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Restoring waterways

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Healthy rivers, springs, creeks and waterholes are the lifeblood of any ecosystem.

Healthy waterways support populations of native wetland grasses and shrubs, aquatic plants, insects, frogs and native fish, as well as supplying fresh water to all other species.

Feral pigs destroy watering points by rooting up vegetation, trampling and wallowing. Cattle, horses and other herbivores also congregate around creeks and watercourses eroding stream banks and damaging native vegetation.

Silting and salting of waterways, caused by over-extraction of water and over-clearing of land, are resolved by adopting a long-term integrated strategy across their catchments.

Restoring the health of these waterways can take years. We're tackling salt-affected waterways by working with neighbours and in regional partnerships to replant large areas of cleared land, control agricultural run-off and modify local land management techniques.

Ecologist Angela Sanders with Paula Deegan doing water quality monitoring in the Fitz-Stirling region.

Fencing pigs and other introduced herbivores out of natural springs and waterways has profound effects on water quality and the health of wetland areas.

At Carnarvon Station Reserve in Queensland many of the springs have been fenced. Water in the springs is once again crystal clear and supporting a flourishing and expanding fringe of native grasses and water plants. Aquatic insects and frogs have returned and birds and small native animals are again drinking clear water.

Ramps erected across the fences allow native animals access to the springs while excluding hard-hooved animals.
Myall Spring on Carnarvon Station Reserve, Queensland. Photo Peter Mills.

Once water tables start to fall on properties affected by salinity, we expect to see an improvement in the quality of the water in the creeks and rivers. This leads to an improvement in the health of the stream-side vegetation and the populations of animals that are dependent on these ecosystems.

Stories on restoring waterways

04/10/2017 Video
Loving a river to life
Restoring the riverbanks of the Upper Murrumbidgee has provided new hope for the endangered Macquarie Perch.
02/08/2014 Blog Post
River stewardship & Platypus rescue!
Scottsdale Reserve is demonstrating excellent river stewardship via supporting a project to help protect the spectacular Black Rock Gorge (which makes up part of the Scottsdale Reserve boundary) that involves adventurous volunteers carrying out environmental weeding and apparently ... platypus rescue!
16/11/2014 Blog Post
Hi-tech acoustic fish tracking
A series of acoustic telemetry receivers have now been deployed in a 20km stretch of the Upper Murrumbidgee River, centered around Bush Heritage Australia's Scottsdale Reserve. This hi tech fish monitoring equipment will be used to track carp and native fish to help threatened fish species management.
05/09/2014 Blog Post
Gungoandra Creek rock weir
There's a very exciting project that was finished at Scottsdale this week! Nearly four years in the planning, design and funding the Gungoandra Creek rock weir and fish way has been successfully constructed over the last three weeks. It's the most significant component of the erosion control plan that volunteer soil consultant Peter Fogarty has helped Scottsdale with.