Water Nitrate

AUS-TSW-CON-WNI General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

4.4 mg/L

Thresholds: Lower: —, Upper: 4.4

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. The scoring engine uses 6 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 5 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

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

Evidence & Context

The selected DGV is 1.0 mg/L as NO3−-N. ... Applying this conversion to the selected DGV: Benchmark Value = 1.0 mg/L NO3−-N × 4.4268 = 4.4268 mg/L NO3−. Rounding to an appropriate number of significant figures gives the final benchmark value of 4.4 mg/L as NO3−.

Metric Definition:

Water nitrate concentration representing the best available natural condition achievable in Conservation and Protected Natural Areas in the Temperate Semi-Arid Shrublands & Open Woodlands biome of Australia.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the best available natural water nitrate concentration achievable in conservation areas of the Temperate Semi-Arid Shrublands & Open Woodlands biome in Australia.

Justification:

This value is derived from a robust national framework but relies on an inferred water hardness classification for the biome and is not a direct field measurement.

Sources (1)

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

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

Toxicant default guideline values for aquatic ecosystem protection ...

Supporting Sources (42)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

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(PDF) Eutrophication in Australian Rivers, Reservoirs and Estuaries A Southern Hemisphere Perspective on the Science and its Implications - ResearchGate, accessed May 10, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

(PDF) Eutrophication in Australian Rivers, Reservoirs and Estuaries – A Southern Hemisphere Perspective on the Science and its Implications - ResearchGate, accessed July 13, 2025,

Preview of (PDF) Nutrient limitations to aquatic production along an alluvial groundwater connectivity gradient in semi-arid northwest Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 26, 2025,

(PDF) Nutrient limitations to aquatic production along an alluvial groundwater connectivity gradient in semi-arid northwest Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 26, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

(PDF) Nutrient limitations to aquatic production along an alluvial groundwater connectivity gradient in semi-arid northwest Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 16, 2025,

Preview of 4 The IBRA subregions occurring in the Great Western Woodlands. The map... | Download Scientific Diagram - ResearchGate, accessed July 8, 2025

4 The IBRA subregions occurring in the Great Western Woodlands. The map... | Download Scientific Diagram - ResearchGate, accessed July 8, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

4 The IBRA subregions occurring in the Great Western Woodlands. The map... | Download Scientific Diagram - ResearchGate, accessed July 16, 2025,

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An environmental flow to an ephemeral creek increases the input of carbon and nutrients to a downstream receiving river, accessed July 27, 2025,

Contextual Support

River Health in the Flinders Ranges - EPA SA, accessed August 1, 2025

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An Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

An Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, accessed July 16, 2025,

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ANZEC Guidelines - Risk Assessment for Contaminated Sites in New Zealand, accessed July 18, 2025,

Regulatory Framework Government

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Australia's bioregions (IBRA) - DCCEEW, accessed July 15, 2025

Contextual Support

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), Version 7 (Regions), accessed July 12, 2025,

Preview of Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC, accessed August 5, 2025,

Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Root Structure and Functioning for Efficient Acquisition of Phosphorus: Matching Morphological and Physiological Traits

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Bioregions and EVC benchmarks - Environment, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Eastern NSW Plant Community Type Percentage Cleared Calculation Technical Notes - Environment and Heritage

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Case Study 2 The Murray-Darling Basin – an ecological and human tragedy, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Case Study 2 The Murray-Darling Basin – an ecological and human tragedy, accessed July 16, 2025,

Preview of Challenges and adaptation needs for water quality in the Murray-Darling Basin in response to climate change - Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), accessed July 21, 2025

Challenges and adaptation needs for water quality in the Murray-Darling Basin in response to climate change - Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), accessed July 21, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Salinity - Murray–Darling Basin Authority

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Chapter 9 AUSTRALIAN GRASSLANDS - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

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

Contextual Support Journal

Report Card 2022-23 - EPA Victoria

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Conservation Advice1 for the Plains mallee box woodlands of the Murray Darling Depression, Riverina and Naracoorte Coastal Plain, accessed July 15, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Conservation Advice1 for the Plains mallee box woodlands of the Murray Darling Depression, Riverina and Naracoorte Coastal Plain, accessed July 16, 2025,

Preview of Coolgardie woodlands - Wikipedia, accessed July 13, 2025

Coolgardie woodlands - Wikipedia, accessed July 13, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Salinity - Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Preview of East Australian Mediterranean Woodlands & Temperate Savannas ..., accessed July 15, 2025

East Australian Mediterranean Woodlands & Temperate Savannas ..., accessed July 15, 2025

Contextual Support

Temperate Grasslands - Greening Australia

Preview of Great Western Woodlands SuperSite | Climate Change Impacts - TERN Australia, accessed July 10, 2025,

Great Western Woodlands SuperSite | Climate Change Impacts - TERN Australia, accessed July 10, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

URBAN FOREST STRATEGY - Your Say South Perth, accessed July 13, 2025

Preview of Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 13, 2025,

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Category:IBRA regions - Wikipedia, accessed August 1, 2025

Preview of Johnsons and Chaffey Bend, Mallee Catchment Management Authority, Mildura, Victoria, accessed July 16, 2025,

Johnsons and Chaffey Bend, Mallee Catchment Management Authority, Mildura, Victoria, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Johnsons and Chaffey Bend, Mallee Catchment Management Authority, Mildura, Victoria, accessed July 16, 2025,

