Wambo Coal AEMR 2011-2012 - Peabody Energy

4 Riparian Monitoring
4.1 Methods
Riparian assessments were undertaken by repeating methods defined by HLA (2007)
which included taking pedestrian based surveys along sections of North Wambo Creek,
South Wambo Creek and Stoney Creek utilising field sheets to give an overall rating of
creek health.
Pedestrian based surveys were undertaken over four days including the 7th, 10th, 11th
and 22nd November 2011. Two types of transect were assessed for each of the three
streams, these were:
• Cross sectional – A marked single line transect across the width of the stream from
bank to bank, hereafter referred to as ‘transects’; and
• Longitudinal – An unmarked transect along the length of the creek between two
transects, hereafter referred to as ‘sections’.
Transect and section locations were established in the field by HLA (2007) and comprise
the length of underground workings, plus at least one site beyond each end of the
underground workings.
Two types of riparian monitoring were undertaken – bed and bank stability monitoring, and
riparian vegetation monitoring.
Bed and Bank stability
Bed and bank stability monitoring is undertaken by surveying consultants who undertake
replicate surveys of the three creeks to measure areas of significant erosion and to
identify changes related to water flow. A written assessment was completed of any areas
of significant erosion, bare soil and visible subsidence along each creek line.
Riparian Vegetation Monitoring
The effects of subsidence and erosion on riparian vegetation were monitored by repetitive
sampling of established permanent transects by assessing:
• The current erosion status of transects and sections;
• Photographing each transect site and any areas of significant erosion or subsidence
impacts; and
• Quantifying vegetative structure and species composition for each transect by:
» Completing visual assessment field sheets (see Appendix E) of weighted
riparian vegetation characteristics to give an overall rating. Riparian vegetation
components assessed included:
• Overstorey characteristics;
• Understorey characteristics;
2011 Annual Ecological Monitoring Report, Final Report, May 2012 Page 29