rivers arteries of the Australian environment research project SOUTHERN TABLELANDS NEW SOUTH WALES Preventing erosion to maximise wool production Gully erosion threatens large areas The first stage of the Southern of land, impacting on whole farm Tablelands project involves productivity. It causes valuable soil monitoring selected gullies to and nutrients to be washed away, determine how much sediment and choking streams and rivers with nutrients the erosion is delivering to sediment. If left unattended, gully the stream on–farm. Then cost- erosion will eat away at farm effective treatments including flow productivity and result in areas that diversion, increasing vegetation become hazardous for stock and cover and limiting stock access will NEW SOUTH WALES make stock management difficult. be applied and monitored to measure the improvements as they Brendon Lunney (above) passionately believes in In the Southern Tablelands of New sustaining the land for the next generation so long as it South Wales, a demonstration site occur. An important part of this works hand-in-hand with productivity and profitablility. has been established at Bookham process will be to quantify the The quick and easy solution, to combat gully erosion on financial costs and benefits, as well his property near Yass, NSW, as a committed that focuses on gully erosion, a conservationist would be to remove all stock from problem common to many wool as the benefits to farm productivity affected areas. In severe cases this may be neccessary, and the immediate environment. but Brendan is seeking practical, low-cost solutions that growers in the region. Wool growers maintain profitablility and demonstrate sustainable wool and researchers will work together production to the wool industry. through the Land, Water & Wool Project Origins (LWW) River Management and Water Quality sub-program, to measure the This project is part of the Land, Water & Wool River Management and Water Quality impact of gully erosion and decide on sub-program. This sub-program aims to identify practical methods to improve river the most appropriate and cost effective and riparian management that wool growers can incorporate into their grazing treatments for gully erosion. system in an economically-viable way. SOUTHERN TABLELANDS The sub-program has established three demonstration sites nationally; the Macquarie River Catchment Tasmania, Mid North South Australia, and the project Land, Water & Wool (LWW) is a joint investment described in this sheet near Yass in the Southern Tablelands of NSW. SEP 03 DATE: between the wool industry’s peak research and development body, Australian Wool Innovation Limited, and the nation’s premier investor in natural resource management research; Land & Water Australia. River Management and Water Quality is one of eight Land, Water & Wool programs: The others are: Benchmarking and Evaluation RESEARCH PROJECT: RESEARCH PROJECT: Sustainable Grazing on Saline Land (SGSL) Native Vegetation and Biodiversity Managing climate variability Managing pastoral country Future woolscapes Sustainable Grazing Systems Harvest Year Stock tracks contributing to gully erosion rivers arteries of the Australian environment A flying start – CSIRO Open Air Laboratory • developing practical guidelines and methods to manage gullies on-farm. Land, Water & Wool research near Yass is working with CSIRO’s Open Air Laboratory (OAL) project which is For further information contact: monitoring landscape and river system processes like erosion, and sediment and nutrient transport in the Fleur Flanery Murrumbidgee catchment. Project Manager OAL monitoring sites have been Land & Water Australia located in Binalong, Bookham, GPO Box 2182 Jugiong, Gundagai, Tarcutta Creek, Canberra ACT 2601 Wagga, Narrandera and Tel: (02) 6263 6020 Darlington Point. E-mail: [email protected] The OAL’s research will study the Gully erosion Bookham NSW complex relationship between large rivers like the Murrumbidgee Dr Gary Caitcheon and its sub-catchments by: CSIRO - Open Air Laboratory fast facts GPO Box 1666 • identifying the main sources and on Bookham NSW processes which generate Canberra ACT 2601 sediment input to rivers; Catchment area: E-mail: [email protected] • determining nutrient sources; 96ha Annual average rainfall • quantifying the differences in water Order information about other quality upstream and downstream 825mm River Management and Water Quality of instream wetlands; Wool growers in region: Land, Water & Wool Projects: • examining the effect of instream • Improving water quality to benefit (Commercial Agricultural census in 2001) vegetation on sediment and 337 wool production PF 030 529 nutrient supply; Average micron for shire: • Tasmanian wool - natural landscapes, natural fibres PF 030 527 • measuring rates of gully erosion 19.5µm Order by telephone and sediment and nutrient yield; Major soil type: Freecall 1800 776 616 or telephone (02) 6295 4444. granite duplex soils with an average Order online • assessing channel bank erosion depth to B horizon of 40cm [email protected] and its causes; and Search our online catalogue at www.lwa.gov.au and follow the link to ‘Our Products’, where you can either order online or print an order form. or post to Predicting the impact of Spatial patterns and CanPrint Communications changes in flow on nutrient rates of gully and PO Box 7456 cycling and ecology in the hillslope sediment Canberra MC Murrumbidgee at large and nutrient yields Establishment of spacial scales instream ACT 2610 vegetation for water quality Lachlan R. Griffith remediation Look for other relevant fact sheets on riparian restoration at: www.rivers.gov.au Murumbidgee R. Jugiong Catchment Narrandera Binalong Darlington Pt BookhamYass Balranald • Managing riparian land Murrumbateman Murray R. • Streambank stability Burrunjuck Murrumbidgee Catchment Wagga Gundagai Dam • Improving water quality • Maintaining in-stream life Red Hill Canberra • Managing stock Sediment yields from stream bank erosion • Managing woody debris in rivers with increasing scale Tarcutta Creek • Inland rivers and floodplains in a major tributary of Nutrient and 0 80 km the Murumbidgee sediment budgets • Planning for river restoration River of sub catchments under different • River flows and blue-green algae land uses. • Managing phosphorus in catchments The study area Visit us on-line at The study area which is highlighted by the shaded area www.landwaterwool.gov.au is located in the Murrumbidgee Catchment of NSW and includes wool growers in the Southern Tablelands project partners: and Southwest Slopes of NSW. PF 030 530.