The Saltwater Creek foreshore was eroding due to a combination of past dredging, boat wash, degraded riparian vegetation and higher peak flood velocities from catchment development. This project investigated the potential for using coir matting and logs in combination with revegetation to arrest erosion along a 150m trial site. The site featured a 1-1.5m vertical bank along its length and nearly complete loss of riparian vegetation, resulting in approximately 4-6m of foreshore lost over the preceding 5 years. The site experiences tidal variation of approximately 1-1.5m in height. The bank was rebattered to reduce the gradient considerably and the exposed Acid Sulphate Soil treated. A combination of different coir structures were used along with revegetation: - A single coir log row along bank toe, coir matting from bank toe to above MHWS. - A coir log pyramid 2.2m seaward of bank toe to act as a wave dissipation structure in mangrove intertidal zone, with a 1m break every 9m to provide fish passage. - Construction of a 1.5m pyramid landward of 1m breaks; (coir log flow deflectors). - Coir matting, revegetation and mulching of a 15m wide riparian zone, including dense revegetation along the foreshore batter. The work was followed up with a community information and tree planting day shortly after works were finalised.

Mangroves

Method: Hybrid

Hydrological restoration - method: Rebattering

Hybrid structure: Coir logs, coir matting

Hybrid structure height (m): 1-2.5