| TABLE OF CONTENTS |  |
| 1. Introduction | 1 |
| 1.1. Background and content | 1 |
| 1.2. Objectives and approach | 2 |
| 1.3. Report outline | 3 |
| 2. Catchment descriptions | 5 |
| 2.1. Introduction | 5 |
| 2.2. A general description | 5 |
| 2.2.1. Climate and hydrology | 6 |
| 2.2.2. Geology, geomorphology, pedology and stream condition | 6 |
| 2.2.3. Land use and vegetative cover | 8 |
| 2.3. Other physical characteristics | 8 |
| 3. Methods | 11 |
| 3.1. Introduction | 11 |
| 3.2. Historical analysis | 11 |
| 3.2.1. Documentary evidence | 11 |
| 3.2.2. Anecdotal evidence | 12 |
| 3.2.3. Historic cross-section data | 12 |
| 3.3. Assessing present condition | 13 |
| 3.3.1. Field inspections | 13 |
| 3.3.2. Sediment budget | 13 |
| 3.3.3. Sediment tracing using particle size distributions | 14 |
| 3.3.4. Scour chains | 19 |
| 3.3.5. Suspended load sampling | 22 |
| 3.3.6. Bedload sampling | 24 |
4. Analysis of historical evidence: establishing baseline conditions
and potential erosion triggers | 27 |
| 4.1. Introduction | 27 |
| 4.2. Explorers and the Overlanders | 27 |
| 4.3. Pastoral runs | 28 |
| 4.4. The Granite Creeks area in the second half of the nineteenth century | 29 |
| 4.4.1. Creek morphology | 30 |
| 4.5. The Creightons Creek area in the 20th century | 34 |
| 4.5.1. Creightons Creek: the hill country | 34 |
| 4.5.2. Creightons Creek: the flats | 38 |
4.6. Evidence of erosion and sedimentation along Castle Creek
and Pranjip–Nine Mile Creek | 41 |
| 4.6.1. Castle Creek | 41 |
| 4.6.2. Pranjip–Nine Mile Creek | 45 |
| 4.7. Potential sources of disturbance | 47 |
| 4.8. Patterns of aggradation | 54 |
| 4.9. Pre-settlement erosion and aggradation | 56 |
| 4.10. Conclusions | 57 |
| 5. Assessing present condition | 59 |
| 5.1. Field observations | 59 |
| 5.1.1. Erosion | 59 |
| 5.1.2. Aggradation | 63 |
| 5.2. Sediment budget | 65 |
| 5.3. Sediment tracing using particle size distributions | 66 |
| 5.3.1. Fine fraction method | 66 |
| 5.3.2. Histogram comparison | 68 |
| 5.3.3. Coarse fraction method | 70 |
| 5.3.4. McLaren technique | 71 |
| 5.4. Scour chains | 79 |
| 5.5. Bedload sampling | 82 |
| 5.5.1. Bedload transport rates | 83 |
| 5.5.2. Particle size distributions | 84 |
| 5.5.3. Dune movement | 85 |
| 5.6. Synthesis | 85 |
| 6. Discussion of results | 87 |
| 6.1. Introduction | 87 |
| 6.2. Objective and hypotheses | 87 |
| 6.3. Implications for rehabilitation | 88 |
| 6.3.1. Introduction | 88 |
| 6.3.2. Minimising further sediment input | 88 |
| 6.3.3.Sand slug movement | 89 |
| 6.3.4. Improving the in-stream environment on the sand slug | 92 |
| 7. Conclusion | 93 |
| 7.1. The Granite Creeks | 93 |
| 7.2. Beyond the Granite Creeks | 94 |
| 7.2.1. Methodological outcomes | 94 |
| 7.2.2. Final outcomes | 94 |
| References | 97 |
| Appendix A | 102 |
| Appendix B | 104 |
| Appendix C | 106 |
| Other publications by the CRC for Freshwater Ecology | 107 |
| Acronyms and explanation of some terms | vii |