Rowers and restoration at Spring Creek, New South Wales

Snapshot Solution
Volunteers install native plants around the Spring Creek reservoir on a planting and learn-how-to-row day.
Tobias Wehr-Candler

The Kinross Wolaroi School Rowing Programme launched a project to restore degraded land around the Spring Creek reservoir. The city-owned reservoir, where rowers from the school come to practice, is separated from agricultural land by only a small strip of vegetation composed mostly of non-native and invasive plants. These plants consume more water than the native species, further exacerbating the effects of ongoing drought conditions, which have reduced the reservoir to 30% of its capacity. Run-off from nearby farming compromises water quality, which is a problem for local rowers as well as for two endangered duck species observed at the reservoir. In order to create a beautiful, healthy area for sport and high-quality habitat for birds, rowers presented a restoration plan to the city council for support. Following the guidance of an environmental consultant and with funding from the city, the team hosted community workdays to clear invasive species from a section of the shore and plant native plants.

Dernière modification 03 Feb 2023
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Contexte
Challenges addressed
Drought
Increasing temperatures
Land and Forest degradation
Ecosystem loss
Invasive species
Scale of implementation
Local
Ecosystems
Pool, lake, pond
River, stream
Urban wetlands
Thème
Biodiversity mainstreaming
Habitat fragmentation and degradation
Species management
Adaptation
Mitigation
Restoration
Sustainable livelihoods
Local actors
Science and research
Emplacement
Spring Creek, New South Wales, Australia
Oceania
Impacts

Removal of thirsty non-native trees has lowered the demand on the drought-stressed reservoir, leaving more water to support biodiversity and rowing activities. Urban river sites are often degraded, and improvement efforts like those seen at Spring Creek can have significant impacts on local biodiversity. To incentivise future sustainability and conservation efforts by the rowing community, the World Rowing Federation (FISA) recognises exceptional contributions like the Spring Creek project with the World Rowing Sustainability Award. FISA provides rowers with guidelines to emphasise positive biodiversity impacts in event and venue planning through their sustainability goals. In this way, the sports federation, local sports team, and host city can work together to support positive biodiversity outcomes. The project succeeded in mobilising the local community to undertake vital ecological restoration work. Future plans include linking the restoration work with school curricula and further expanding the high-quality habitat patch around the reservoir.

Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 6 – Clean water and sanitation
SDG 11 – Sustainable cities and communities
SDG 15 – Life on land
Connexion avec les contributeurs
Other contributors
Eric Ndayishimiye
San Francisco Estuary Institute
Robin Grossinger
San Francisco Estuary Institute
Megan Wheeler
San Francisco Estuary Institute
Erica Spotswood
San Francisco Estuary Institute