Techniques for targeting erosion control and riparian protection in the Goulburn and Broken Catchments, Victoria. Report to Land & Water Australia

[摘要] Executive Summary: This report presents assessment techniques for setting catchment-scale priorities for improving water quality and riparian condition in the Goulburn and Broken catchments.Separate priorities are provided for erosion control and protection, and for rehabilitation of riparian vegetation.Erosion sources and sediment transport are assessed using the SedNet model, and the condition of existing riparian vegetation is assessed using tree cover data.The SedNet assessment indicates that erosion control should target riverbank and gully erosion as the primary sediment sources.Priorities for spatially targeting erosion control to address three different objectives are demonstrated; the first objective to reduce total suspended sediment supply to the river network, second to reduce suspended sediment export to the Murray River, and the third to reduce suspended sediment supply to reaches identified in the Goulburn-Broken Regional River Health Strategy as having high priority for improving water quality.Priorities for improving riparian condition are based on the principle that it is more efficient to protect riparian areas in good condition before rehabilitating riparian areas in poor condition.The priorities are thus to protect the least degraded sections first, then work from least to most degraded.Spatial priorities for riparian protection and rehabilitation are demonstrated that meet two different objectives; to improve riparian condition across the catchment, and to improve riparian condition in priority reaches for riparian improvement specified in the Goulburn-Broken Regional River Health Strategy.The assessments are tested using independent data.The benefits of the techniques in reducing suspended sediment loads and improving riparian condition are evaluated by estimating the magnitude of improvement from implementing the priorities.Priorities for research to further improve model performance are also recommended.

[发布机构] CSIRO

[学科分类] 地球科学(综合)