Camm River Confluence to Newdegate

Camm River Confluence to Newdegate

Government of W estern Australia Department of Wa te r Waterway assessment of the upper Lockhart River: Camm River confluence to Newdegate Water resource management series Report no. WRM 58 Looking after all our water needs December 2009 Waterway assessment of the upper Lockhart River: Camm River confluence to Newdegate This project is funded by the Avon Catchment Council and the State and Australian governments through the Natural Heritage Trust and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality. AVON RIVERCARE PROJECT Department of Water Water resource management series Report no. WRM 58 December 2009 Department of Water 168 St Georges Terrace Perth Western Australia 6000 Telephone +61 8 6364 7600 Facsimile +61 8 6364 7601 www.water.wa.gov.au © Government of Western Australia 2009 December 2009 This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Department of Water. ISSN 1326-6934 (print) ISSN 1835-3592 (online) ISBN 978-1-921637-28-5 (print) ISBN 978-1-921637-29-2 (online) Acknowledgements The Department of Water would like to thank the following people for contributing to this report: Penny Butcher and Lyn Atkins (Ecoscape), co-authors Martin Revell, Bernard Kelly & Shepherd Chipfunde (Department of Water), report review Lyn Atkins and Catherine Krens (Ecoscape), field survey and photography. Mapping by the Department of Water. For more information about this report, contact Northam office, Department of Water on (08) 9690 2620 Disclaimer This document has been published by the Department of Water. Any representation, statement, opinion or advice expressed or implied in this publication is made in good faith and on the basis that the Department of Water and its employees are not liable for any damage or loss whatsoever which may occur as a result of action taken or not taken, as the case may be in respect of any representation, statement, opinion or advice referred to herein. Professional advice should be obtained before applying the information contained in this document to particular circumstances. Cover photo: Salt lake reflections, Commonwealth Road, Shire of Kulin. Photograph by Claire Hamersley. Waterway assessment for the upper Lockhart River: Camm River confluence to Newdegate Water resource management series, no. WRM 58 Contents Summary .....................................................................................................................xi 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Avon River basin ............................................................................................. 1 1.2 Managing natural resources in the Avon River basin ..................................... 1 1.3 Aims of the upper Lockhart River waterway assessment ............................... 3 1.4 Nature of the upper Lockhart River study area ............................................... 3 Upper Lockhart River study area .................................................................... 3 Nature of the Lockhart River landscape ....................................................... 4 Hydrology and water quality ........................................................................... 8 Land tenure ................................................................................................... 10 Post-clearing changes to naturally saline waterways ................................... 12 2 Waterway assessment methodology ..................................................................... 16 2.1 Site selection ................................................................................................ 16 2.2 Recording of survey information ................................................................... 16 Floodplain features ....................................................................................... 16 Description of the riparian vegetation ........................................................... 17 Links to protected remnant vegetation .......................................................... 20 Aquatic vegetation ........................................................................................ 20 Water quality data ......................................................................................... 20 Management ................................................................................................. 20 Fauna species .............................................................................................. 20 2.3 How is the information that is collected used? .............................................. 21 3 Main findings and management recommendations .............................................. 22 3.1 Vegetation condition ..................................................................................... 22 3.2 Management issues ...................................................................................... 24 3.3 Salinity and waterlogging .............................................................................. 24 Engineering options ...................................................................................... 25 Recommendations for the management of salinity and waterlogging .......... 30 3.4 Flows being impeded by road crossings ....................................................... 31 Recommendations for the management of flood flows ................................. 32 3.5 Tributaries ..................................................................................................... 32 Recommendations for tributary management ............................................... 32 3.6 Management of remnant vegetation ............................................................. 33 Department of Water iii Water resource management series, no. WRM 58 Waterway assessment for the upper Lockhart River: Camm River confluence to Newdegate Recommendations for remnant vegetation management ............................. 33 3.7 Riparian vegetation ....................................................................................... 34 Recommendations for riparian vegetation .................................................... 35 3.8 Fencing and stock access ............................................................................ 35 Recommendations for fencing ...................................................................... 35 3.9 Pest species ................................................................................................. 36 Recommendations for the management of pest species .............................. 36 3.10 Flora and fauna ............................................................................................. 37 Recommendations for flora and fauna conservation .................................... 38 3.11 Fire risk ......................................................................................................... 39 3.12 Rubbish ......................................................................................................... 39 Advice for rubbish management ................................................................... 39 4 Glossary ................................................................................................................ 40 References ................................................................................................................ 45 Appendices 1 Site survey reports ................................................................................................ 51 2 Standard survey form .......................................................................................... 119 3 Vegetation condition photographs ....................................................................... 126 4 Examples of local native species suitable for revegetation ................................. 127 5 Examples of species suitable for saltland pasture .............................................. 131 6 Flora and fauna lists ............................................................................................ 133 Tables 1 Water quality results for the 2006 and 2007 Avon River basin water quality snapshot �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������10 2 Crown reserves close to the floodplain in the study area ���������������������������������11 3 Vegetation condition rating scale, as adapted from Keighery (1994) ���������������19 A4 Examples of local species suitable for revegetation in valley floors in the Lockhart catchment. ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������127 iv Department of Water Waterway assessment for the upper Lockhart River: Camm River confluence to Newdegate Water resource management series, no. WRM 58 A5 Examples of species suitable for saltland pasture. ����������������������������������������131 A6.1 Native plant species found during the survey ������������������������������������������������133 A6.2 Introduced plant species found during the survey �����������������������������������������137 A6.3 Birds recorded during the survey �������������������������������������������������������������������138

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