Before and after: Cape York river project keeping sediment off the Reef
Richard Dinnen - Queensland Editor |
A riverbank restoration project in far north Queensland will prevent hundreds of tonnes of sediment spilling on to the Great Barrier Reef.
Restoration work was completed in June at locations along the Endeavour River, which runs from the northern Great Dividing Range into the Coral Sea at Cooktown, on the eastern coast of Cape York.
Townsville-based Neilly Group Engineering worked with Cape York Natural Resource Management on the $1.2 million project to stabilise eroded banks and reduce sediment runoff to the Reef.
It’s estimated the work will prevent about 635 tonnes of fine sediment from
Cape York NRM Grazing and Water Quality Project Officer, Harry James, said the project protects the health of waterways heading to the Reef, and restores vegetation along the river.
“We can’t wait to see the sites recover and revegetate over the next couple of years. The work was a great success.
“We got washed out once or twice with some late wet season rains, and Neilly Group had to make a couple of adjustments to the original designs to make it work on the ground.
“But we are really happy with the results. The landowners were very supportive throughout the process.”
Erosion on land sends sediment into rivers and waterways. The sediment washes into the Reef area in large plumes which settle on the coral, blocking the natural light it needs to survive.
