Intense rain over the past two weeks, including almost 60mm in the Strathbogie region last week, put the straw bale sediment traps under significant pressure.
The authority’s river and wetlands health program manager, Simon Cowan, said the bale trap system was implemented following community consultation and environmental assessments.
“We are working with the community to get a sense of their needs,” Mr Cowan said.
“Post-fire, we needed to implement something that was both effective and quick to address the immediate risk.
“Straw bales are a method used immediately after a fire, when everything is burnt and there is nothing holding back sediment.”
Mr Cowan told Country News that the authority co-ordinated its response with Agriculture Victoria and Landcare Australia to ensure a rapid and consistent rollout.
Early indications suggest the system performed well despite the heavy rain.
“They got knocked around a bit, but the feedback from landholders and initial assessments is that they held up well,” Mr Cowan said.
He said straw bales offered several advantages over alternative sediment control methods.
“We needed something that could be easily implemented immediately and that requires less technical effort,” he said.
Straw bales also require less maintenance and clean-up than alternatives such as silt fences.
As damaged vegetation recovers, the bales will naturally decompose, allowing the ecosystem to return to normal.
The authority sourced straw from reputable suppliers and worked closely with Agriculture Victoria to ensure the material was reasonably inert, minimising the risk of weeds or other contaminants.
Mr Cowan said the authority would continue its bushfire recovery efforts, including removing physical debris and protecting critical waterway structures throughout the catchment.
He added that re-establishing fences and managing livestock in and around waterways would be a key focus, noting these factors present an ongoing risk to catchment health and management moving forward.
