As part of our review of existing knowledge of water quality in the Burdekin region, the Burdekin CCI commissioned a study on the condition of riparian vegetation within the Burdekin catchment.  The aim of the study was to gain insight into the change in riparian condition that has occured in the riparian zones and floodplains in the region and to ascertain the current state of each of the sub catchments.

To achieve this the Burdekin catchment was divided into 52 sub catchments.   To ascertain the condition of each sub catchment,  two riparian assessment methods were used and compared,   an image based assessment and a field based assessment.  Satellite imagery from 2004 was compared to imagery from the 1970s, a condition  determined for each and  scores  allocated.   This image-based assessment was then compared to a field based condition assessment  using the Tropical Rapid Assessment of Riparian Condition method (TRARC).

The study revealed that sub catchments such as Keelbottom Creek, Running River, Star River, the Upper Burdekin River and the Broken River were in good condition and that the  Sub catchments that had suffered the greatest degree of change include Barratta Creek, Cape Creek and the Campaspe River.

Read the Report

Assessing the condition of riparian vegetation in the Burdekin catchment using satellite imagery and field surveys. By: Leo Lymburner and John Dowe (2006). (2.1 Mb)