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Team effort helps to restore balance to the Barwon
Key threats to the health of the upper reaches of the Barwon River in South West Victoria are being tackled in a cooperative project involving private landholders and government agencies.
The Barwon River, rising in the tall, wet forests of the Otway Ranges and flowing through farmland before meeting the sea at the popular holiday town of Barwon Heads, is in trouble. Clearing of native plants and excessive nutrients and sediments in runoff from farmland has upset the river's ecological balance, causing bank erosion and toxic blue-green algae.
Weeds and pests such as gorse, blackberries, willows and rabbits have created further stream management problems along the river and its tributaries.
Funding
The Upper Barwon Landcare Network received $1.16 million over three years from the Australian and State Government, via the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA), to restore the river's crumbling banks.
The Network has focused on the area upstream of Winchelsea, on the Princes Highway west of Geelong. This includes the Mathews, Wormbete, Deans Marsh and Pennyroyal creeks.
The project's key partners include the Corangamite CMA's river health team - which led efforts to remove willows and construct grade control structures - and the Victorian Government's Departments for Primary Industries and Sustainability and Environment, which planned and carried out the control work.
Activities
Network Coordinator Neil McInnes said landholders had built nearly 30 kilometres of fencing along the Barwon and its tributaries to exclude livestock.
"We've largely focused on Mathews Creek as it's an important source for Barwon Water's urban supply," Neil said.
About 300,000 trees have been planted over the past three years, mostly on private land. Landholders have contributed significant amounts of their time to tree-planting and fencing efforts.
The project has removed many willows from the creeks and river. Willows colonise the riverbed, altering its natural flow, causing flooding, erosion and biodiversity loss and reducing water quality. Another invader of native bushland, prickly gorse - which displaces native plants and shelters rabbits - has been eradicated from large sections of the river.
In addition, more than 5000 tonnes of rock was embedded in the river's banks to stabilise erosion.
Achievements
Neil said a major success of the project was the strong relationships formed between Landcare, landholders and government agencies.
"We've achieved far more together than we could have dreamed of on our own," Neil said. "We're now building on our success in Mathews Creek by planning for a similar project in the Deans Marsh and Pennyroyal Creek system."
More information
- Neil McInnes, Project Coordinator Upper Barwon Landcare Network: (03) 5231 6394 or neilubl@bigpond.net.au
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