Rushes Creek Progress Report – February 2015 Following the timber cleanup and follow-up weed control work in the upper Rushes Creek catchment, 90 tubestock trees were planted in early November 2014. A survey on 30 January showed only 3.5 mortalities (1 borderline), a remarkable result. We were lucky that sufficient rain fell at regular intervals over the summer to prevent high mortalities and we didn’t have to put much effort into watering. There are another 100 tubestock trees to plant in Autumn. Weeds sprayed were willow, poplar and blackberry regrowth and response has been variable. This will be monitored to evaluate any further work needed. This is a long term project and we need to maintain the success of our project by monitoring regrowth and having a plan for management. Project Background The remnant vegetation of Rushes Creek, near Jindabyne, which includes E.stellulata, E. pauciflora and Leptospermum species, has […]
Waterways
The last Stepping Stone to a Resilient River The Maclaughlin River was previously considered a “blue ribbon” fishing stream however stresses imposed on the river by invasion of willows & blackberry have progressively degraded the river. Willows have reduced flows and lowered water quality; and the invasion of the riparian zone by blackberries has had critical impacts on native flora & fauna in and around the river. Maclaughlin River Landcare group members are working together to undertake a long term project to restore their river. This project involves removal of willows, blackberry control and reduction of the flow of sediment into the river. Remnant vegetation is being managed by creating fenced out “stepping stones” for natural revegetation and wildlife migration along the river corridor. Fencing “islands” of remnant vegetation gives you many of the benefits of biodiversity conservation and connectivity without having to fence out the whole river channel. These […]
Rain didn’t help Landcare CSO Mark Robertson when recently working on erosion control at Jimenbuen. As part of the Upper Snowy Landcare Integrated Erosion Control project a flume is being built to decrease erosion at Crisps Creek near Jimenbuen. Six inches of rain just as they were starting work gave Mark a perfect opportunity to see where the problem was! The whole crossing flooded and the project was made all the more difficult due to the downpour. But they battled on and have made great improvements to the site. This is an integral part of the project and will be an ideal way to both showcase and test different erosion control methods. This erosion control project which has been funded through the Federal Governments Caring for our Country initiative is promoting an integrated approach to the causes and impacts of erosion in two ways. Firstly by promoting awareness of the need […]