BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION
The 50ha project area is both sides of 1.5km of an unnamed creek , in a narrow leaf ironbark , on deeper soils , land type . It includes :
• a ridgeline on the eastern side of the creek is the start of the catchment area for a number of gully features which form the main project remediation sites ;
• channel incision in the creek is evident , particularly around a number of gully entry points , and the incisions may have been an important driver for some of the gully erosion which developed at multiple sites ; and
• the ridgeline side of the creek had an active gully head at the northern end , a number of scald sites , the most severe of about 0.7ha in area , a large gully feature of around 1.0ha in area , and a number of less active gullies .
Figure 8 : Main gully Aug 2017 ( left ) and aerial image of Scald 2 , left of image , and main gully , centre of image , ( right ) May 2018
A 50ha project area was permanently fenced with the construction of a new 1km fenceline . Livestock were excluded for about 18 months ( two wet seasons ) after project site works were implemented .
Bob Shepherd , DAF Charters Towers , recommended and supervised the construction of a 300m diversion bank to reduce the volume of water moving into the existing erosion features - the main gully and the larger , adjoining , scalded area ( Scald 2 ). Several water spreading banks were also constructed below the outlet end of the contour bank to assist with safe disposal of the diverted water and to retain more water in the landscape .
An area of several hectares above the contour bank was ripped and re-seeded to slow water flow and to increase plant diversity . In addition , a small area was fenced to trial a short duration , ultra high density ( UHD ) grazing treatment aimed at improving pasture vigour and resilience .
A smaller scald area ( 0.3ha ) was used as a control site with a section of this scald ( Scald 1 ) ripped to improve infiltration ( and re-seeded ) to test this treatment on improving ground cover in a severe scald . The larger Scald 2 ( 0.7ha ) was fenced to allow a “ biological carpeting ” treatment by overnight camping of livestock .
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