Background
Approximately 60% of Adelaide’s water supply comes from catchments in the Mount Lofty Ranges. The Sixth Creek catchment is the largest sub-catchment of the River Torrens containing the majority of watercourses that flow into the river, therefore it is important that we preserve any remaining healthy watercourses and rehabilitate degraded riparian areas.
When we talk about water in the catchment, we often refer to the riparian zone, which simply means land alongside a watercourse, wetland, dam etc… (including aqautic/semi-aquatic plants & terrestrial vegetation). The riparian zone is important as it supports a range of different animal and plant species compared with terrestrial land. It also acts as a refuge for native animals in extreme conditions (eg. drought, fire).
A healthy riparian zone plays a key role in protecting the watercourse through:
- minimising the effects of flooding and subsequent erosion
- improving water quality
- providing habitat for wildlife, and
- possibly increasing the value of your property
Management
If you are keen to rehabilitate or conserve your watercourse, there are several things you can do:
- preserve existing native riparian vegetation and buffer vulnerable areas with strategic native revegetation
- remove pest animal and plant species gradually to encourage natural regeneration
- stabilise and revegetate degraded riparian areas, and
- control and manage stock access to riparian zones
For further information or assistance, contact the Adelaide & Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board and enquire about the Land Management Program. The Sixth Creek Catchment Group may be able to provide assistance for these activities if funding is sufficient.
What you need to know
Local Case Studies (coming soon!)
Willow removal & revegetation at Uraidla
Fencing & revegetation to protect watercourse from grazing stock at Summertown