Managing Creeks and Waterways in the Southern Tablelands of NSW
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rivers and water quality arteries of the Australian environment Managing creeks and waterways in the southern tablelands of New South Wales: A woolgrowers guide rivers and water quality Managing creeks and waterways in the southern tablelands of New South Wales: A woolgrowers guide RIVERS AND WATER QUALITY Managing creeks and waterways in the southern tablelands of New South Wales: A woolgrowers guide Published by: Land & Water Australia Postal address: GPO Box 2182, Canberra ACT 2601 Office location: Level 1, Phoenix Building, 86 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon ACT Telephone: 02 6263 6000 Facsimile: 02 6263 6099 E-mail: Land&[email protected] Internet: www.landwaterwool.gov.au and www.rivers.gov.au COPYRIGHT Copyright of this publication, and all of the information it contains, jointly vests in the Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation, with its brand name being Land & Water Australia, and Australian Wool Innovation Limited. Both Corporations grant permission for the general use of any or all of this information provided due acknowledgement is given to its source. Land, Water & Wool is a research partnership between Australian Wool Innovation Limited and Land & Water Australia. DISCLAIMER The information contained in this publication is intended for general use, to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the sustainable management of land, water and vegetation. The information should not be relied upon for the purpose of a particular matter. Legal advice should be obtained before any action or decision is taken on the basis of any material in this document. The Commonwealth of Australia, Land & Water Australia, the authors, and Land, Water & Wool and its partners do not assume liability of any kind whatsoever resulting from any person’s use or reliance upon the content of this document. Written and prepared by: Fleur Flanery, Phil Price and Siwan Lovett Citation: Flanery, F., Price, P. & Lovett, S. 2007, Managing creeks and waterways in the NSW tablelands: A woolgrowers guide, Land & Water Australia. Print ISBN: 1 921253 41 X Electronic ISBN: 1 921253 42 8 Product code: PX071293 Front cover photograph: Roger Charlton Design and production: Angel Ink Printed by Paragon Printers May 2007 Contents Acknowledgements iv Introduction 1 What are riparian zones, and why are they important? 3 Are my waterways in good condition? 9 A checklist for assessing river, stream or creek health on farms 11 Getting started 15 Putting it into practice — management recommendations 17 1. Grazing management and stock mustering 18 2. Streambank and gully erosion 21 Land, Water & Wool – Rivers in the Yass region 22 Case study — Dealing with gully erosion at Bogolara 22 Case study — The CSIRO’s Open Air Laboratory 25 3. Water quality and off-stream stock water 27 4. Flood management 28 5. Weeds, feral animals and fire 30 What’s the problem with willows? 31 Planning for change 33 There is help available 35 I’d like to know more! 36 What grows in my region? 39 RIVERS AND WATER QUALITY Acknowledgements We would like to thank the many people who Research have been involved in this project which began Research was conducted in March 2002. They include representatives by CSIRO as part of its of the following organisations, in particular, the Open Air Laboratory Project. Bookham Agricultural Bureau, Murrumbidgee • Principal researcher — Catchment Management Authority and the Dr Gary Caitcheon, NSW Department of Primary Industries. The CSIRO Land & Water representatives made important contributions to the project and ensured every meeting was • Other researchers were — Sue Vink, Danny enjoyable despite the lack of rain over the period Hunt, Garry Miller and Jim Brophy 2003–07. Specifically the following people gave • Project officer — Fleur Flanery, significant time and valued advice and Placing Nature Pty Ltd contributions. • John Betts, ‘Cowridge’,Yass CSIRO Open Air Laboratory projects and participants • Mike Grogan, ‘Illalong’, Binalong • Mike Grogan, ‘Illalong’, Binalong • Brendon and Jim Lunney, ‘Bogolara’, Bookham • Will Kelly, ‘Red Hill’, Bowning • Kevin Schofield, ‘Bogolara’, Bookham • Mal and Louise Hufton, ‘Naranghi’, Harden • Chris and Margot Shannon, ‘Talmo’, Bookham • Neil and Rob McColl, ‘Bobbara’, Galong • Phil Graham, NSW Department of Primary Industries,Yass • Pat and Rita O’Connor, ‘Oxton Park’, Harden • Brad Parker, Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority Woolgrower case study participants • Louise Hufton, ‘Harden-Murrumburrah’ • Chris and Margot Shannon, ‘Talmo’, Landcare Group Bookham • Lori Gould and Brian Cumberland, • Sam Bucknell, ‘Otterbourne’,Yass Greening Australia ACT & SE NSW • Barry Walker, ‘Ledgerton’, The Mullion Introduction This document has been prepared for Boorowa woolgrowers in the southern tablelands of NSW OíConnor, “Sprin gfield” Cunningah Road to help them learn about, and better manage, Brown, “Woodlands” the creeks and waterways on their farms. It is a Harden- Lachlan Valley Way Murrumburrah summary of work