Monitoring Country
Gnamma
Gnammas are rock holes on granite outcrops that catch water when it rains.. Some gnammas are very deep (pit gnamma) and can hold water even during hot and dry conditions. Other gnammas are too shallow (pan gnamma) to hold water all year round.
They are a fresh water source for humans, birds, reptiles, frogs and mammals. They also provide habitat for aquatic plants and invertebrates.
Where they live
Main Threats
Some of the key threats to the gnammas include:
- Pollution from feral animal scat or urination, like goats
- Loss of water from feral animals drinking, especially camels
Better understand:
REMEMBER! Any time you do work that might disturb or interfere with native animals and vegetation, particularly threatened species, you need to check with the state authorities to see if you need any approvals, such as licences or animal ethics committee permits. Click here for more information.
You can monitor gnammas to:
- Check on water quality
- Find out what species are in or using gnammas
- Check how well management of Country, gnammas and the animals/plants using gnammas is working
By using one or more the following methods, you can better understand gnammas on your Country. If you monitor the same place at the same time every year, you can see if there are changes to gnammas on Country.
Gnamma Monitoring
Monitoring gnammas can involve one or more of the following:
- Describing and measuring gnammas
- Checking water quality
- eDNA sampling
- Microinvertebrate (zooplankton) sampling
- Macroinvertebrate (water beetles, insects, worms and tadpoles) sampling
- Remote cameras
What can you learn?
- Change in water quality – track if there are changes to water quality over time
- Plant biodiversity – what species of plant are found in a gnamma
- Animal biodiversity - what animals are using gnammas including birds, reptiles and mammals that drink from them, and frogs and invertebrates that live in them
- Species richness – how many species of plants and animals are found in/using gnammas
Using it the Right-way
Avoid disturbing or touching the water until you have finished the eDNA sampling.
Use clean/new equipment between sites to avoid cross-contamination of samples.
You can learn more about gnamma monitoring on the How we check on things page and in the Standard Operating Procedure for Gnamma Monitoring
Any time you do work that might disturb or interfere with native animals and vegetation, particularly threatened species, you need to check with the state authorities to see if you need any approvals, such as scientific licences or animal ethics committee permits.
VIEW PERMIT INFO
Animals leave genetic (DNA) traces of where they have been shedding their fur, skin, urine, faeces, sperm and eggs into the environment. This DNA can be found for a short time afterward using environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring. This involves taking a water, soil or air sample and seeing if there …
Primary sources
This landing page was developing using the following sources:
Primary sources
This landing page was developing using the following sources
- Western Australian Museum (2025). Gnamma Holes. https://museum.wa.gov.au/explore/wa-goldfields/water-arid-land/gnamma-holes
- Bayly, I. (2002). The life of temporary waters in Australian gnammas (rock-holes). SIL Proceedings 1922-2010 28(1): 41-48. https://doi.org/10.1080/03680770.2001.11902546
- https://www.waterconnect.sa.gov.au/Content/Publications/DEW/dwlbc_2009_08_GawlerRangesReport_5Feb.pdf
Tools and resources
No additional tools or resources found.