Preview of Land use as a major factor of riverine nitrate in a semi-arid farming-pastoral ecotone: New insights from multiple environmental tracers and molecular signatures of DOM - Frontiers, accessed July 16, 2025,

Land use as a major factor of riverine nitrate in a semi-arid farming-pastoral ecotone: New insights from multiple environmental tracers and molecular signatures of DOM - Frontiers, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Land use as a major factor of riverine nitrate in a semi-arid farming-pastoral ecotone: New insights from multiple environmental tracers and molecular signatures of DOM - Frontiers, accessed July 16, 2025,

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Mallee 2 (MAL2 - Western Mallee subregion) - DBCA Library, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Mallee 2 (MAL2 - Western Mallee subregion) - DBCA Library, accessed July 16, 2025,

Preview of Mallee bioregion - Wikipedia

Mallee bioregion - Wikipedia

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Great Western Woodlands - Wikipedia, accessed July 15, 2025,

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Mallee region - Water and catchments, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Mallee region - Water and catchments, accessed July 16, 2025,

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Methods - Northland Regional Council, accessed July 16, 2025,

Methodology Source Government

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Multiple adaptive responses of Australian native perennial legumes with pasture potential to grow in phosphorus- and moisture-limited environments, accessed August 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Multiple adaptive responses of Australian native perennial legumes with pasture potential to grow in phosphorus- and moisture-limited environments, accessed July 16, 2025,

Preview of Murray–Darling Depression bioregion - DCCEEW, accessed July 16, 2025,

Murray–Darling Depression bioregion - DCCEEW, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Murray–Darling Depression bioregion - DCCEEW, accessed July 16, 2025,

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Nitrate and nitrite | Australian Drinking Water Guidelines - NHMRC, accessed August 8, 2025

Contextual Support Government

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Nitrate and nitrite in Drinking-water - World Health Organization (WHO), accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Nitrate and nitrite in Drinking-water - World Health Organization (WHO), accessed July 16, 2025,

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Nitrate Toxicity to Aquatic Animals: A Review With New Data for Freshwater Invertebrates, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Nitrate Toxicity to Aquatic Animals: A Review With New Data for Freshwater Invertebrates, accessed July 13, 2025,

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Nitrate, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Nitrate, accessed July 16, 2025,

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Nutrient and Organic Matter Dynamics in Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 21, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Nutrient and Organic Matter Dynamics in Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 16, 2025,

Preview of NVIS Fact sheet MVG 14 – Mallee woodlands and shrublands - DCCEEW, accessed July 15, 2025

NVIS Fact sheet MVG 14 – Mallee woodlands and shrublands - DCCEEW, accessed July 15, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

NVIS Fact sheet MVG 19 – Tussock grasslands, accessed August 28, 2025

Preview of Plant and soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus on the Australian continent - CiteSeerX, accessed July 16, 2025,

Plant and soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus on the Australian continent - CiteSeerX, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil phosphorus testing: Colwell P and DGT-P - WA Soil Knowledge Base

Preview of Release of PFOS Default Guideline Values - ACLCA, accessed July 16, 2025,

Release of PFOS Default Guideline Values - ACLCA, accessed July 16, 2025,

Irrelevant

Release of PFOS Default Guideline Values - ACLCA, accessed July 16, 2025,

Preview of Salinity Management in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia - MDPI, accessed July 16, 2025,

Salinity Management in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia - MDPI, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Salinity Management in the Murray13Darling Basin, Australia - MDPI, accessed July 28, 2025

Preview of Semi-arid woodlands (grassy sub-formation) | NSW Environment, Energy and Science, accessed July 12, 2025, )

Semi-arid woodlands (grassy sub-formation) | NSW Environment, Energy and Science, accessed July 12, 2025, )

Contextual Support Government

Temperate Grasslands - Greening Australia

Preview of Semi-arid woodlands (shrubby sub-formation) | NSW Environment, Energy and Science, accessed July 12, 2025, )

Semi-arid woodlands (shrubby sub-formation) | NSW Environment, Energy and Science, accessed July 12, 2025, )

Contextual Support Government

Semi-arid woodlands (grassy sub-formation) | NSW Environment, Energy and Science, accessed July 12, 2025, )

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Stream Dissolved Nitrogen Cycling Responds to Human Activity across the Landscape, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Stream Dissolved Nitrogen Cycling Responds to Human Activity across the Landscape, accessed July 16, 2025,

Preview of The Riverina Bioregion - Environment and Heritage, accessed July 16, 2025,

The Riverina Bioregion - Environment and Heritage, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support

The Riverina Bioregion - Environment and Heritage, accessed July 16, 2025,

Preview of Threats - EPA SA, accessed July 16, 2025,

Threats - EPA SA, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Threats - EPA SA, accessed July 13, 2025,

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Water Quality Objectives - Border Rivers - NSW Government, accessed August 12, 2025

Regulatory Framework Government

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Preview of Woodlands - DCCEEW, accessed August 5, 2025,

Woodlands - DCCEEW, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support

Woodlands - DCCEEW, accessed May 19, 2025

Context

Region Australia
Biome Temperate Semi-Arid Shrublands & Open Woodlands
Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
Assessment Conservation Target
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 16 Mar 2026

Notes

The benchmark represents the best available natural condition in a conservation area. The natural background concentration is near zero, and any increase indicates external nutrient input. The upper detrimental threshold is 11.5 mg/L as NO3−, above which ecological harm is likely.

Related Benchmarks

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