Water monitoring and sampling manual
The Queensland Government undertakes water monitoring for a number of reasons including: providing information to government for policy and investment decision-making; to underpin natural resource management decisions by government and stakeholders; to assess environmental impacts; and to educate and inform stakeholders and the community.
Monitoring is also conducted by local government, industry, regional NRM bodies and community groups. Many of these organisations collect valuable information on the condition of Queensland waters that complements Queensland Government monitoring.
The Monitoring and Sampling Manual 2018 provides the common techniques, methods and standards for sample collection, handling, quality assurance and control, custodianship and data management for use by government agencies, relevant persons and other organisations.
The monitoring and sampling manual will help ensure that monitoring data available to all stakeholders is consistent and scientifically accurate. The data will help users assess the condition of Queensland waters and trends in water health. This is aimed at ensuring the aquatic environment can be managed for sustainable development and aquatic ecosystem health.
The Monitoring and Sampling Manual 2018 is the main document to determine the protocols when monitoring is required under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 and Environmental Protection Regulation 2019.
Download the report
You can download the full version of the manual:
Or browse the following sections of the manual:
Sampling design and preparation
- Sampling scope and design
- Preparation for sampling
- Record keeping, including taking field photographs and videos
- Quality control for water and sediment sampling
- Permits and approvals
- Control and reference sites
- Background information on the Global Positioning System and handheld units
- Operating a basic handheld Global Positioning System unit for an investigation or compliance inspection
- Choosing a laboratory and analytical method, holding times and preservation
Physical and chemical assessment
- Background information on water quality measurements using in situ water quality instruments
- Water quality sampling using in situ water quality instruments
- In situ water quality sampling using a Secchi disc
- Manual collection of surface water samples (including field filtration)
- Background to water quality sampling using automated sampling equipment
- Water quality sampling using automated sampling equipment
- Background to the use of passive sampling methods for trace contaminant detection
- Background to event monitoring
- Background on Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs)
- Chlorophyll a sample collection methods
- Test kits for water sampling
- Background information on the collection and preservation of sediment
- Collection and preservation of sediment
- Guidance on the sampling of groundwaters
- Swab sampling
- Background information on stable isotope analyses
- Sampling and preparation for stable isotope analyses of biota and sediment
Biological assessment
- Background to aquatic macroinvertebrates sampling and index calculation
- Aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling, processing and index calculation
- Background information on sampling bores for stygofauna (subterranean aquatic fauna)
- Sampling bores for stygofauna
- Background to fish sampling and index calculation
- Fish holding, identification and measurement of length and weight
- Sampling fish communities using electrofishers
- Sampling fish communities using seine nets
- Sampling fish communities using bait traps
- Sampling fish communities using fyke nets
- Sampling fish communities using gill nets
- Sampling fish communities using cast nets
- Fish collection and dissection for the purpose of chemical analysis of tissues
- Background to aquatic macrophytes, collecting data along a belt transect
- Aquatic macrophytes, collecting data along a belt transect
- Background to monitoring mangrove forest health
- Monitoring mangrove forest health
- Background to sampling zooplankton
- Sampling zooplankton with a Schindler-Patalas trap
- Background information on freshwater and marine microalgae and harmful algal blooms (HABs)
- Sampling freshwater and marine microalgae and harmful algae blooms (HABs)
- Background information on seagrass monitoring
- Measuring light using PAR
- Direct toxicity assessments
Data handling
Related information
Water quality monitoring data is available from the following Queensland government web pages:
- Water monitoring and data
- Ambient estuarine water quality monitoring data - 1993 to 2013
- Ambient estuarine water quality monitoring data (includes near real-time sites) - 2012 to present day
Wetland Info has additional information on aquatic monitoring programs throughout Queensland.
Contact details
For further information please contact the Healthy Waters Policy and Strategy Team:
Email: evinfo@des.qld.gov.au
Post:Healthy Waters Policy and Strategy
Department of Environment, Science and Innovation
GPO Box 2454
Brisbane QLD 4001
Note: Your responses may be subject to a Right to Information application.