Saving the creek banks
ONCE UPON A TIME … not too long ago, it was considered good practice to remove useless scrub and brush from creek banks and replace it with pasture. Not only did the scrub along the creek and river banks reduce the area that could be grazed, but the trees often fell into the creek and made snags … and that’s just messy!
So for over a hundred years, native vegetation was removed from the landscape and creeks were de-snagged of dead wood. The consequences should have been obvious in retrospect, but let’s not forget that the guys who undertook this herculean task, were often first generation settlers, new to the rhythms’ of this landscape and the monsoonal downpours that can turn bare hillsides into custard.
Massive erosion occurred across the landscape, crystal clear rocky creeks became silted bogs, big rivers became creeks, native fish populations collapsed as resources and habitat dwindled. Hills dried out as soils became shallower, floods increased as water moved across the land quicker and creeks dried up sooner as their catchments dried out.
These changes often happened subtlety over a few generations and the community memory of what has changed is often quickly lost.
Yes a riverbank that is now covered in grass is relatively stable. However, if the bank becomes undercut, the shallow roots of pasture grasses don’t stand a chance in holding the bank together and it will steadily collapse. Also once we introduce livestock into the creeks or even the nearby landscape, nutrients in the creek will also rapidly increase.
Add to this the balmy subtropical summers of south east Queensland and a lack of shade from the absence of trees and we have perfect conditions for a range of potentially toxic algae … and little else.
Planting trees on creek banks can help turn back the tide of ecological degradation. Yes there may be some initial erosion in the short term as we switch from pasture back to forest cover, but within five to ten years the roots of trees such as Figs (Ficus spp.) and Lillypilly’s (Syzygium spp.) will provide deep long term protection for creek banks. The shade that these trees provide cools the water and reduces algal blooms. The fallen trees, branches, leaves and fruit provide the habitat for native fish and other animals such as the platypus.
The water that flows through these forested creeks provides cleaner water for dams and for us!
A good example of creek bank rehabilitation is the Obi-Obi boardwalk in Maleny, twenty years ago this was an area full of weeds, erosion and rubbish. I was fortunate enough to be involved in the project from its very early stages and have witnessed the changes along this stretch of creek. I remember planting a Deciduous Fig (Ficus superb) on a steep collapsing bend (rather optimistically – I thought at the time) and can now go back and see a beautiful tree holding the creek bank firmly together. This area is a great testament to the community spirit of Maleny and our ability to heal the landscape when we work together.
Brush Turkey Enterprises
Ph 0428 130 769
spencer.shaw@brushturkey.com.au
www.brushturkey.com.au
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