RIPARIAN WORKS ON THE UPPER BARWON

Our Riparian Team has been working with Woods Environmental Services to complete willow removal works on both the Barwon River - West Branch and East Branch near the township of Forrest with five local landholders.

Works in December 2023 on the West Branch between Birregurra-Forrest Road and Boundary Road included the removal of willows on over three kilometres of river frontage. Works on the East Branch removed willows from approximately 1.7 kilometres of river frontage.

Willows are removed by cutting the trees at the base and treating them to manage regrowth. This approach keeps the substantial root mass in place and minimises bank erosion.

The remaining timber from the cut willows is piled for drying and burnt after summer as fire restrictions allow. These project areas are then fenced to exclude stock from the waterways and revegetated with native species to establish a more natural riparian area that support native species and improved water quality.

The willow removal works are both labour and cost-prohibitive and often the limiting element for landholders to proceed with restoration works in riparian areas.

In total, the five landholders have committed to protecting and revegetating these riparian habitats on over 14 hectares through this year’s program – supported by CCMA Upper Barwon Flagship project funding.

These projects are, in many cases, a first for this area where little investment in large-scale woody weed removal has occurred historically and will create an extremely positive outcome for the health of the river, for native species such as Platypus and threatened native fish (such as Little Galaxias) in these waterways.

These works also contribute to increasing the capacity of the Barwon River to transport greater flows of water by removal of Willow constriction points along the watercourse that are contributing to localised flooding.