Salinity
The river's water quality has declined as a result of land clearing in the catchment area. It is estimated that 40% of the upper catchment area has been cleared and as a result salinity levels increased from 40 mg/L in the 1940s to when the rivers salinity levels peaked at 1520 mg/L in 1987 at the Mt Lindesay gauging station but now has an average of 700 mg/L and is a target level for the future has been set at 500 mg/L. In 2004 it was announced that salinity levels in the river were decreasing, believed to be the first major river in Australia that had shown a reversal in salinity trends, and that it is possible that the river could provide drinking quality water in the future.
Read more about this topic: Denmark River