Linking to the Lachlan
Linking to the Lachlan
Students from the USYD Landcare group organised a trip away to tackle a major project at the head of the Lachlan River in NSW. The key criteria? Caring about the land – and having fun!
Making a Difference -
LLCI011-015
The issue
The Lachlan River is the fourth longest river in Australia starting along the Breadalbane Plains in Southern NSW and travelling a further 1400km through the Central Tablelands and Central West of NSW. Much of the important riparian areas of the upper Lachlan catchment have been degraded by clearing, modification and by uncontrolled stock access. Waste from stock such as cows and sheep can contribute pollution, and trampling can destroy vegetation, soil structure, and result in loss of valuable soil and land. LachLandcare through the Australian River Restoration Centre's Rivers of Carbon is working with landholders to help create living corridors of riparian vegetation at the top of the Lachlan Catchment. We know that riparian vegetation has an important role in maintaining a healthy watercourse by revegetating degraded riparian zones we can improve a wide range of ecological functions such as providing habitat, buffering run-off, stabilising streambanks and regulating stream temperatures and light. We know that the work that we are doing here at the top of the catchment will have flow on benefits to our landholders, communities and biodiversity that rely on the Lachlan River.
The solution
Fencing off a large creek and planting it out with native tubestock is a huge undertaking, particuarly with a small window of opportunity to get tubestock into the ground in the right conditiions. The Sydney Uni Landcare Society are a Landcare group in the Goulburn Landcare Region. They have been operating for 20 years working mainly on a university property, Arthursleigh, near Goulburn. They are, however, interested in assisting neighbouring Landcare groups on projects that have broader community benefits and thus were keen to partner in the Rivers of Carbon project Linking the Lachlan along the Wollogorang Creek at Breadalbane. The energetic group managed to plant over 1.2km of creek frontage in one weekend, determined to finish the site before returning to Sydney and resuming their studies.
The impact
1.2km of creek protected from stock and planted out with 1000 tubestock will in time help control bank erosion by binding and holding the banks together and by absorbing the force of flowing water, improve water quality by filtering sediments and pollutants in run-off, provide habitat and food for birds, fish and other wildlife living in the water and on the banks including some of our threatened fish, frog and reptile species and provide shade and shelter. These effects will not only have an impact locally but will benefit landholders, biodiversity and communities along the Lachlan River.
Key facts
- Riparian areas are vulnerable and easily degraded
- USYD Landcare working with local Landcare groups and landholders to achieve broader community benefits
- Successful tree planting requires team effort and good coordination