Reef Trust Gully & Streambank Erosion Control Forum
Mar 17, 2022
Since 2017 Catchment Solutions has been working with the Australian Federal Government in the Reef Trust program rehabilitating gullies and streambanks to halt erosion and the subsequent sediment making its way to the Great Barrier Reef.
Catchment Solutions undertook an integrated catchment approach to sediment reduction associated with gully and stream bank erosion while working in the Reef Trust IV program over the last 5 years. The Project originally targeted two sediment producing creek systems, Princhester and Ten Mile Creeks located within the neighbourhood catchment F11 of the Fitzroy River.
Catchment Solutions partnered with landholders and on ground service providers to coordinate and provide funding to directly address hillslope and alluvial gullies with stream bank restoration and re-vegetation programs.
Seven project sites across eight properties – from the Styx River to Lower Fitzroy (between Morinish and Garnant) were targeted for rehabilitation and received:
- 33 kilometres of fencing (gully and riparian) and 26 watering points
- 21 porous check dams (timber and rock) plus 16 temporary sediment fences
- 8 gully systems reshaped
- 9 diversion banks constructed
- 8 large scale gully drop and in-stream rock structures constructed
- 8,000 tube stocks grown and planted
- 433 kg of native and pasture seed sown
- 6,664 tonnes of fine sediment prevented from reaching the Great Barrier Reef
In March 2022 the final Reef Trust IV forum was held to review all of the fantastic projects being run under the program and Phil Jeston from Catchment Solutions presented to the audience the outcomes of the work that had been delivered, the learnings and recommendations for similar programs to follow.
A PDF of the presentation Phil gave can be viewed here with some great looking before and after photos.
