River Ecology Australia provides the scientific, technical, and project management support for the Richmond River Ecological Health Program (RREHP) as an in‑kind contribution to the Richmond Riverkeeper Association. This is our way of giving back to the river and the community.
We manage the monitoring program, train and support citizen scientists, coordinate field logistics, and conduct all ecological analyses and reporting. While the core monitoring methods are established approaches, we created all the training materials, field guides, datasheets and protocols used in the program, ensuring volunteers can collect high‑quality, consistent and scientifically defensible data.
Our team turns these community‑collected data into the ecological health grades, maps, and insights that appear in each report card. We analyse trends, interpret catchment‑wide patterns, and identify the drivers of river health so Riverkeeper and the wider community have clear, transparent information to guide restoration, and protect the river for future generations.
The program is powered by the dedication of our trained citizen scientists; their commitment, skill, and care form the backbone of this community‑led effort. Sharing our expertise to support their work is one of the most meaningful ways we can contribute to the Richmond River’s recovery.
Report Card Spring 2025
The overall ecological health of the Richmond River Catchment has declined slightly this year, with the catchment grade dropping from C‑ to D but remaining at Poor. This reflects both real environmental pressures and the addition of 10 new monitoring sites in the Iron Pot Creek and Upper Richmond River catchments. These new sites, most graded Poor (D), provide a more complete picture of the catchment and show that several areas are in worse condition than previously understood. Across the catchment, a clear pattern continues with lower catchment sites showing poor water quality and low macroinvertebrate diversity, while upper catchment sites, despite showing generally better ecological water quality, still record low diversity, a sign of habitat degradation rather than pollution.
Report Card Spring 2024 and Autumn 2025
The repeated C- grade from the fourth and fifth RREHP samplings (spring 2024 and autumn 2025), reiterates the challenges identified in the first three assessment (autumn and spring 2023, and autumn 2024), reflecting persistent issues in the catchment's ecological river health. Lower catchment sites continue to show reduced water quality and low macroinvertebrate diversity, while upper catchment areas with relatively better water quality exhibit low diversity, indicating widespread compromised aquatic habitat. Ongoing impacts from the flood event in February 2022, leading to landslides and a legacy sediment load, poses ongoing risks to aquatic health and exacerbates the ecological challenges faced by the Richmond River catchment.
For more detailed information, please refer to the full report.
Report Card Autumn 2024
The Richmond River catchment faces persistent challenges impacting its ecological health as highlighted by the recurring C- grade in the RREHP report card. The lower catchment areas exhibit reduced water quality and limited macroinvertebrate diversity, while the upper catchment zones with comparatively better water quality still face issues of compromised aquatic habitats. Notable improvements have been observed in specific sites such as Coopers Creek, Lynches Creek, and Websters Creek at Stoney Chute, attributed to the presence of more sensitive macroinvertebrate taxa. However, concerns persist across the catchment, with citizen scientists reporting poor bank and bed conditions, particularly in the Upper Richmond and Wilsons catchment areas.
Heavy rainfall during sampling resulted in several sites not being sampled due to unsafe conditions for sampling due to high water. The rainfall and high streamflow. caused short-term disruptions to the natural balance in stream ecosystems with high flows dislodging macroinvertebrates, disturbing habitats, and leading to a reduction in the number of macroinvertebrates collected.
For more detailed information, please refer to the full report.
Report Card Spring 2023
The recurring C- grade in the second RREHP report card echoes the challenges identified in the initial assessment, reflecting persistent issues in the catchment's ecological river health. Lower catchment sites continue to show poor water quality and low macroinvertebrate diversity, while even upper catchment areas with relatively better water quality exhibit low diversity, indicating widespread compromised aquatic habitat. The impact of significant flooding events in February 2022, leading to landslides and a legacy sediment load, poses ongoing risks to aquatic health and exacerbates the ecological challenges faced by the Richmond River catchment.
Sampling riparian condition, water quality and river health using macroinvertebrates the Richmond River Ecological Health Program was created to provide publicly available ongoing riparian and ecological river health information for the Richmond River and its waterways and catchment. Thanks to funding by a Southern Cross University VC Flood Recovery Grant and support from the Richmond Riverkeeper Association and River Ecology Australia. The first sampling campaign was completed in May 2023 by our 11 trained citizen science groups.
