Corridor Health Survey, of the Upper Lachlan Catchment, Central West, New South Wales.

Abstract

A major survey of stream corridor health was undertaken in the upper Lachlan Catchment. The survey provides a benchmark assessment of the riverine environment condition. The following attributes were examined: reach environments, channel habitat, cross-section analysis, bank condition and composition, bed and bar condition, riparian vegetation (presence and structure), aquatic habitat analysis, scenic, recreational and conservation values. This paper outlines some of the prelimin~ results related to the assessment of riverine vegetation in this catchment an area of approximately 35 000 km. The survey found that 77% of the riparian vegetation was highly degraded, 10% in poor condition, 4% moderate and 3% in good condition. Six percent of the upper catchment's riparian vegetation was in pristine condition, mostly confined to tributaries of the Abercrombie River. The average width of the riparian zone in the Upper Lachlan Catchment is 12.2 m. This approximates to one or possibly two mature tree widths (species dependant). Trees are generally confined to the banks of water courses and there is very little diversity, structural or species, in the shrub and ground cover understorey. Some implications for platypus conservation are discussed.