Fitzroy River, Queensland, Australia. II. Identification of Sources of Estuary Bottom Sediments

Environmental Context. The Fitzroy River Basin constitutes a major source of suspended sediment and nutrient fluxes to the southern Great Barrier Reef. Improved land management practices to ameliorate these catchment loads require an understanding of the sediment sources and dynamics. This multidisciplinary geochemical and modelling study provides for the first time a quantitative estimate of sediment sources delivered to, and their degree of retention in, the Fitzroy River Estuary.

Abstract. Sources of sediment deposited in the Fitzroy River Estuary (FRE) have been identified and quantified using an integrated geochemical, modelling and reconnaissance soil sampling approach. A companion paper (this volume) identifies the major sources of sediments in impoundments on the major river systems and sediment sampled from flood events in the Fitzroy River Basin (FRB). Sediment within the FRE may display distinct longitudinal variation with little basaltic material retained. Sediments derived from the Bowen Basin, which occupies the greatest portion of the FRB, and from the Surat Basin display the greatest longitudinal variation. All FRB soils have a similar total phosphorus (P) concentration. Thus, in considering P export from the catchment it is the total sediment flux which is of major importance, rather than the relative proportions of individual catchment soils. This research provides crucial new regional scale information on the sediment sources deposited within the FRE.