While erosion of riverbanks is a natural process that happens over time, often the activities of people can speed up these processes and this can cause problems for plants and animals that rely on the riverine environments as well as for any nearby infrastructure. This has been the case at Travellers Creek in West Wodonga, where high flows in the Murray River and its tributaries during irrigation season together with major flooding events have led to severe erosion. In turn, this erosion can also cause rivers and creeks to change their course more quickly than would naturally occur.

Often, all that’s needed in bank stabilization works is the removal of stock grazing and revegetation. However, when banks are severally eroded and rapid stabilization is required, a technique called ‘rock armouring’ can be used. Although this is a last resort, it has the benefits of requiring less maintenance and will hold the bank in place while vegetation is becoming established. At Travellers Creek, rocks have been placed on the steep, eroding banks to prevent the waterway widening and impacting the Bidstrup Road bridge.

This significant erosion management project, involving over 120 truck and trailer loads of rock, both at the bridge site and at the junction of the Murray River and Travellers Creek anabranch has taken around three months to complete. The top of the rock is 800mm above the 25,000 ML/day mark which will protect the bank when the creek overbanks on the southern side. The upper bank is wrapped in coir mesh and is hydromulched with a native seed mix and sterile rye cover crop mixed in to provide cover in the first year. Revegetation of the upper banks will also take place in the coming weeks.

These works were made possible through funds provided by the Murray Darling Basin Authority on behalf of the Joint Venture Governments and were delivered by NSW Soil Conservation Services, engaged by NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) who administer the river works program.