River processes video now available to view

How a river works – video style

One day several years ago, a group of us listened intently to a river specialist from Alluvium Consulting, as we viewed the Mary River from the top of an eroding bank 10 metres over the water below.

We were captivated by the explanation of interrelationships that occur on, up and downstream from any one point – the way water flows in many directions under the surface during a flood, the tumbling on the spot of gravel bar material to depths of two metres, how meander bends migrate downstream in time, and the importance of ‘tree armies’ to stabilise the loose soils of our river banks.

We got to thinking about the many landholders we work with who have years of observation of river and creek movement, and their very well-informed ideas of the processes at play. But the understandings and conclusions between people are not always in agreement so we thought it would be a good idea to tailor a series of videos to explain, from physics principals, how a river like the Mary operates.

The first video produced delves into water flow, the lay of the land, the material the land is made of and features that the water impacts upon as it makes its way along the channel.  The interactions between river components are what make our creeks and rivers dynamic and alive. Understanding how they work together can help us to make decisions that have desirable outcomes for the health of our local waterway.

The MRCCC and Alluvium Consultants (with technical creativity from InfoGrafia) are pleased to offer the first of a series of ‘River Processes’ videos that we hope will give people a new view of any waterway they spend time with.

Proudly Supported by Sunshine Coast Council and the Burnett Mary Regional Group