Preventing erosion after heavy rain

June rainfall was above average at most sites across Adelaide and the Hills, as well as an extremely wet start to July.

As much as our landscape needs this rain, heavy downpours can often lead to erosion, causing damage to infrastructure and silting downstream. In last month’s article “What every landholder needs to know about stream order”, we discussed how erosion often begins in the smaller upper catchments of a watercourse.

Signs of erosion include bare and undercut banks, a sudden step in the level of the creek bed, and exposure of tree roots.

Early intervention can prevent catastrophic damage to infrastructure such as undermining roads, bridges, retaining walls, sheds and even houses.

You can prevent erosion by:

• Planting deep-rooted groundcovers
• Applying organic mulch to bare patches of earth
• Re-routing storm water run-off away from slopes vulnerable to erosion. 

Unfortunately, unsuccessful attempts to control erosion are often brought to our attention and are extremely costly to remediate. If any works are being planned in a watercourse, including installing, repairing, or removing erosion structures, a Water Affecting Activity Permit (WAA) is required in line with the Landscape South Australia Act 2019.

By applying for a WAA permit, we can discuss your plans, enabling us to provide tailored advice, confirming your unique requirements and provide support for your erosion control project.

If you are a landholder who is interested in learning more about the future of managing water across our region, come along to one of our Catchment Conversations drop-in sessions to have your say and help shape the amendments of the Water Allocation Plans for the Eastern and Western Mount Lofty Ranges.