In nature: Native vegetation in and around a farm dam has many benefits for water quality, farm productivity and biodiversity.
Susan Sleigh is a facilitator at Longwood Plains Conservation Management Network. Here she writes about a farm dams project she organised.
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On a glorious autumn afternoon on April 20, 18 people gathered for a field event hosted by Rhonda Robinson at her property east of Nagambie to learn about planting a farm dam.
Rhonda’s farm dam was part of a project that began in 2015 when she received Victorian Government funding to fence and hand plant two farm dams.
When the group visited Rhonda’s property, Susan Sleigh provided background to the farm dams project, looking back at the dams planted seven years ago and the results of the project.
She provided a practical guide of what to plant in and around farm dams that may have bare banks, plains grassy woodland, edges of dams/gullies and in water.
Rhonda shared her stories of planting two farm dams including difficulties in the first two drought years of keeping plants alive, followed by a very wet year where plants died.
Through re-plantings over the years and the natural processes returning with destocking, the group was able to witness the changes at her dam and small watercourse site. The diversity of plants is evidence of the successful restoration of this area which now contains wattles, eucalypts, river bottlebrushes, bulokes and more.
Rhonda talked about the emergence of pond weed, the increase in rushes and sedges, as well as the natural regeneration of eucalypts and wattles.
The group then visited Euroa Arboretum with Cath Olive.
Cath shared her expert plant knowledge with the group and showed them plants in the different situations.
Landholders were then able to create their own plant lists for their individual dam sites with her guidance.
Property tour: Rhonda Robinson (centre) talks about the planting of her dam.
Importantly, these dam sites increase biodiversity in our heavily cleared landscapes and provide important habitat to our native species and particularly birds.
Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program funding has enabled the conservation network to review the results of the project seven years on. Landholders were pleased with the results of their dam sites, the plant guide is a very valuable resource and an information sheet on lessons learnt from planting farm dams has been created. These are available at longwoodplains.org under the resources tab.
The information sheet covers knowing your high watermark as wattles will not survive in water; controlling annual grasses and weeds (three-step program) and killing phalaris; using local indigenous plants; making sure your plants go into the correct situation; and the difficulties in sourcing water plants.
Always a highlight of a field day is the food, hot drinks and conversation that follows the main event.
Funding of this event was through the Victorian Government’s Landcare Facilitator Program.
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