality and water quantity, accessed August 5, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Turbidity | Australia state of the environment 2021

Preview of Chlamydogobius eremius (Desert goby) - Animal Diversity Web

Chlamydogobius eremius (Desert goby) - Animal Diversity Web

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Chlamydogobius eremius (Desert goby) - Animal Diversity Web

Preview of Climate and river health | Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Climate and river health | Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Contextual Support Government

The Ecological and Hydrological Significance of Ephemeral and Intermittent Streams in the Arid and Semi-arid American Southwest - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), accessed July 31, 2025,

Preview of Desert Goby Chlamydogobius eremius biotope Aquarium Coward Springs South Australia BADC 2022 Comp. - YouTube

Desert Goby Chlamydogobius eremius biotope Aquarium Coward Springs South Australia BADC 2022 Comp. - YouTube

Contextual Support

Desert Goby Chlamydogobius eremius biotope Aquarium Coward Springs South Australia BADC 2022 Comp. - YouTube

Preview of Development of a Health Management Strategy for the Silver Perch Aquaculture Industry., accessed July 20, 2025,

Development of a Health Management Strategy for the Silver Perch Aquaculture Industry., accessed July 20, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

The influence of saline concentration on the success of Calcein marking techniques for hatchery-produced Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii), accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of EC Conversion Chart - Aero-Gro

EC Conversion Chart - Aero-Gro

Methodology Source GreyLiterature

EC Conversion Chart - Aero-Gro

Preview of Effects of salinity on stream ecosystems: improving models for macroinvertebrates - CSIRO Research Publications Repository

Effects of salinity on stream ecosystems: improving models for macroinvertebrates - CSIRO Research Publications Repository

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Effects of salinity on stream ecosystems: improving models for macroinvertebrates - CSIRO Research Publications Repository

Preview of Guidelines for constructing and maintaining aquaculture containment structures - Department of Primary Industries, Queensland

Guidelines for constructing and maintaining aquaculture containment structures - Department of Primary Industries, Queensland

Regulatory Framework Journal

Guidelines for constructing and maintaining aquaculture containment structures - Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, accessed August 10, 2025

Preview of Inland Saline Aquaculture - Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, accessed July 20, 2025,

Inland Saline Aquaculture - Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, accessed July 20, 2025,

Contextual Support

Australia - Brackish Water Aquaculture, accessed July 25, 2025

Preview of Inland Saline Aquaculture | FRDC, accessed July 20, 2025,

Inland Saline Aquaculture | FRDC, accessed July 20, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Inland Saline Aquaculture | FRDC, accessed July 25, 2025,

Preview of Land-based aquaculture - Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia - PIRSA

Land-based aquaculture - Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia - PIRSA

Contextual Support Government

NSW Land Based Sustainable Aquaculture Strategy

Preview of MacDonnell Ranges bioregion - DCCEEW

MacDonnell Ranges bioregion - DCCEEW

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Constraints in an Arid Environment—Challenges, Prospects ...

Preview of Measuring salinity, TDS and conductivity.

Measuring salinity, TDS and conductivity.

Methodology Source GreyLiterature

Assessing Future Flooding Risk in a Coastal Lagoon Using Hydrogeological Approaches and Analysis of the 2021 Flood Event: A Case Study of Tasi-Tolu Lagoon, Dili, Timor-Leste - Scirp.org., accessed August 1, 2025

Preview of Meeting Presentation | INLAND SALINE AQUACULTURE IN NSW: 10 YEARS OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Meeting Presentation | INLAND SALINE AQUACULTURE IN NSW: 10 YEARS OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

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

Preview of National Guidelines for Water Quality - Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, accessed August 1, 2025,

National Guidelines for Water Quality - Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, accessed August 1, 2025,

Regulatory Framework

Using the ANZECC Guidelines and Water Quality Objectives in NSW

Preview of Natural Surface Waters - State of the Environment 2023

Natural Surface Waters - State of the Environment 2023

Contextual Support Government

Natural Surface Waters - State of the Environment 2023

Preview of Natural water systems | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed July 16, 2025,

Natural water systems | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Characterising the relationship between water quality and water quantity, accessed July 16, 2025

Preview of Outback Water Project Update April 2018 - BioCollect

Outback Water Project Update April 2018 - BioCollect

Contextual Support Journal

Outback Water Project Update April 2018 - BioCollect

Preview of SA Arid Lands | Ground water - Landscape South Australia

SA Arid Lands | Ground water - Landscape South Australia

Contextual Support Government

SA Arid Lands | Ground water - Landscape South Australia

Preview of Salinity and water quality

Salinity and water quality

Contextual Support Government

Soil Mapping Using Electromagnetic Induction to Assess the Suitability of Land for Growing Leptospermum nitens in Western Australia - Frontiers, accessed August 9, 2025

Preview of Salinity Converter Remember that EC units are expressed in micro-siemens/cm at 25°C (µS/cm) and that

Salinity Converter Remember that EC units are expressed in micro-siemens/cm at 25°C (µS/cm) and that

Methodology Source Journal

Salinity Converter Remember that EC units are expressed in micro-siemens/cm at 25°C (µS/cm) and that

Preview of Salinity tolerances of endemic freshwater fishes ... - CSIRO Publishing

Salinity tolerances of endemic freshwater fishes ... - CSIRO Publishing

Contextual Support Journal

(PDF) A review of the salt sensitivity of the Australian freshwater biota

Preview of Saltwater success inland: Exploring the potential of saline aquaculture | FRDC

Saltwater success inland: Exploring the potential of saline aquaculture | FRDC

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Inland Saline Aquaculture | FRDC

Preview of Silver Perch | Department of Primary Industries

Silver Perch | Department of Primary Industries

Contextual Support Government

The Impact of Turbidity on Fish Health in Aquaculture Systems

Preview of Water quality | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed August 11, 2025,

Water quality | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed August 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Drivers of water quality in Afromontane-savanna rivers - Frontiers

Preview of Yabby - Healthy Rivers - Department of Water and Environmental Regulation

Yabby - Healthy Rivers - Department of Water and Environmental Regulation

Contextual Support Government

Yabby - Healthy Rivers - Department of Water and Environmental Regulation

Preview of Yabby (Cherax destructor) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Yabby (Cherax destructor) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Contextual Support Journal

Yabby (Cherax destructor) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Preview of Yabby preparation for market - NSW Department of Primary Industries

Yabby preparation for market - NSW Department of Primary Industries

Contextual Support Government

Yabbies - NSW Department of Primary Industries

Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Mountain Ranges & Uplands
Land Use Aquaculture
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 4
Effective From 1 Jun 2026

Notes

Represents a biological upper limit for sustainable aquaculture of Murray Cod. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are not beneficial beyond this range. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AMR-AQU-WEC family.