Saltmarsh Mapping of Sydney Harbour, Parramatta River. VIS_ID 4157

An Assessment of the Saltmarsh of the Parramatta River and Sydney Harbour. NSW Dept. of Primary Industries, Cronulla. The first map showing the distribution of saltmarsh for the Parramatta River-Sydney Harbour estuary was created from aerial photos taken in the late 1970s (West et al. 1985). A subsequent map prepared from photos taken in 2000 (West et al. 2004) suggested there had been little change in distribution. However, recent anecdotal reports indicate that there may be many more small patches of saltmarsh than can be defined with aerial photography. Aerial photography and pedestrian survey were used to locate saltmarsh on the foreshore of the Parramatta River-Sydney Harbour, including the estuarine portions of Middle Harbour, Lane Cove River and Duck River. The location, condition and species composition of each patch was determined. Saltmarsh was defined as any intertidal community containing one or more species defined as "Characteristic Species" by the NSW Scientific Committee (2004) in its listing of Coastal Saltmarsh as an Endangered Ecological Community. The most recent aerial photographic coverage of the catchment of the Parramatta River was obtained. The boundaries of saltmarsh were mapped via onscreen digitising using Arcview version 3.3. To ensure consistent spatial accuracy, all digitising was carried out at an onscreen scale of 1: 700 or better. Presumptive maps of saltmarsh were printed at various scales to facilitate on-ground observations. Comprehensive pedestrian and boat based field surveys were carried out of the estuary's entire shoreline, with all saltmarsh patches identified field recorded, regardless of size. The results of field surveys were used to correct and redigitise the preliminary map as appropriate. VIS_ID 4157