Figure 9 : Grassed up diversion bank or channel ( left ) and fully grassed outlet end and down slope spreader banks ( right ) Apr 2018
Half of the main gully feature was to be regraded and battered but , in the change of property ownership , this treatment was not implemented . A number of hand-constructed porous check dams were installed using recovered rock from within the gully feature and a substantial rock apron was installed at the main gully outlet to the creek , using 150-300mm rock .
The most northern gully feature and subcatchment in the project area was remediated and reseeded through the NQ Dry Tropics , Landholders Driving Change project in January 2020 .
Aim of the site treatments was to :
• remove water from the gully heads through diversion of flow ;
• trial some rehabilitation techniques , including the effectiveness of spreader banks , catchment ripping and re-seeding , and ripping and re-seeding of scalded sites ; and
• investigate livestock impact on stabilisation and revegetation of eroded sites e . g . test biological carpeting and UHD livestock treatments on reprofiling of eroded areas and reestablishment and recovery of pasture cover .
Livestock treatments being investigated
The Stomping out Sediment project investigated whether applied livestock treatments offered erosion management opportunities equal to , or better than , stock exclusion , potentially providing another option for graziers .
The project premise was that planned livestock impact at ultra high density ( UHD ) on degraded landscapes , followed by long pasture recovery periods , results in :
• improved pasture composition , increased vegetation biomass , and improved soil health of treated areas , with resultant improvement in rainfall infiltration , less runoff and improved land condition ; and
• improved profile of gullies and re-establishment of suitable vegetation cover on the reprofiled gullies .
At this site , the effects of biological carpeting and planned livestock impact at ultra high density ( followed by long pasture recovery periods ) on a severely-degraded landscape were investigated .
Implementation activity summary :
• 300m diversion bank constructed with three spreader banks below outlet ;
• small PCDs constructed with recovered rock from gullies , rock apron on main gully ;
• 50ha fenced , with 1km permanent fencing , 1ha trial treatment area fenced ( Scald 2 ), 1 / 2 ha grazing trial area fenced ;
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