Streambank Stability: why, what, where & how?

Contents

• Theme: Streambank stability
• Case study 1: Haughton River Mill Farm
• Local government focus
• Getting a Grip: Notes from the field
• Case study 2: 'Elverton' and 'Old Whisloca'
• It's a Wrap: News from around Australia

Why is streambank stability important?

We are all familiar with what can happen when land is over-cleared, stock grazed without control along streams, gravel is extracted from streambeds and watercourses are straightened to make navigation easier.

Whilst streams and rivers 'naturally' experience erosion and other channel changes, the impact of activities like those listed above has, since European settlement, accelerated these processes to often unacceptable levels.

Streambank stability is important because a physically unstable stream can cause many problems. Without stable streambanks, infrastructure such as buildings and bridges can be threatened, valuable land production lost, stock injured and important habitat lost for native plants and animals.

These financial and environmental costs make streambank stability one of the most important management issues facing landowners and catchment communities across Australia today.

From the Editor

Hello! and welcome to the tenth edition of RipRap. My name is Siwan Lovett and I am the Program Coordinator for the Riparian Lands Research and Development Program.

With my appointment as the new program coordinator, it seemed an appropriate time for RipRap to take on a new look. Each edition of RipRap will now be focused around a particular management issue, and will aim to provide material that is practical, relevant and informative to a wide range of groups and organisations.

The newsletter will maintain the case study segments so that we can see what is happening in the 'real world' of riparian management, as well as providing information about new research findings, upcoming events and a whole lot more...

This edition of RipRap is dealing with the difficult management issue of streambank stability. Potential issues for future RipRaps include: how to define the riparian zone for management purposes, integrating riparian management into farm planning, and how to work out what the critical riparian issues are in your catchment. We welcome your suggestions on future themes.

I hope you find the newsletter useful, and look forward to receiving your comments on the revised format. Happy reading!!

Download Adobe Acrobat version of Streambank Stability: why, what, where & how? (riprap10.pdf 1.5Mb)

Click here to request a printed copy of RipRap, or suggest a theme for future issues.