Pelham Brook Outlet Restoration Project

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Pelham Brook is a small sub-catchment in the Shire of Toodyay, entering the Avon River in the Toodyay townsite. Its headwaters are in Pelham Reserve, a York gum-jam and wandoo woodland to the south and above the town.

You can read more about the brook and other catchment areas, here.

Weed Eradication

One of the early Toodyay Friends of the River (TFOR) projects was the restoration of the weed-infested riparian vegetation at the outlet of Pelham Brook. Huge numbers were noted of:

  • Smallflower Tamarisk (Tamarix parviflora);
  • Bridal Creeper (Asparagus asparagoides);
  • Giant Bamboo (Arundo donax);
  • Castor Oil Tree (Ricinus communis);
  • Blackberry Nightshade (Solanum nigrum).

Caltrop (Tribulus terrestris) was also removed. Many of these weeds (e.g. Bridal Creeper, Tamarisk and Giant Bamboo) required the use of machinery.

Pelham Outlet Sign

Restoration

With the sealing of the car park in Charcoal Lane (next to the railway line) in 2018 the run-off increased significantly, draining into the Pelham Brook culvert; storm-water from Stirling Terrace also drained into the culvert. As a consequence, a considerable amount of erosion was taking place following any medium to large rainfall events.

TFOR was concerned with the damage caused by this erosion. In 2021 the Friends were successful with a grant application to Wheatbelt NRM for the design and re-construction of the outlet.

This project has made a positive contribution to the restoration of the riparian vegetation of the Avon River. TFOR continues to maintain the Pelham Brook outlet during some of their monthly working bees.

Water cascading down the new rock-lined channel (Photo: Richard Ness, Shire of Toodyay)
Early stabilisation attempts. Tyres, rocks and logs were placed in the drain in an attempt to stabilise it.
Water cascading down the new rock-lined channel (Photo: Richard Ness, Shire of Toodyay)
Degradation. Weeds, rubble, erosion and more weeds made up the drain below the outlet.
Water cascading down the new rock-lined channel (Photo: Richard Ness, Shire of Toodyay)

Water cascading down the new rock-lined channel.
Photo credit: Richard Ness, Shire of Toodyay

A digger is used to form the cross-over road (pipe in view). Photo credit: Bridget Leggett

Forming the cross-over.
Photo credit: Bridget Leggett

The new crossover (pipe running underneath a dirt road)

The completed crossover.

Pelham Brook Spillway - dry and not flowing
Pelham Brook Spillway-flowing and healthy

River condition survey

In November 2019, an initial survey for the South-west Index of River Conditions (SWIRC) by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation was undertaken immediately below the Pelham Brook outlet over about 100m of the river channel. The following fish and fresh-water crustaceans were recorded:

Also recorded during the survey was a freshwater-dwelling reptile, the South-western snake-necked turtle (Chelodina colliei).

See the survey results
DWER River Health Monitoring. Photo by Bridget Leggett.
DWER River Health Monitoring – South-western snake-necked turtles (Chelodina oblonga). Photo credit: Bridget Legget.

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