Rivers of Carbon is the on-ground program of the Australian River Restoration Centre.

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Overview

Location: Naas River, ACT

The Naas River project invovled working with rural landholders to build a more drought and fire-resilient landscape while improving water quality and biodiversity. The Naas River flows for more than 25 kilometres through the Naas Valley before joining the Murrumbidgee River, and its water quality is important because it helps supply Canberra’s water. Historically, grazing and channelisation contributed to erosion and sediment movement downstream, with earlier assessments identifying issues that had not been addressed with significant resources. Through support from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, the project brought landholders and partners together to restore river health, stabilise banks, revegetate riparian areas and support long-term resilience across the valley.

Naas River project area

Activities included:  

  • Fencing waterways to manage stock access  
  • Installing alternative stock water points  
  • Erosion works to stabilise head cuts  
  • Woody weed control
  • Revegetation
  • Community events and workshops with local groups

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Outcomes

  • Protected and restored 23.1 hectares of riparian land  
  • Partnered with 5 landholders  
  • 5 kms of waterways managed for weed control
  • 3 kms of stock exclusion fencing  
  • 2,020 native trees and 1,500 native grasses planted  
  • 8 erosion control remediation sites  
  • 4 community events held, engaging 80 local volunteers

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Timeline

The Naas River project ran from July 2021 to September 2022.