Foreshore condition and assessment
Waterway degradation is widespread, particularly in south-west Western Australia. Foreshore condition assessments allow the local community, supported by government agencies and other professionals, to make the most effective use of resources towards river protection by providing information on the state or condition of the foreshore area of a waterway. These assessments allow the most degraded foreshore areas can be targeted for urgent rehabilitation.
Volunteers can be trained to recognise degrees of foreshore degradation and record their assessment of foreshore condition on standardised forms, which ensure consistency in the method used. The resulting data can be gathered together to produce a record of foreshore condition over large areas. This provides baseline data on which to base long term monitoring and management.
Pen and Scott (1995) developed a foreshore condition assessment system for farming areas in south-west Australia. The foreshore condition assessment system considers elements such as vegetation health, presence of weeds, livestock access and fencing status, potential for erosion, and bank steepness. Foreshores are given a grade reflecting the level of degradation found (see diagram below).
The four grades of river foreshore condition following the general process of river degradation from pristine (A) to ditch (D) (Source: Planning and management : foreshore condition assessment in farming areas of south-west Western Australia, River Restoration Manual Report No. RR3)
The assessment method is summarised in the following reports of the River Restoration Manual: