Creek & river health checks
We can assist private landholders to learn about, help restore and manage creek and river health.
What you do on your property affects the whole catchment – its water quality, plants and animals, and the connected ecosystems upstream and downstream.
Why healthy creeks and rivers matter
Creeks and rivers naturally change over time. They erode soil, move sediment and shift their course. Some activities can speed up erosion or sediment deposits, while others can slow them down.
Vegetated riparian (creek and river) banks help keep water clean, reduce erosion and flood damage as well as provide habitat and food for native plants and animals. We can give you specific advice about how to restore and protect creek and river health.
Request a free creek or river health check
Do you have a river or creek on your property?
Complete the following Expression of Interest and we'll arrange a visit to answer your questions and share ideas for improving waterway health on your property.
Request a FREE Creek or river Health Check
How to improve waterway health
- Create a native riparian vegetation* buffer along the creek
- Allow different layers of vegetation to grow – groundcovers, shrubs and trees
- Let aquatic and semi-aquatic plants grow on low lying areas near the banks
- Leave fallen trees, logs and branches where they are
- Don't block the creek or dig near it
- Keep mulch and grass clippings away from the creek
- Leave space for the creek to naturally shift its course – don't build too close
- Fence off waterways to keep out stock and use troughs for watering
*Riparian vegetation is the trees, shrubs and grasses that grow along edges of waterways, creating a boundary between the land and the water
Examples of restored creeks to help guide you
Through ecological restoration projects and community Landcare initiatives, we have restored creeks across the Gold Coast. Here are some examples of healthy, vegetated creeks and waterways: