On the plains of Cape York’s Normanby catchment, gully erosion is a chronic problem. Due to the highly dispersive nature of soils here, what begins as a cattle pad or a washed-out section of road can very quickly become a deeply incised gully, washing away valuable topsoil into waterways.

Cape York NRM is partnering with land managers across the Normanby catchment to tackle gully erosion, thanks to funding from the Australian Government delivered through the Reef Trust IV program (2017–2021).

At Normanby Station, a 31,400-hectare pastoral lease situated between sandstone escarpments and the floodplains of Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park, gullies are a major issue.

From small linear gullies branching off management tracks to large, ‘amphitheatre’ gullies that span several hectares, the Normanby Rangers, who manage land management activities at the station, are tackling even the most challenging gully sites.