Natural resource management plan for the brockman river
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Year Tanamerah Yalliawirra (S616006) (S616019) Salt load Salt load kT/year kT/year 1992
73 125
1993 73 124 1994 48 83 1995 101
148 1996
84 141
1997 49 88 Source: Water and Rivers Commission (2001) Note: The salt load is related to annual flow and rainfall in the catchment. Objective 1 To protect and enhance the quality of the water in the waterways, lakes and groundwater to meet the needs of the community and environment. Baseline knowledge • Groundwater levels are rising in the Brockman River catchment, however, as the factors that affect groundwater recharge and movement within the weathered rock profile are not uniform, the rate of groundwater rise is not uniform over the catchment (Water and Rivers Commission, 2001). • The annual salt loads exported by the Brockman River between 1992 and 1997 are listed in table 7. Tanamerah monitors the upper catchment north of Bindoon and Yalliawirra is at the confluence of the Brockman River and the Avon River. • Sediment loads have increased as evidenced by the filling of deep pools along the river and sediment slugs present although no scientific data to quantify the sediment loads are available. • Water sampled in July 2000 from the Yalliawirra gauging station tested below the limits for freshwater aquatic ecosystems and drinking water guidelines for common heavy metals (EPA, 1993). • Total nitrogen (1.1mg/L) and total phosphorus (0.036 mg/L) are also below the target limits for freshwater aquatic ecosystems (Environment Australia, 2002). • Total Suspended Solids (32 mg/l) are above the target limits for aquatic ecosystem protection (Environment Australia, 2002). Targets • No net increase in the mean annual salinity as measured at Tanamerah and Yalliawirra gauging stations. • A reduction in turbidity levels and sediment loads in the waterways within the catchment. • Maintain the levels of heavy metals, total nitrogen and total phosphorus below the target limits set by Environment Australia for aquatic ecosystems. • Define the limits of sustainable water use for groundwater within 5 years.
3.3 Water and Rivers Commission Natural Resource Management Plan for the Brockman River Catchment • Use water resources below sustainable limits within 10 years. • Maintain water regimes in wetlands sufficient for wetland ecosystems. • All schools within the catchment involved in the Ribbons of Blue program. • All local government town planning schemes to incorporate water sensitive design principles in 10 years.
• Educate 80% of the people in the catchment about current best management practice to reduce saline water, nutrient, sediment and chemical input into the surface and groundwater in the catchment. Strategies and actions
• identify all sources of pollution by establishing a sampling program along the Brockman River and major tributaries then prioritise sources of key pollutants • continue to use data from the Water and Rivers Commission gauging stations (Tanamerah and Yalliawirra) to monitor changes in the salinity and quantity of water in the Brockman River • encourage community involvement in continued ground and surface water quality monitoring in the Brockman River catchment to determine changes • encourage schools to become involved in the Ribbons of Blue program to monitor water quality. 3.2.2 Decrease the input of nutrients and other pollutants into the waterways • encourage the use of soil and tissue testing to determine the optimum timing, method and rates of application, and types of fertilizers to be applied to productive land • review with landholders the flight path of aircraft spraying crops or spreading fertiliser to decrease or eliminate the impacts of spray drift on vegetation and nutrients entering the waterways • encourage landholders to prevent direct access of livestock to watercourses to reduce nutrient input • manage drains to minimize runoff velocities and volumes to ensure the control of nutrient and sediment loads within acceptable limits • eliminate or reduce polluting activities by asking landowners who are a source of pollution to clean up. In the case of serious point-source pollution, if encouragement doesn’t work, the Local Government Authority will contact the DEP and request their assistance • ensure that weed and pest control programs in the bushland near watercourses are carried out in a responsible manner to avoid waterway contamination • implement pollution control measures to ensure discharges of effluent such as agricultural chemicals and intensive agriculture wastewater into receiving waterways are within acceptable limits • design contingency plans with the Local Government Authority, Water and Rivers Commission and State Emergency Service to handle a major chemical spill in or near a major waterway.
• encourage revegetation of landscape where possible to reduce the recharge into the groundwater and waterways • publicise and enforce drainage controls for surface and deep drainage to ensure the volume and salinity of the water discharged off-site does not adversely affect neighbouring properties or waterways • develop and implement current best management practices for retaining on site and managing saline water from agricultural/horticultural property • organise a meeting involving CALM, landholders and community members to review the artificial maintenance of water levels in Lake Chittering. 3.2.4 Implement Water Sensitive Design immediately • ensure that new subdivisions (urban, rural living, industrial, and intensive agricultural ) are located to minimise nutrient and pollutant input to the water cycle and incorporate water sensitive design • incorporate water-sensitive design into the Town Planning Schemes
3.4 Water and Rivers Commission Natural Resource Management Plan for the Brockman River Catchment • implement appropriate controls and management measures such as detention basins to strip sediment and other undesirable components from stormwater to ensure runoff quality from urban developments is within acceptable limits • provide public information and guidelines to residents, industry associations and commercial users on water-sensitive design and best practices.
