Waterways:riparian vegetation

Why are riparian zones important? A riparian zone is the area of land immediately adjacent to a body of water (such as a river, creek, lake or pond). Riparian land includes:

• The land alongside small creeks and rivers, including the riverbank

• Gullies and dips, which sometimes run with surface water

• Areas surrounding lakes;

• Wetlands on river floodplains which interact with the river in times of flood.

Riparian zones generally have a great diversity of animals and plants compared to adjoining habitats. The vegetation found in riparian zones ranges from aquatic plants

to mature trees and understorey vegetation.

Stream ecology and water quality is greatly influenced by riparian zones. Riparian zones perform a number of important functions:

Habitat: Riparian zones are important to both aquatic and terrestrial animals. The vegetation also shades and buffers the aquatic environment against high temperatures in summer. Land-based animals use the riparian zone to shelter, hunt and breed.

Channel shape and bank stabilisation: River and creek banks are vulnerable to erosion from fast flowing water. Riparian vegetation protects the river channel from erosion.

Water quality: Riparian vegetation improves water quality by filtering runoff from the catchment and removing pollutants. Pollutants such as organic and inorganic nutrients, herbicides, pesticides and sediments can all be absorbed or trapped by the vegetation before it enters the water body.

Recreational and aesthetic values: Healthy creeks and rivers are peaceful and beautiful. They are important to keep for both us and future generations so we can enjoy them and learn from them.

Factsheet 6

Gro

win

g ha

bitRiparian zone revegetation list

Cat

chm

ent

Reg

ion

Zon

e

60 cm grass - widespread

Gra

sses

Wat

tles

Shru

bs

A B S, D 1.5m tufted perennial A B S Common grass - good coloniser A B seed S 30cm grass - soil stabiliser A I, B S Creeping grass - wet areas M-L S, I, B S, D Vigorous 2m grass - steep banks A S, I, B S, D Perennial grass to 120cm U-M I, B S Common grass of slopes Small tree to 8m - fast growing

A M

B B

S SH

Small tree to 6m - fast growing U-M B SH Shrub to 5m - suckering U-M B SH Small tree to 6m A B SH Weeping small tree to 6m M-L B SH Small tree - black soils M-L B SH Small tree to 5m - soil stabiliser 2m prickly shrub - bird attractor

L U-M

B B

SH FS

4m weeping shrub - bird attractor 8m weeping shrub - bird attractor

U-M A

B B

S, C S, C

Pendulous 3m tree M-L B FS Bushy 3m shrub - bird attractor U-M I, B S, C Large shrub to 6m - soil stabiliser M-L S, I, B S, C Tangled 2m shrub - bird attractor Twisted small tree to 5m

L L

B B

S, C SF

Tre

es

Common tree up to 15m A B S Small tee - good fodder A B S Tree to 12m - excellent soil binder U-M B S Tree to 25m - good fauna habitat L B S Tree to 15m - common on floodplains L B S Tree to 20m - bird attractor A B S Tree to 25m - sheltered areas U B S

Nur

sery

su

pplie

d

How

to

prop

agat

e

Botanical name

Bolboschoenus fluviatilis Carex appressa Cyperus exaltatus Cyperus vaginatus Lomandra longifolia / hystix

Schoenoplectus validus

Typha orientalis

Common name

Marsh club-rush Tall sedge Giant sedge Tall umbrella sedge Spiny-headed mat rushes River club-rush Broadleaved cumbingi Wallaby grass Slender bamboo grass Red grasses Barbed wire grass Queensland bluegrass Weeping grass Water couch Common reed Tussock grass Kangaroo grass Silver wattle Fernleaved wattle Hickory wattle Blackwood Boree Cooba River Cooba Blackthorn River bottlebrush Weeping Bottlebrush Wilga Tea tree Creek paperbark Lignum Western rosewood Rough-barked apple Kurrajong River oak River red gum Coolibah Yellow box Ribbon gum

Description

1m tall sedge - soil stabiliser 1.2m tall sedge - rocky sites 1.5m sedge - flood resistant 60cm sedge - all sites 1m tufted rush - flood resistant 1.5m sedge - wet sites Vigorous 2.5m herb Common grass Slender tufted 1m grass

Sedg

es /

Rus

hes

U-M S S, D A S, I S, D A S S, D A S, I S, D

U-M I, B S, D U-M S S, D

A U-M

S, I B

D S

A B S, D Austrodanthonia linkii var. linkii Austrostipa verticillata Bothriochloa macra / decipiens Cymbopogon refractus Dichanthium sericeum Microlaena stipoides Paspalum distichum Phragmites australia Poa labillardieri

Themeda australis Acacia dealbata

Acacia filicifolia Acacia implexa

Acacia melanoxylon

Acacia pendula

Acacia salicina

Acacia stenophylla

Bursaria spinosa

Callistemon sieberi

Callestemon viminalis

Geijera parviflora

Leptospermum polygalifolium

Melaleuca bracteata

Muehlenbeckia florulenta Alectryon oleifolius Angophora floribunda

Brachychiton populneus

Casuarina cunninghnamiana

Eucalyptus camaldulensis

Eucalyptus coolabah

Eucalyptus melliodora

Eucalyptus viminalis

Catchment region: U = Upper catchment (Tablelands) M = Mid catchment (Slopes) L = Lower catchment (Plains) A = All Zone: S = Sumberged / Waters edge I = Intermittent B = Bank How to propagate: S= Seed C = Cutting D = Division FS = Fresh Seed SH = Soak in hot water

Border Rivers-Gwydir Catchment Management Authority © 2007 Design: Kelly McCulloch Printed: UNE Printery Armidale.

Contact Us PO Box 411 Inverell NSW 2360

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