Donnelly River - Strickland Gauging Station Downstream

The condition of the Strickland Gauging Station Downstream site  (site code: DR190DONN1/6081079), in the middle catchment of the Donnelly River, was assessed on 6-7 February 2020.

The assessment was conducted using standard methods from the South West Index of River Condition. Measures chosen for this assessment included fish and crayfish, aquatic habitat, water quality (dissolved oxygen, temperature, electrical conductivity, and pH logged over 24h, and colour, alkalinity, turbidity and nutrients), fringing vegetation, channel morphology, erosion, connectivity, local land use and flow.

Five fish species and two crayfish species were found at this site during the assessments:

• Nannoperca vittata (Western pygmy perch)
• Gambusia holbrooki (Eastern gambusia) – non-native
• Oncorhynchus mykiss (Rainbow trout) – non-native
• Perca fluviatilis (Redfin perch) – non-native
• Salmo trutta (Brown trout) – non-native
• Cherax cainii (Smooth marron)
• Cherax crassimanus (Restricted gilgie)

Only fish and crayfish are targeted by sampling methods. Other species that were caught and/or observed are listed below:

• Westralunio carteri (Carter’s freshwater mussel)
• Palaemon australis (South-west glass shrimp)
• Hydromys chrysogaster (Rakali), native, semi-aquatic mammal

At the time of sampling the site was a series of small isolated pools. In February 2017, 2023 and 2026 a site further upstream was sampled at Strickland Gauging Station.

The following species were caught at the Strickland Gauging Station site in February 2017 or August 2020, from traps set downstream of the Gauging station, and hence in the same sub-catchment as site Strickland Gauging Station Downstream (DR190DONN1/6081079).

• Afurcagobius suppositus (South-western goby)
• Bostockia porosa (Nightfish)
• Galaxias occidentalis Western minnow)
• Geotria australis (Pouched Lamprey, ammocoete)
• Pseudogobius olorum (Swan river goby)

Click on the images below to learn more.