Managing riparian areas on private property

About riparian areas

A riparian area is the land directly influenced by a river, creek, watercourse or drainage line. It usually extends from the normal water level to the edge of the floodplain.

Riparian vegetation includes:

• plants that grow alongside creeks and rivers, including the banks;
• vegetation in gullies and along flow lines that only run during rain;
• plants growing around lakes and wetlands; and
• vegetation on floodplains that connect with rivers or creeks during floods.

This vegetation often links the catchment with its waterways and wetlands. It provides stability, shade, habitat and natural filtration for runoff. It is multilayered, consisting of:

• ground cover species
• midstorey shrubs
• larger over-storey trees.

The importance of riparian vegetation

Healthy riparian vegetation will make creek banks more stable and help prevent erosion. It will also filter out nutrients from surrounding paddocks, and support and create habitat for native wildlife.

Degraded native vegetation can make riparian zones vulnerable to erosion and weed infestation. This can in turn affect ecosystem health and economic function.

The benefits of a well vegetated riparian zone include: 

• riverbank stabilisation and erosion control
• runoff filtration and improved water quality
• resilience to flood impacts
• wildlife habitat and connectivity
• shade and shelter for livestock
• carbon sequestration.

Minimising damage to riparian areas

Some methods to control degradation and loss of riparian vegetation include:

• encouraging the re-growth of a native vegetation along the riparian zone
• minimising the number and careful placement of farm tracks leading to your riparian area
• minimising ground disturbance during weed removal activities in the riparian zone
• using the riparian area within its capabilities
• minimising herbicide and pesticide use in the riparian zone
• protecting riparian areas from stock with fencing and providing alternative water and shade areas
• repairing degraded and eroded riparian areas.

Monitoring conditions

Regular site monitoring over time to document changes in the riparian zone will help you to identify areas most at risk. Taking regular photos from a set photopoint is the easiest way to monitor changes.

Grazing management in riparian areas

Grazing can help riparian areas recover when it is planned carefully. Strategic grazing allows long rest periods that maintain ground cover, especially during summer storms.

Grazing also has a role in reducing excessive dry matter build up to reduce fire intensity.

Strategic grazing involves:

1. Grazing periods – Set grazing periods based on clear goals. For example, in riparian areas, the aim is to graze annual weed species during a growth period (autumn – spring). This will assist in the regeneration of native species
2. Grazing intensity – Use high-density, short-term grazing (1 to 7 days) with higher stock numbers (around 100 DSE per hectare). This helps quickly use or trample dry matter and spread nutrients evenly without overgrazing.
3. Ground cover – Aim to maintain 100% ground cover at all times and promote a higher density of ground cover before summer. Dense vegetation helps intercept intense summer and autumn rains. Keep at least 20m of vegetation on each side of waterways. This will help to filter runoff and prevent animal waste, soil and organic material from entering streams.

Reducing the impacts of grazing on riparian areas

The following are ways that you can reduce the impact that your grazing activities have on riparian vegetation:

• Control stock access to riparian zones by fencing off the area. This should be at least 25m from the top of the bank
• Provide alternate sources of water (if required) so that stock do not need to access waterways
• Strategically graze the riparian area to:
  • reduce annual weed burdens,
  • improve ground cover and encourage regeneration of native vegetation
• Maintain 100% ground cover on riparian areas as buffer strips and high levels of ground cover across the rest of the property.

Livestock management near creeks and rivers  

Uncontrolled stock grazing in riparian land can lead to:

• loss of topsoil
• excessive run-off
• bank erosion
• damage to in-stream and wildlife habitat
• loss of productive land and reduced water quality. 

Livestock can negatively impact riparian areas or create other concerns as they can:  

• compact the soil, making plant growth difficult
• disturb steep banks
• create tracks, which can concentrate the flow of water down the banks causing erosion
• injure themselves falling over steep banks
• eat, trample and destroy native vegetation, water plants and reeds that filter runoff, control erosion and provide fish habitat
• stir up mud and may get trapped
• can transfer and receive diseases
• contaminate the water with excess nutrients and pathogens from manure
• destroy instream habitat critical for tadpoles, native fish and crustaceans.

Where stock rely on streams and rivers to access water, disturbance to the soil and vegetation can be avoided by actions such as:

• limiting where stock access creeks
• providing stable stock crossings or access points
• pumping water to troughs.

Alternatives for livestock drinking water

• install a paved gravel ramp down to the water, on the inside of a bend
• construct a dam in the paddock
• install a pump, tank and trough in the adjacent paddocks.

