Protecting Waterways
Riparian Management Fact Sheets
Riparian land is any land that
adjoins or directly influences
a body of fresh water.
It includes:
- the land immediately alongside small creeks and rivers, including the river bank itself
- gullies and dips which sometimes run with water
- areas surrounding lakes
- wetlands and river floodplains which interact with the river in times of flood.
It is important not to think of riparian land as just a narrow strip along each riverbank.
Depending on the nature of the land (floodplain, gorge or valley) and the adjacent land use (national park, farming, forestry, urban housing), the width of riparian land that needs special management will range from very narrow to a wide, densely-vegetated corridor.
Riparian land acts as a biodiversity corridor for birds and other animals to travel between the floodplains and vegetated ridgelines.
Land & Water Australia have produced a set of Riparian Management Fact Sheets covering the key riparian management problems that landholders and catchment groups deal with on a day to day basis.
Managing Riparian Land
Managing Woody Debris in Rivers
Planning for River Restoration
River Flows and Blue-green Algae
Managing Phosphorus in Catchments