Estuary Pressure Rating System

Rating of indicators or indices of estuary pressure into a colour scale is a visual tool for communicating relative health between indicators, estuaries, regions or state-wide. All indicators of estuary pressure were rated on a five colour scale of dark green, light green, yellow, orange and red representing (respectively) very low, low, moderate, high and very high pressure. Ratings for individual pressure indicators within an estuary were integrated into an estuary pressure index, an overall pressure indicator rating in a region and state-wide and an overall pressure rating for all estuaries in a region and state-wide (see Estuary Index Rating metadata). Ratings and colour scales have been incorporated into reports on estuary condition and pressure called State of the Catchments 2010 reports available on the OEH website.