Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
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Assessing the Swan-Canning Foreshore
The parks and reserves that hug the Swan, Canning, Avon, Helena and Southern rivers, which wind their way through Western Australia's Swan region, are up for assessment to gauge the condition of the foreshore.
This is no walk in the park. It's a comprehensive survey extending upstream from the Fremantle Traffic Bridge to Moondyne Brook on the Avon River, to the Lower Diversion Dam on the Helena River, along Southern River to the Allen Road crossing and the Canning River to the Stinton Creek confluence.
The assessment will help guide restoration work along the Swan and Canning Rivers and provide decision-making tools for future land planning, management and policy-making.
Funding
The project was allocated more than $200,000 in funding over two years from the Australian Government through Swan River Trust and the Swan Catchment Council. The State Government has also provided support.
Activities
Project Manager Roweena Hart said the Swan and Canning foreshores were complex, dynamic and highly modified.
"The assessment will give us an overview of the state of the foreshores and an understanding of natural pressures and impacts of human actions," Roweena said.
"Plant structure and condition, shoreline processes and characteristics including erosion, foreshore retaining structure, function and condition, and drainage outfall are being measured.
"By understanding the causes and effects of disturbances, state and local government agencies and private landowners can better understand their assets, threats and opportunities for restoration."
A 'report card' for the first section of river - the lower Swan-Canning system - has been completed. The condition of 54 per cent of foreshore retaining structures were 'fair', 29 per cent were 'poor', signifying some damage and the remaining 17 per cent were in 'good' condition.
Most of the foreshore vegetation of the lower Swan Canning system was recreational parks or open grass. Where grasses dominated, the report found there was little protection of beaches from shore retreat.
"While replanting the shoreline would be costly, the cost of maintenance would likely drop and could be cheaper in the long term than maintaining open parklands," Roweena said.
Of the 306 drainage outfalls in the lower Swan-Canning the report suggested options for redesign or retrofitting to reduce impacts on the foreshore, such as erosion.A spin-off from the project is the Swan River Trust Regional Herbarium, a reference collection of native and introduced plants of the Swan and Canning rivers that will help identify weeds and determine native plants for foreshore rehabilitation.
More information
- Roweena Hart, Project Manager: (08) 9278 0909 or roweena.hart@dec.wa.gov.au
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