Water Nitrate — Benchmark Detail - Nature Index

Benchmark Value

0.07 mg/L

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

Application of nitrogen fertilizer (urea) at a rate equivalent to 139 kg N/ha increased median levels of nitrate-N from 0.04 mg/L up to 0.07 mg/L and total N from 0.10 mg/L up to 0.15 mg/L during successive 6-monhtly post-treatment periods.

Metric Definition:

Median stream water nitrate-nitrogen () concentration following urea fertilization under standard operational forestry management.

Benchmark Definition:

Healthy operational nitrate concentration target in managed production forestry with riparian buffers post fertilization.

Justification:

This represents the real-world, best-on-offer ecological target for active production forestry estates in southeastern Australia, demonstrating that nitrogen exports can be kept remarkably close to natural baselines when riparian buffers are preserved.

Sources (1)

Preview of Long-term changes in water quality and solute exports in headwater streams of intensively managed radiata pine and natural eucalypt forest catchments in south-eastern Australia

Long-term changes in water quality and solute exports in headwater streams of intensively managed radiata pine and natural eucalypt forest catchments in south-eastern Australia

Long-term changes in water quality and solute exports in headwater streams of intensively managed radiata pine and natural eucalypt forest catchments in south-eastern Australia

Supporting Sources (17)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Australia and New Zealand Draft Guidelines for Fresh - Queensland Farmers' Federation

Australia and New Zealand Draft Guidelines for Fresh - Queensland Farmers' Federation

Contextual Support Journal

Australia and New Zealand Draft Guidelines for Fresh - Queensland Farmers' Federation

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

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

Contextual Support Journal

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

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,

Direct Evidence Journal

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

Preview of Data analysis: 2018-2019 catchment nutrient reports

Data analysis: 2018-2019 catchment nutrient reports

Methodology Source Government

Data analysis: 2018-2019 catchment nutrient reports

Preview of Desktop review – Impact of bushfires on water quality, accessed August 10, 2025,

Desktop review – Impact of bushfires on water quality, accessed August 10, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Australia's Sustainable Forest Management Framework of Criteria and Indicators 2008 - DAFF

Preview of Ecosystem Health - Top of the South Scorecards Freshwater & Terrestrial Ecosystems - The Nature Conservancy, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Ecosystem Health - Top of the South Scorecards Freshwater & Terrestrial Ecosystems - The Nature Conservancy, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Ecosystem Health - Top of the South Scorecards Freshwater & Terrestrial Ecosystems - The Nature Conservancy, accessed March 28, 2026,

Preview of Establishment of reference or baseline conditions of chemical indicators in New Zealand streams and rivers relative to present conditions - CSIRO Publishing

Establishment of reference or baseline conditions of chemical indicators in New Zealand streams and rivers relative to present conditions - CSIRO Publishing

Contextual Support Journal

Establishment of reference or baseline conditions of chemical indicators in New Zealand streams and rivers relative to present conditions - CSIRO Publishing

Preview of Limitation and retention of nutrients in alpine streams of Switzerland - ResearchGate

Limitation and retention of nutrients in alpine streams of Switzerland - ResearchGate

Contextual Support

Limitation and retention of nutrients in alpine streams of Switzerland - ResearchGate

Preview of Memorandum - Nitrate guideline values in ANZECC 2000, accessed August 8, 2025

Memorandum - Nitrate guideline values in ANZECC 2000, accessed August 8, 2025

Direct Evidence Journal

Nitrate guidelines values in ANZECC 2000

Preview of Natural water systems | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed July 31, 2025,

Natural water systems | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed July 31, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

Stream nitrate in planted forests

Preview of Nitrogen dynamics in alpine soils of south ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 28, 2025,

Nitrogen dynamics in alpine soils of south ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Nitrogen dynamics in alpine soils of south-eastern Australia - CSIRO Publishing

Preview of Persistent Nitrate in Alpine Waters with Changing Atmospheric Deposition and Warming Trends | Environmental Science & Technology - ACS Publications

Persistent Nitrate in Alpine Waters with Changing Atmospheric Deposition and Warming Trends | Environmental Science & Technology - ACS Publications

Contextual Support Journal

Persistent Nitrate in Alpine Waters with Changing Atmospheric Deposition and Warming Trends | Environmental Science & Technology - ACS Publications

Preview of Review of the current state of knowledge for the monitoring of forestry impacts on waterway health in NSW coastal forests - Natural Resources Commission, accessed August 9, 2025

Review of the current state of knowledge for the monitoring of forestry impacts on waterway health in NSW coastal forests - Natural Resources Commission, accessed August 9, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Review of the current state of knowledge for the monitoring of ..., accessed July 31, 2025,

Preview of Streamside Forest Buffer Width Needed to Protect Stream Water Quality, Habitat, and Organisms

Streamside Forest Buffer Width Needed to Protect Stream Water Quality, Habitat, and Organisms

Contextual Support Journal

Streamside Forest Buffer Width Needed to Protect Stream Water Quality, Habitat, and Organisms

Preview of The legacy of a severe wildfire on stream nitrogen and carbon in headwater catchments - USDA Forest Service

The legacy of a severe wildfire on stream nitrogen and carbon in headwater catchments - USDA Forest Service

Contextual Support

The legacy of a severe wildfire on stream nitrogen and carbon in headwater catchments - USDA Forest Service

Preview of Toxicant default guideline values technical briefs - Water Quality Australia, accessed July 26, 2025,

Toxicant default guideline values technical briefs - Water Quality Australia, accessed July 26, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Toxicant default guideline values technical briefs

Preview of Water Quality of Rivers in the Inglis – Flowerdale Catchment - Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania

Water Quality of Rivers in the Inglis – Flowerdale Catchment - Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania

Contextual Support Journal

Derwent Estuary Program (2011). Derwent Catchment Review Part 1.

Context

Region Australia
Biome Alpine and Subalpine Complex
Land Use Production Forestry
Assessment Rehabilitation Target
Vegetation Forest
Evidence Type HealthyOperationalRange

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 16 Jun 2026

Notes

Original value of 0.07 mg/L as nitrate-nitrogen () is mathematically converted to canonical total nitrate () using the stoichiometric molecular weight ratio multiplier of 4.4268.

Related Benchmarks

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