River recovery: projects ready to run

Three large projects to repair riverbank sites severely damaged by the 2019 monsoon trough will commence on the Endeavour River at the beginning of the 2021 dry season.

Rehabilitation of the sites will be aided by the use of proven techniques such as bank battering, rock armouring, and revegetation with appropriate riparian plants.

One large river bend located at Scrubby Creek will be rehabilitated using lines of timber piles vertically driven into the reshaped bank to reduce the velocity of water as it moves around the bend.

The site will be further stabilised by sediment trapped in the riparian vegetation as it matures.

The stabilisation of these streambanks will be of enormous benefit to landholders who are currently losing valuable water-frontage land as a result of the erosion.

Importantly, sediment flow to Cooktown Harbour and the Great Barrier Reef will be greatly reduced.

It is estimated that the combined fine sediment loss from the three sites due to the 2018–19 wet season was over 27,000 tonnes— this would fill the Cooktown swimming pool about twenty-five times over.

To find out more, contact Harry at harry.james@capeyorknrm.com.au 0427 994 333

The Riparian Recovery Program is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Cape York NRM Cape York Healthy Country Newsletter Funding Arrangements (DRFA)