THE BRUNSWICK RIVER

 

The Brunswick River originates in the State Forest, about 20km east-north east of the Brunswick Junction townsite. The Augustus and Lunenburgh rivers flow into the Brunswick River in its upper reaches. The catchment west of Brunswick Junction is generally undulating hills with to moderate clearing.

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The catchment changes considerably downstream of the townsite and then becomes flat with a high percentage of clearing. The Wellesley River flows south into the Brunswick 10km downstream of the town. The catchment of the Wellesley River forms part of the Harvey Irrigation District. The Brunswick then turns south and flows into the Collie River at Point Latour.

 

The Brunswick River has a catchment of 228 sq km and extends about 55km inland from the coast. The rainfall is regarded as high, between 1000-1300mm per annum, producing 67 million cubic metres per annum of flow. In recent years rainfall has rarely reached historic levels.

 

The Brunswick River Catchment is approximately 25% cleared in the Upper Catchment and about 75% cleared on the coastal plain, downstream from Brunswick Junction.

 

The Brunswick River, for the most part, is a highly degraded system. Downstream of the Beela Dam the Brunswick is highly eroding, has very little native understorey and a declining native overstorey.

Downstream of Brunswick Junction, much of the river was straightened and desnagged in the early 1970s by the Public Works Department. Although carried out in good faith, this work contributed to a faster flowing and far more erosive river than it was naturally.

 

Disturbance through clearing, grazing, erosion and modification of the channel provides ideal conditions for weed growth and spread. The main weeds of concern are blackberry, watsonia, cotton bush, bridal creeper, arum lily and grasses such as kikuyu and couch.

 

Source: River Action Plan for the Brunswick River, 2006

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