Minimising erosion - Barrabool Hills Landcare

Whilst protecting the banks of our waterways is the first step in minimising the contamination of our rivers and streams, erosion from further afield, whether it is through runoff or wind born, can also impact the health of our waterways.

The Barrabool Hills Landcare group has supported a number of projects to revegetate gullies and escarpments with perennial plants, especially on those slopes directly feeding the Barwon.

Below before (2013) and after (2021) photos of an escarpment revegetation site on the Richard’s property… another successful landcare project.

Sheep tracks heading down escarpment to the river.

Managing wind erosion from the hills requires a more integrated approach which includes :-

Maintaining good perennial ground cover whether it is native grasses or introduced pasture species or deep rooted crops such as Lucerne
The use of tree breaks placed strategically across the landscape https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/farm-management/soil/erosion/effective-shelterbelt-design
Managing stocking rate to minimise soil exposure and compaction
Eradicating rabbits https://barraboolhillslandcare.org.au/rabbits/

To achieve multiple benefits for stock protection, minimising soil erosion and providing adequate corridors for native species to thrive, plantations of native trees and shrubs should be a minimum of 6 rows wide, The larger growing species placed in the centre rows with shrubs and grasses on the outer rows.

Other programs include:

Protecting the bed and banks

Efficient water use

Water Health Overview