Splitters Creek erosion field day

Earlier this year, high-intensity rainfall events across the region have reminded us of the need to adapt to a changing climate, particularly those of us living along waterways.

Some catchments, which previously saw moderate or low drought-level flows, have struggled to cope with rainfall events such as those in January, which saw storms occurring in already-saturated catchments of the Murray region. These high rainfall events caused high runoff and increased waterways flow, leading to rilling, streambed scouring, and bank slumping.

Splitters Creek, east of Albury, was a catchment that experienced significant changes after the January rainfall events. Landholders within the catchment noticed major changes to Splitters Creek and Greens Creek, including streambank scouring moving slugs of sand down the creek, high energy flows that dislodged rock and boulders which previously stabilised the creek, and steep banks eroding and encroaching on gardens, gates and infrastructure such as creek crossings. Recent works to stabilise banks, such as riparian plantings, were washed away in some areas.

Bungowannah / Splitters Creek Landcare Group, with support from Murray Local Land Services, the Local Landcare Coordinator for Greater Albury / Hume, and Soil Conservation Service (SCS), held a field day on Sunday, 3 July 2022, to discuss issues of erosion within the catchment and offer advice for landholders. David Thompson (SCS) started off the day with a presentation outlining some of the characteristics of the catchment (including local soil type and slope), watershed calculations for areas within the catchment, and options for managing different types of erosion.  The afternoon was then spent visiting several properties within the Splitters Creek catchment to see first-hand the impact of the flooding.

The day was well attended by locals from the Splitters Creek catchment, with a general feeling that the issues were a shared problem within the catchment that would be best addressed by working together to address high-priority issues first. The next step for the Landcare Group is to seek funding for a detailed technical assessment of the catchment. This will allow the group to prioritise on-ground works, seek funding, and plan Landcare activities to improve the health of the Splitters Creek catchment.