• regulate through the appropriate authorities, the abstraction of water from the river, its tributaries and associated wetlands to ensure equitable distribution between landholders, community and environmental requirements • encourage the community to adopt water conservation principles throughout the catchment. How the proposed actions respond to the following suggestions from the Brockman River catchment community forum: • Develop big picture of problem areas (see Swan Catchment Strategy and this plan). • Establish list of contact people. • Identify chemical composition of water to establish salts (see Actions 3.2.1). • Urban and industrial development in the townsite of Bindoon (see Actions 3.2.4). • Use slotted pipe at base (4 m) trench to catch leached water and divert for irrigation (see Actions 3.2.5). • Divert water from river during floods into storage. Divert saline water to storage for use in saline water applications (eg rainbow trout) (see Actions 3.2.3). • Integration of agency services, such as between lake and river (see Actions 3.2.3). • Proper drainage (see Actions 3.2.3). • Stormwater to be retained on site (see Actions
3.3 Managing salinity and soil degradation Waterlogging and saline seepages are becoming commonplace throughout the Brockman River catchment. This increased soil salinity contributes to the loss of native vegetation and reduces productivity on agricultural land. Land clearing, cultivation and livestock grazing causes increased compaction and loss of soil structure. This leads to accelerated loss of topsoil through wind and water erosion. Protection of native vegetation and revegetation wherever possible is an important component in preventing erosion and rising groundwater. Objective 2 To reduce and prevent salinity and soil degradation; ensure sustainable land use and increase profitable production. Baseline knowledge • 30 major subcatchments identified in the Shire of Chittering within the Brockman River catchment, 12 of these subcatchments recorded high or severe soil salinity, 8 have low or medium soil salinity, and 7 have no soil salinity. • Further information on salinity and soil degradation is contained in the following reports. “Salinity Survey in the Shire of Chittering”. (1997) Ken Angell. Department of Agriculture WA. “Degradation in the Brockman River and Ellen Brook catchments, Western Australia.” (2000) Brian Lloyd. Department of Agriculture, WA. Targets • Halt the rise in groundwater levels in the catchment within 20 years. • No net increase in area of soil affected by salinity. • Reduce the level of in stream salinity within the subcatchments north of Bindoon. • Increase the productivity of saline land by 50%.
3.5 Water and Rivers Commission Natural Resource Management Plan for the Brockman River Catchment • Identify all areas of potential wind and water erosion and undertake remedial action on 50% of sites in 10 years.
• All subdivision applications assessed according to land capability and suitability. • Establish 50 hectares of perennial pasture in 5 years. • Educate 50% of the people in the catchment in current best management practices for irrigated horticulture and erosion control within 5 years. Strategies and actions
• identify and monitor areas susceptible to soil salinity and waterlogging within the catchment • identify and map “hot spots” for soil degradation, nutrient and sediment export • identify and map areas within the catchment susceptible to wind and water erosion.
• use clearing and development controls to protect native vegetation on large and small parcels of land • rehabilitate and stabilize eroded areas to control recharge and increase water use • encourage landholders to undertake current best management practices in areas experiencing waterlogging and soil salinity to lower the groundwater and rehabilitate degraded lands • develop and encourage landholders to undertake current best management practices for irrigated horticulture, pasture and crops to reduce run off and recharge to groundwater • trial and encourage landholders to undertake alternative farming strategies such as alley farming and woodlots to reduce recharge to groundwater • develop and encourage landholders to undertake appropriate best management practices such as grade banks for surface water control to manage the quantity and quality of runoff from paddocks • construct roaded catchments (sealed with clay) on recharge areas to divert fresh water into dams for use in irrigation.
• develop and implement current best management practices such as no till farming in consultation with landholders and community to address the loss of topsoil and soil fertility • encourage landholders to undertake erosion control in areas experiencing wind and water erosion • encourage landholders to replace annual pasture systems with perennial pastures to ensure continuous soil cover. 3.3.4 Improve land-use planning • encourage the development of farm management plans that identify land capability and ensure sustainability of land uses • scrutinise subdivision applications to ensure protection of natural resources in perpetuity • ensure all re-zoning considers land capability to guarantee the most appropriate and sustainable use • locate rural residential and urban areas so they do not impinge on agricultural land or remove valuable agricultural soils and microclimates from production.
• encourage and support further research into saltland agronomy.
