Saddleback project site
Saddleback project site
( fencing completed April 2020 )
Figure 42 : Saddleback project site in relation to Tabletop homestead ( bottom right ) Background and implementation
The project area was a well-developed gully system of about 0.8ha and a less developed gully area of 0.2ha feeding into an unnamed creek , on a narrow leaf ironbark on deeper soils land type .
• A laneway fence is one side of the project area and a section of the gully has almost reached this laneway .
• Several wide drainage lines feed into the gully areas but they are not well defined .
• The immediate subcatchment is defined by a ridgeline 200-300 metres from the head of the main gully system .
• The main gully feature was heavily eroded and devoid of vegetation , with several channels developed in the feature to a depth of 1.5m with the main outlet up to 3m in depth .
• The main erosion channel has stabilised on a rock outcrop .
• Upslope of the main gully feature the soil surface was devoid of , or had reduced cover and was actively eroding at seven gully heads .
• A smaller gully had some active erosion areas but was relatively stable and not deeply incised .
• The immediate subcatchment generally had good ground cover dominated by Indian couch .
The proposed project area for this site was approximately 12ha but the fencing was not undertaken prior to the sale of the property . Some ripping and reseeding of the sub-catchment area and reshaping of one of the gully heads was proposed but this was not undertaken after the property was sold .
The completed project fenced off about 3ha of the main gully and the minor gullied site was treated as a control site . However , the area around the project site was cleared in 2021 and the minor gully was stick-raked .
Aim of the site treatment :
• Remove continuous grazing pressure ; and
• trial the impact of a UHD livestock treatment on revegetation of eroded areas . 80