Iron Staining Risk Classification For Perth Groundwater

The dataset classifies groundwater iron staining risk as 'High risk' or 'Low risk' for the Perth region. It was developed by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation for the 'Perth Groundwater Atlas (2nd Edition), 2004'. The data is derived from monitoring bores and delineates areas with elevated iron or manganese staining potential.

Use Cases

• Train a geospatial classification model to predict 'High risk' or 'Low risk' zones based on proximity to wetlands and soil pH characteristics.
• Analyze the correlation between iron staining risk and regional hydrochemistry factors like manganese and calcium presence.
• Integrate the risk classification with land use data to assess groundwater quality impacts on urban development in well-developed suburbs.
• Map the density of monitoring bores to evaluate data confidence, noting reduced accuracy in outlying areas near the Darling Scarp.

Strengths

• Provides a clear binary classification ('High risk'/'Low risk') for groundwater staining potential.
• Developed for a specific, authoritative regional study: the 'Perth Groundwater Atlas (2nd Edition), 2004'.
• Available in multiple geospatial formats including GEOJSON, SHP, and WMS for interoperability.

Limitations

• Accuracy is limited by the number of sampled monitoring bores, with lower data density in outlying areas like the Darling Scarp.
• The map does not include all locations with potential iron staining, representing a known incomplete coverage.
• Primary data and analysis are from 2004, which may not reflect current groundwater conditions.

Provenance

Source

Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, Geospatial and Data Services Manager.

Collection Method

Developed from monitoring bore data for the Perth Groundwater Atlas project.

Time Range

Primary reference period is 2004 (Perth Groundwater Atlas, 2nd Edition).

Freshness

Metadata was last updated in March 2026, though the underlying study is from 2004.

Geography

Perth region, Western Australia, including areas near the Darling Scarp.