Shoalhaven Riverwatch held its last working bee before the winter break recently at Bamarang on the Shoalhaven River.
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Twenty-five volunteers constructed 60 metres of continuous sand sausage, nicknamed the Shoalhaven Sand Sausage.
They also cleared Lantana from the river banks and planted 45 long-stemmed Casuarinas to stabilise the banks.
Following the working bee, the group enjoyed a delicious barbecue provided by their sponsors, North Nowra Butchers and North Nowra Friendly Grocer.
Shoalhaven Riverwatch have had a very successful summer season, starting off by propagating 1500 mangroves in their nurseries at Numbaa and Nowra Golf Club.
After completing fence repairs on Numbaa Island, the groups attention shifted to up stream to the Longreach and Bamarang sections of the river, where bank erosion is severe due to cattle grazing, floods and wave action from wind and boats.
The group has worked on three sites including Riversdale and have constructed a total of 230 metres of sand sausage and planted 450 trees. This work will reduce the erosion of the river banks and improve the water quality of the river.
The group was also involved in Clean Up Australia Day in March, pulling a mountain of rubbish from around the Nowra Sailing Club. The highlight was holding a fundraising concert at Riversdale with the internationally renowned Steve Poltz.
Riverwatch will be one of the exhibits at the Shoalhaven Environmental Expo on Tuesday, May 30 where they will show their new video detailing the construction of the Shoalhaven Sand Sausage.
If you would like to get involved with Riverwatch, please email us at shoalhavenriverwatch@gmail.com.
