Water Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-TSR-CON-WEC General High confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 20 to 111 µS/cm

Thresholds: Lower: 20, Upper: 1500

Optimal Range: 20 to 111

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 9 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 8 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary MaximumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard UpperThreshold Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard LowerThreshold Guard MinimumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

Indicator Name: Water Electrical Conductivity (EC) Reference Value: 20–111 µS/cm Unit: µS/cm

Metric Definition:

Water Electrical Conductivity (EC) representing the best available natural condition for Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests in Australia under a Conservation / Protected Natural Areas land use.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark range represents the natural electrical conductivity levels in minimally disturbed rainforest streams in Australia, indicating healthy ecosystem conditions within conservation areas.

Justification:

This real-world data is strongly corroborated by the Queensland Government's official Water Quality Objectives for 'High Ecological Value' upland freshwaters, defining protective objectives based on reference site data.

Sources (4)

(PDF) Effects of increasing salinity on freshwater ecosystems in ... Journal

(PDF) Effects of increasing salinity on freshwater ecosystems in ...

View Source

Preview of Barron River Basin Environmental Values and Water Quality ..., accessed July 21, 2025,

Barron River Basin Environmental Values and Water Quality ..., accessed July 21, 2025, Journal

Effects of total dissolved solids on growth and mortality predict ...

View Source

Preview of Ecology of streams in a biogeographic isolate—the Queensland Wet Tropics, Australia | Freshwater Science: Vol 34, No 2, accessed July 22, 2025,

Ecology of streams in a biogeographic isolate—the Queensland Wet Tropics, Australia | Freshwater Science: Vol 34, No 2, accessed July 22, 2025, Journal

Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (ANZECC/ARMCANZ)

View Source

Environmental Protection (Water and Wetland Biodiversity) Policy 2019 | Environment, accessed July 27, 2025, Government

Environmental Protection (Water and Wetland Biodiversity) Policy 2019 | Environment

View Source

Supporting Sources (1)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Ecology of streams in a biogeographic isolate—the Queensland Wet ...

Contextual Support Journal

Ecology of streams in a biogeographic isolate—the Queensland Wet ...

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests
Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
Assessment Pristine Reference
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Superseded
Version 1
Effective From 24 Mar 2026
Effective To 24 Mar 2026

Notes

Lower Critical Threshold: 20 µS/cm. Upper Detrimental Threshold: 1500 µS/cm.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TSR-CON-WEC family.