Lower Ferguson catchment
The lower section of the Ferguson River is located on the Swan Coastal Plain and is located within the Collie Irrigation District operated by Harvey Water. The river receives flow from the upper catchment, and also irrigation water sourced from Wellington Dam.
This catchment is mostly cleared and consists of irrigated beef and dairy pastures, and these land uses are the main source of nutrients to the river. Rural properties also contribute to nutrient loading as a result of horse keeping, septic tanks and fertilisation. Poor quality soils in combination with summer irrigation and an extensive drainage network result in a large nutrient export from this catchment for its size. Water quality monitoring shows that there is a significant increase in phosphorus and nitrogen concentration in the lower reaches of the Ferguson relative to upstream monitoring.