• Identify commercial options for salt tolerant species in the Brockman River catchment (see
• Abstraction of surface water needs to be regulated by the appropriate authorities WRC ( see Actions
• Planting of recharge areas (see Action 3.2.3). • Farm plans to identify land capability, sustainability, impact on environment (see Actions 3.3.4). • Compatible development (see Actions 3.3.4). • Subdivision to be based on landform rather than square blocks, includes all infrastructure (see Actions 3.3.4). 3.6 Water and Rivers Commission Natural Resource Management Plan for the Brockman River Catchment 3.4 Managing waterways and wetlands In the early days of settlement from 1843, the Brockman River was shallower and swampy conditions prevailed in the valley during the winter months. Progressive clearing for settlement, deepening of the river, draining of the floodplain and loss of riparian vegetation has altered this condition. The increase in water velocity has changed the course of meander bends and caused undercutting of the banks. This has led to erosion and sedimentation problems in the river. Loss of fringing vegetation has also contributed to increased movement of topsoil and associated nutrients into the waterways. In the upper catchment at Wannamal, extensive clearing in the 1950s and 1960s and a drainage system constructed in the early twentieth century to drain the Wannamal Lakes has increased the water flow to the Brockman River. Water now entering the river system is becoming progressively saline changing the ecology of the lakes and wetlands along its length. This has resulted in the fringing vegetation becoming degraded and salt sensitive species are being replaced by salt tolerant species thus changing the nature of the communities present today. Without the protection of fringing vegetation, sediment is carried into the waterways and deposited in the lakes that have now become shallower and tend to flood outside the reserve boundaries. Figure 9: Condition rating of the Brockman River foreshore as a percentage of the full reachof the river. A Grade: Foreshore vegetation is healthy native bush. B Grade: Weed invasion, mainly grasses, evident in foreshore vegetation. C Grade: Some trees present, understorey weeds and pasture, some bank erosion. D Grade: Eroding and/or weed infested ditch. Objective 3 To restore the natural functions of the river channels, foreshores, floodplains and wetlands through protection and rehabilitation. Baseline knowledge • A foreshore assessment of the main channel of the Brockman River was carried out in 2001. Figure 9 shows the percentage of foreshore in each condition rating using the Pen and Scott method, 1995. • The environmental condition of the main channel foreshore is mostly moderate to poor as indicated in figure 10. • The fencing status of the main channel of the Brockman River was carried out in 2001 and is illustrated in figure 11.
50 40 30 20 10 0 Foreshore Length (%) A B
D Condition Rating Environmental Rating of Foreshore 50 40 30 20 10 0 Length of Foreshore (%) Rating Excellent Good Moderate
Poor Very Poor Environmental Rating of Foreshore 100
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Length of Foreshore (%) Status Not Fenced Fenced 3.7 Water and Rivers Commission Natural Resource Management Plan for the Brockman River Catchment
• Complete foreshore assessments of the major tributaries of the Brockman River in 5 years. • Fence to exclude livestock and rehabilitate the riparian vegetation on 50% of the main channel of the Brockman River and 30% on major tributaries within 10 years. • Educate 50% of the people in the catchment about river processes and restoration of riparian habitat. Strategies and actions 3.4.1 Assess the status of waterways and wetlands • undertake a review of the foreshore assessment of the Brockman River, its major tributaries and associated wetlands to monitor the status of riparian vegetation • establish and implement a program to measure and monitor river and wetland health using aquatic fauna. 3.4.2 Improve management of waterways, foreshores and floodplains • encourge landholders to fence off and rehabilitate all defined watercourses • identify costs and provide economic incentives to support and encourage landholders to manage, protect and rehabilitate foreshores and waterways to enhance their natural functions • protect river banks, wetlands and foreshores by permanently excluding livestock • develop methods of fuel reduction in foreshore areas to minimise fire risk • encourage the strategic planting of floodplains using either native plants or agro forestry woodlots to restore floodplain function and prevent the main river channels from creating alternative courses • encourage the use of perennial pasture species on floodplains to ensure sustainable summer grazing by livestock and maximum water uptake • research and trial native pasture species for use on the floodplains • promote sustainable grazing practices on the floodplains to prevent overgrazing and compaction • raise landholder and community awareness of river processes and restoration of the riverine habitat through field days and workshops • ensure that infrastructure such as bridges, river crossings, culverts and fencing across channels doesn’t interfere with the natural flow of the waterways and cause local flooding or contribute to erosion.
3.4.3 Improve the planning process to protect waterways and wetlands • develop and implement river restoration plans for the Brockman River, major tributaries and wetlands to restore and prevent further damage to the riverbed and banks and protect assets such as fringing vegetation, fences and buildings • negotiate with Local Government Authorities to ensure adequate setbacks from waterways of new horticultural enterprises are enforced as conditions of development • negotiate with Local Government Authorities to include fencing of waterways, rehabilitation and protection of foreshores, and designated building envelopes to prevent building on floodplains as conditions for subdivision • negotiate restrictive covenants between those holding land tenure and the Water and Rivers Commission to ensure protection and management of floodplain, foreshore, riverbanks and channel • ensure construction of the Perth-Darwin Highway and others roads cause minimal disturbance to the environment and that construction in no way affects the quality of runoff, causes erosion or exacerbates drainage. How the proposed actions respond to the following suggestions from the Brockman River Kataloq: data -> assets -> pdf file -> 0004 pdf file -> References: Jackson, N. O., and Pawar, S. (2013). A demographic Accounting Model for New Zealand. Nga Tangata Oho Mairangi: Regional Impacts of Demographic and Economic Change – 2013-2014. Mbie-funded project pdf file -> A worker’s response to stressors at work may be positive or negative for worker wellbeing, depending on a number of pdf file -> Transurethral Prostatectomy (turp) & Open pdf file -> Department of General Practice Newsletter pdf file -> Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) pdf file -> Collaboration Analysis of research performance through a gender lens 0004 -> Beach Cherry Description 0004 -> Key for Symbols attracts lizards Yüklə 2 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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