Watercourses are a very important feature of our natural environment and as such, it is critical that they are managed correctly.
This section of the website provides background information on the importance of watercourses, and offers practical advice to landholders on how best to manage any watercourses that are running through their property.
The topics we look at include:
Background information
Practical Watercourse Management Advice
Background Information
Why watercourses are important
Water that flows through a creek or river is precious and so to is the land that is adjacent to it.
This land is called riparian land. (See definition.) This 'riparian land' is important because it is usually the most fertile and productive part of the landscape, in terms of both agriculture and natural ecosystems. It generally has better quality soils than the surrounding hillslopes and, because of its position lower in the landscape, often retains moisture over a longer period.
Riparian land often supports a higher diversity of plants and animals than does non-riparian land. This is a result of its wide range of habitats and food types, its proximity to water, its microclimate and its ability to provide refuge.
Many native plants are found only, or primarily, in riparian areas, and these areas are essential to many animals for all or part of their lifecycle.
Riparian land also provides a refuge for native plants and animals in times of stress, such as drought or fire, and also provides corridors for wildlife in highly-cleared landscapes.
From an in-stream perspective, vegetation on riparian land regulates primary production through shading; supplies energy and nutrients (in the form of leaves and twigs, fruits, terrestrial insects and other organic matter) essential to in-stream organisms; and provides essential in-stream habitat by way of large woody debris (branches and tree trunks that fall into the stream).
In addition to being productive, riparian land is often a vulnerable part of the landscape — being at risk of damage from cultivation, grazing, weed invasion, spray drift from chemicals, and natural events such as floods and fire. This combination of productivity and vulnerability means that careful management of riparian lands is vital for conservation of Australia’s unique bio-diversity and economic productivity.
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Good reasons to manage your watercourse
As we have highlighted above, riparian areas are very important and the reasons they should be managed carefully can be summarized as follows:
- Decreased erosion
- Improved water quality
- Healthy ecosystems
- Maintaining river courses
- Stock management
- Decrease in insect pests
- Increase in capital values
- Shelter effects
- Opportunities for diversification
- Retention of nutrients
- Lowered water tables
- Increased fish stocks
- Landscape refuge
- Decreased algal growth
Read more about these reasons....
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Factors impacting on the condition of riparian land
Riparian land is a particularly dynamic part of the landscape. That is, it can change markedly — even under natural conditions. Fires, frosts, cyclones and floods can all have large impacts on riparian lands and result in major changes to channel position and shape, as well as to the surrounding vegetation.
Human impact since European settlement is very noticeable on riparian lands, with large-scale changes in condition and health.
The major impacts are summarised as follows:
- Exotic vegetation (tree and weed species)
- Bank instability Bed instability
- Uncontrolled livestock access
- Lack of native vegetation cover
- Presence of feral animals
- Threatened capital assets.
Read more about the factors....
Go to........Practical Watercourse Management Advice
Acknowledgement
Information used in compiling this page was sourced from the following Land and Water Australia publications:
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