Water Nitrate — Benchmark Detail

Benchmark Value

0.015 mg/L

Direction: Lower is desirable ↓

Form: MaximumOnly

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is Point, but the benchmark data may be missing required fields (e.g., optimal range bounds for an OptimalRange benchmark). This is typically a data quality issue in the benchmark pipeline.

Contributing Benchmarks

Point Primary MaximumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

Exceedance of the ANZECC (2000) default trigger value for SE Aust. upland rivers. This level may indicate early stages of nutrient enrichment and potential shifts in sensitive biological communities (e.g., algae) away from natural oligotrophic character.

Metric Definition:

Water nitrate concentration measured as NOx-N in mg per liter.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents an early warning threshold for ecosystem health indicating potential nutrient enrichment in alpine and subalpine conservation areas.

Justification:

This threshold is based on the ANZECC (2000) default trigger value for South-East Australian upland rivers and indicates potential shifts in biological communities.

Sources (1)

Preview of Catchment Health Indicator Program Report 2021 - Upper Murrumbidgee Waterwatch, accessed August 12, 2025,

Catchment Health Indicator Program Report 2021 - Upper Murrumbidgee Waterwatch, accessed August 12, 2025, Journal

ANZECC/ARMCANZ (2000) Guidelines

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Supporting Sources (4)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water ..., accessed August 5, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

tuvalu-data.sprep.org

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Characterising alpine peatland water quality on the Bogong High Plains, Victoria - Threatened Species Recovery Hub

Direct Evidence Journal

Toxicant default guideline values for aquatic ecosystem protection ...

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NSW alpine resorts environmental performance report 2020–21

Direct Evidence Journal

NSW Alpine Resorts Environmental Performance Report 2020–21

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Toxicant default guideline values for aquatic ecosystem protection ..., accessed August 8, 2025

Regulatory Framework Journal

Nitrate in freshwater, toxicant default guideline values for protecting aquatic ecosystems

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Context

Region Australia
Biome Alpine and Subalpine Complex
Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 3 Jun 2026

Notes

Exceeding this value suggests an increased risk of adverse ecological effects and a departure from the desired oligotrophic state. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-ASC-CON-WNI family.