Chemical composition of some inland surface waters and lake deposits of New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

Chemical data are presented for several lakes and two impoundments on the Kosciusko and Monaro plateaux in south-eastern New South Wales, and for two rivers (Paroo and Darling), several freshwater lakes, and deposits from some dry salt lakes in western New South Wales. The concentrations of the major cations and anions, nitrate plus nitrite, and orthophosphate were investigated. For lake deposits, only major ions were investigated. The Kosciusko lakes were extremely fresh (salinity <3 p.p.m.) and chemically dominated by sodium and either bicarbonate, chloride or sulphate ions ; the Monaro peneplain lakes had a considerable salinity range (69-21,244 p.p.m.), and, with increasing salinity, sodium and chloride quickly assumed dominance. The Paroo and Darling Rivers had salinities <400 p.p.m, and the western freshwater lakes <850 p.p.m.; in both rivers and lakes, sodium and bicarbonate were the dominant ions. Deposits from dry salt lakes were mainly sodium chloride.