Water Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-AIF-FOR-WEC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Thresholds: Lower: —, Upper: 1500

Direction: Lower is desirable ↓

Form: UpperThreshold

Scoring Curve

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

Evidence & Context

A comprehensive review by Nielsen et al. (2003) concluded that, as a general rule, aquatic biota are adversely affected as salinity exceeds 1000 mg/L, which the authors equate to an EC of approximately 1500 ³S/cm.

Metric Definition:

Water Electrical Conductivity (EC) as a measure of salinity in water.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the upper electrical conductivity threshold beyond which aquatic biota in production forestry systems of the Arid Inland Floodplains & Ephemeral River Systems biome in Australia experience adverse effects, indicating a shift to a degraded ecological state.

Justification:

This threshold represents a shift from a healthy to a degraded state and is supported by observed impacts across various biotic groups.

Sources (1)

Preview of (PDF) Effects of increasing salinity on freshwater ecosystems in ..., accessed July 20, 2025,

(PDF) Effects of increasing salinity on freshwater ecosystems in ..., accessed July 20, 2025, GreyLiterature

(PDF) Effects of increasing salinity on freshwater ecosystems in ..., accessed July 20, 2025,

Supporting Sources (16)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

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 Journal

Effects of increasing salinity on freshwater ecosystems in Australia - ResearchGate

Preview of A review of water quality studies relevant to northern Australia - CSIRO, accessed July 21, 2025,

A review of water quality studies relevant to northern Australia - CSIRO, accessed July 21, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Salinity and water quality

Preview of About the Lake Eyre Basin - DCCEEW, accessed July 20, 2025,

About the Lake Eyre Basin - DCCEEW, accessed July 20, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

About the Lake Eyre Basin - DCCEEW, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of Australia's forests – overview - DAFF, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Australia's forests – overview - DAFF, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Australia's forests - DAFF, accessed May 19, 2025

Preview of Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000) - Volume 3 - Chapter 9 - Primary Industries, accessed July 20, 2025,

Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000) - Volume 3 - Chapter 9 - Primary Industries, accessed July 20, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000) - Volume 3 - Chapter 9 - Primary Industries, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of Australian Native Forests and Water IFA Forestry Policy Statement 5.1, accessed August 10, 2025,

Australian Native Forests and Water IFA Forestry Policy Statement 5.1, accessed August 10, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Quantifying the water quality benefits of forests - Healthy Land & Water, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of Conductivity, TDS, Salinity, Resistivity - apera instruments, accessed July 20, 2025,

Conductivity, TDS, Salinity, Resistivity - apera instruments, accessed July 20, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Geological Control upon Groundwater Flow and Major Ion Chemistry with Influence on Basin Management in a Coastal Aquifer, South Australia - Scientific Research Publishing, accessed July 27, 2025,

Preview of Ecological condition of central Australian arid-zone rivers - PubMed, accessed July 21, 2025

Ecological condition of central Australian arid-zone rivers - PubMed, accessed July 21, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Ecological condition of central Australian arid-zone rivers - PubMed

Preview of ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT - Forestry Australia, accessed August 10, 2025,

ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT - Forestry Australia, accessed August 10, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

guidelines for sustainable forestry on private lands ... - ResearchGate, accessed July 31, 2025

Preview of Forests and Water - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, accessed July 20, 2025,

Forests and Water - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, accessed July 20, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Forests and Water - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of Inland waters - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 20, 2025

Inland waters - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 20, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Inland waters - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 20, 2025,

Jonathan MARSHALL | Queensland Government, Brisbane | Department of Environment and Science | Research profile - ResearchGate, accessed July 20, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Jonathan MARSHALL | Queensland Government, Brisbane | Department of Environment and Science | Research profile - ResearchGate, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of Measuring salinity - Department of Environment, Water and Natural - Landscape SA, accessed July 20, 2025,

Measuring salinity - Department of Environment, Water and Natural - Landscape SA, accessed July 20, 2025,

Methodology Source Government

Measuring salinity - Department of Environment, Water and Natural - Landscape SA, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of Rehabilitation of disturbed land in public drinking water source areas - Government of Western Australia, accessed July 20, 2025,

Rehabilitation of disturbed land in public drinking water source areas - Government of Western Australia, accessed July 20, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Rehabilitation of disturbed land in public drinking water source areas - Government of Western Australia, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of Resilience of floodplain ecosystems in a semi-arid environment - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 20, 2025,

Resilience of floodplain ecosystems in a semi-arid environment - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 20, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Creating a sustainable Murray-Darling - The Nature Conservancy Australia, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of Salinity and water quality, accessed July 20, 2025,

Salinity and water quality, accessed July 20, 2025,

Contextual Support

Salinity and water quality, accessed July 20, 2025,

Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Inland Floodplains & Ephemeral River Systems
Land Use Production Forestry
Assessment Degradation Threshold
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 19 Mar 2026

Notes

While many adult organisms can tolerate higher salinities, the vulnerability of early life stages and primary producers makes the ~1500 μS/cm level a critical threshold for maintaining population viability and overall ecosystem function. Exceeding this value indicates a significant departure from a healthy state.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AIF-FOR-WEC family.