What
is riparian land?
Areas under the influence of a waterway are commonly known as
riparian zones. They include:
The
land immediately alongside small creeks and rivers, including
the river bank itself.
Gullies and dips which sometimes run with water.
Areas surrounding lakes and wetlands and river floodplains which
interact with the river in times of flood.
Depending
on the characteristics of the watercourse, riparian zones range
from narrow strips that hug streams or riverbanks (eg 5 m wide)
to extensive areas (eg 100 m wide) associated with large winding
rivers or floodplains.
Riparian
Vegetation :
Plants growing in the riparian zone are collectively referred
to as riparian vegetation. This vegetation along streams and
rivers has many important functions. It binds and holds the
bank together and reduces the velocity of water which would
otherwise eat away unprotected banks.
Riparian
vegetation :
-
Provides
better water, food and shade for wildlife and livestock;
-
Enhances
visual appeal and recreational values;
-
Helps
prevent salinisation and rural tree decline
-
Helps
create habitat links or corridors in fragmented landscapes
that allow for wildlife movement and plant dispersal
-
Contains
native trees, shrubs and groundcovers that enhance biodiversity
and provide habitat for native plant and animal species
-
Filters
sediments and other contaminants from waters
-
Regulates
aquatic plant growth and its potential to clog waterways by
providing shade
-
Supports
detritus and invertebrates that, in turn, provide food web
support for stream dwellers (fish, frogs, invertebrates and
important nutrient recyclers such as fungi and bacteria).
Rehabilitating
riparian zones :
There are several specific measures that can be used to rehabilitate
and maintain riparian land in good condition. Amongst these are
:
-
Retention
of existing natural riparian vegetation and suppression or
removal of weeds and pest species;
-
Stabilisation
and revegetation of degraded riparian areas, particularly
where this can be done by a group
of neighbours acting jointly;
-
Control
and management of stock access to riparian zones, and provision
of off-stream watering systems.
Who
can help you ?
Local
project managers
Catchment management authority and Catchment Care groups
Landcare and/or Waterwatch groups
Community
representatives
Farmers/landholders
Scientist/expert
representatives
Hydrologist
Sociologist
Freshwater ecologist
Geomorphologist
Professional revegetators
Native Vegetation Consultants
Government
representatives
Relevant
state agency ie: NRM or EPA
Local council
Catchment management authority