undertaken by the Land,Water Burley Griffin Way & Wool program in the Yass region, and reports McColl, “Willow Green” Binalong back to woolgrowers and the local community on Hufton, Kelly, “Naranghi” “Red Hill” what has been achieved. Other woolgrowers in the Grogan, “Illagong” higher rainfall (over 600 mm) and sheep/wheat Garry, “Weilora” Hume Highway Hume Highway zones (300–600 mm) of NSW and other parts Jugiong Bookham Yass of Australia will also find it useful. Lunney, “Bogolara” Land, Water & Wool is a unique national research program for woolgrowers. It’s a joint initiative The NSW demonstration site for the Land, Water of Australian Wool Innovation Limited and & Wool Rivers sub-program was established near Land & Water Australia. Land, Water & Wool Bookham, 42 kilometres from Yass on the Hume aims to develop production-based solutions Highway in the uplands of the Murrumbidgee to land management issues and is the largest catchment.The project focussed on managing collaborative natural resource management gully erosion in the NSW southern tablelands to research investment for the wool industry. improve water quality and maintain productive It has seven sub-programs with different themes: wool pastures. Sustainable grazing on saline lands Whilst the focus of projects of this kind are generally on practical outcomes such as the Rivers and water quality kilometres of fencing completed, amount of trees planted or the success of revegetation treatments, Native vegetation and biodiversity the people working on the Land, Water & Wool Rivers sub-program believe that the real success of any natural resource project is when the Managing pastoral country mind or hearts of the farmers involved have been changed, and they have a long-term Managing climate variability commitment to their project outcomes. Future woolscapes A key element of this program is the recognition that landowners have a rich knowledge of their landscape and that it expresses itself as Benchmarking and evaluation a “knowing” which has more to do with sight, sound, touch and feeling of the place. The “knowing” and the science are talking about To find out more about Land, Water & Wool the same issues; but separated by a different go to www.landwaterwool.gov.au language — a bridge we need to cross together. 1 RIVERS AND WATER QUALITY The people working on the Land, Water & Wool – Rivers sub-program believe that the real success of any natural resource project is when the mind or hearts of the farmers involved have been changed, and they have a long-term commitment to their project outcomes. Through the Land, Water & Wool – Rivers & • Profit — the outcomes from the research Water Quality project we have tried to develop into river and riparian management need ways to measure and remind us that every place to have an economic focus so that they is special, distinctive and worth appreciating. can be incorporated readily into the farm This has meant that scientists and woolgrowers business. Profit is also used to express the have worked together to look at ways rivers environmental and social gains that can be and riparian areas can be managed within the made from improving river and riparian farming system to meet a range of different management. objectives. What became clear during this work • Proof — excellent science is needed with was that river and riparian areas are far more credible researchers investigating how river than a source of drinking water for stock, and and riparian areas will respond to different that woolgrowers have many reasons for wanting management approaches. Woolgrowers need to care for these parts of the farm. In recognition good science to have confidence to act. of this, the Five Ps of People, Place, Profit, Proof, and Promise were used to highlight the many • Promise — Our promise to give something different ways rivers and riparian areas are back to wool growing communities we thought about, valued and managed by work with so that they can benefit from the woolgrowers. The Five Ps are: research and implement the recommended management approaches that are developed. • People — investing in the people and communities is important so that their This publication has something from each experience is recognised and valued, of the Five Ps, with the research that has been and people can share ideas, stories and undertaken presented in terms of the scientific knowledge. findings, the implications these have for on-farm • Place — we need to appreciate that the land management, and the approaches different where experimental or demonstration sites woolgrowers have taken to incorporating their are located is also someone’s farm and home management of streams and creeks into their and therefore special to them and to their day-to-day farming operation. identity. People Place Profit Proof Promise 2 What are riparian areas and why are they important? Riparian areas are at the boundary between land Riparian areas and their vegetation perform and water, so they are important buffers between many important functions within the landscape: what happens on farms and the water quality and 1. Trap and store sediment health of local streams.