Read more in the Stock and Waterways management guide or get advice on infrastructure for on-farm water management.

Fencing to protect riparian areas

Fencing to control stock access to riparian areas should be constructed a minimum of 10 metres from the top of the bank. A greater distance may be required where the bank is eroding and where periodic flooding occurs especially lower on the flood plain. 

Appropriate setbacks will depend on the size of the waterway, however you should build your fence as far as practical from the waterway.

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Fencing for riverbank rehabilitation

When livestock have unrestricted access to waterways, they can cause significant damage.

As livestock move along riverbanks, they disturb the soil, leading to erosion and loss of valuable land.

This can impact your stock's health, reduce water quality and damage native plants and wildlife habitat.

Fencing off riverbanks is an effective solution to these issues.

The distance for fencing setbacks can vary based on factors such as the size of the waterway, the condition and type of vegetation and the slope of the bank.

A general guideline is placing fencing about 10 to 30 metres from the riverbank.

Bigger setbacks create more space for dense riparian vegetation to establish.

This improves resilience to erosion during flooding, helps capture sediment and nutrients and provide habitat for wildlife.

It is important to note that fencing off the riverbank may change how you water your livestock.

Consider what is practical for your situation, including the installation of off-stream watering points.

Wildlife-friendly fencing should be incorporated where possible.

This involves minimising the use of barbed wire, incorporating plain wires and ensuring that bottom wires are not electrified.

 

 

Managing a fenced off area

When fencing an area from livestock, it is still important to actively manage these areas. You can include short-term strategic grazing once native vegetation is established. Do this at times that don’t impact on native plants flowering and seeding.

Continue weed and feral animal control and inspect fences and water points after flood events.

Weed management in riparian areas

Learn about effective strategies for managing riverbank weeds using methods like manual removal, chemical control and biological options.

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Weed management for riverbank rehabilitation

Riverbanks can become hotspots for weeds, which spread their seeds through waterways

or by the movement of animals through the riparian corridor.

Weeds pose a significant threat by out-competing native vegetation,

by overgrowing existing trees or preventing their regeneration.

Weed competition will be worse in disturbed areas where trees have been removed or livestock have

regular access. The strategy you choose to control weeds depends on factors like the weed species

present, their life cycle, their location and extent and their impact on native vegetation.

To manage weeds effectively, start with vine weeds like madeira vine,

cat's claw creeper, balloon vine or morning glory. These can be manually removed or treated with

scraping and painting, followed by regular checks to prevent regrowth. If left unmanaged,

vine weeds can significantly impact natural regeneration or your revegetation efforts.

Woody weeds like camphor laurel or privet are known for producing lots of seeds,

which may need a staged approach to removal to avoid the loss of habitat.

In-place poisoning is recommended to stop these weeds spreading in riparian areas,

as removing them completely will create more disturbance and leave riverbanks susceptible

to erosion. Annual weeds are less harmful to natural regeneration, but will still need to

be managed to reduce competition with native plants. Once shaded, they are easier to control.

For help identifying or managing weeds, consult the Local Land Services Weed Identification

and Control Handbook or the New South Wales Weed Wise App.

Consider biological controls like specific insects, mites or diseases, and get advice from

your local council weed officer. And remember, if using herbicides, always follow the instructions

on the label and the legal requirements to use herbicides near waterways. Techniques like cut

and paint, stem scraping and stem injection are effective for targeted chemical control,

reducing environmental impact whilst getting rid of weeds. Mulching with natural materials

can also suppress weed growth by shading and adding nutrients to the soil.

Start small with frequent weed maintenance in smaller areas for greater long-term impact.

Focus on areas with healthy native vegetation to build upon natural regeneration efforts.

Learn more about weed control practices and resources at the NSW Weed Wise website.

Repairing riparian areas

You can restore degraded riparian zones through revegetation projects. Local Land Services can help with:

• species selection
• planting plans
• site preparation and ongoing maintenance.

More details are in the Guide to riverbank revegetation.

Before beginning any in‑stream or bank works, check what approval pathways apply to your property and proposed activity.

On-ground examples of managing riparian areas

Congewai grazier Brad Bell fenced his creek and provided off‑stream water for cattle. This enabled better management of sensitive riparian paddocks.

Brad's riparian and sustainable grazing project was funded by Hunter Water and Hunter Local Land Services through the Paxton Catchment Improvement Program. The project has allowed Brad to carefully control livestock pressure within the riparian corridor to protect creek banks from erosion and allow regeneration of native vegetation. 

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