This management plan for the Boorowa River and Hovells Creek catchments was developed by the Boorowa Regional Catchment Committee, representing the seven Landcare Groups within the catchment at that time, and with funding support from the National Heritage Trust through 2003-4. It arose from community concern about land and water degradation problems and community desire to ensure the natural resources within the catchments are managed in an ecologically sustainable manner. It also aimed to add local detail to the ‘Integrated Catchment Management Plan for the Lachlan Catchment’, released in 2002.

The Boorowa Catchment Action Plan aimed to:

  • Be an education, awareness and support mechanism for funding applications,
  • Provide the community with current information on natural resources within the catchment,
  • Identify priority issues for the catchment,
  • Develop regional strategies and action for land managers,
  • Provide land managers with a set of best management practice guidelines,
  • Identify options for sharing the cost of implementing the plan, and to
  • Allow sustainable management of the catchment to be achieved through partnership of individuals, community groups and all spheres of Government.

The Plan is a large (100 pages) and comprehensive document with detailed descriptions and maps of the natural resources (geology, soils, vegetation, water resources, native fauna), land use for cropping, grazing, recreation and residential purposes, current (at the time) land / water use problems and recommendations, including ‘best management’ practice fact sheets. The Plan has been a key reference for subsequent Landcare works by Hovells Creek Landcare, Boorowa Community Landcare and Greening Australia in the catchment. It remains as relevant today as it was when released in 2005. It is downloadable in full from this site, or in sections (as below) for those readers with limited www access or a hard copy can be accessed through HCLG or BCLG.

 

Downloads

The Plan (in full)

(1) Introductory chapters – Executive Summary, (1) Introduction, (2) Planning Process and (3) Boorowa Network of Landcare Groups

(4) Boorowa River (and Hovells Creek) Catchment – An Overview

Includes sections on Location, History, Community Profile, Climate, Physiography and Drainage, Geology, Soils, Land Capability, Land Use, Native Vegetation and Native Fauna.

(5) Boorowa Catchment Issues

Includes sections on Dryland Salinity, Vegetation and Biodiversity, Soil Management and Water Management

(6) Borowa Catchment Action Plan

  • Dryland Salinity Action Plan
  • Dryland Salinity Best Management Practices – including seven Fact Sheets
  • Native Vegetation Management Action Plan
  • Native Vegetation Best Management Practices – including eight Fact Sheets
  • Soil Management Action Plan
  • Soil Management Best Management Practices
  • Water Management Action Plan
  • Water Management Best Management Practices – including three Soil / water Fact Sheets

(7) References

(8) Catchment Maps (large Shape files)