Alluvial gully erosion: A dominant erosion process across tropical northern Australia

Gully erosion into active river floodplains and terraces (relict floodplains) affects river health and aquatic life, industries, infrastructure and Indigenous cultural activities. As they erode wider and deeper, gullies can make the land unusable for pastoral and agricultural use. They also carry sediment and nutrients from the floodplains into rivers, creeks, lagoons, estuaries and oceans, affecting aquatic life and their habitat.

TRaCK researchers Jeff Shellberg, Andrew Brooks, and John Spencer from Griffith University have studied the causes and impacts of gully erosion from alluvial soils, which is widespread across northern Australia, and recommend changes to land management. Options for rehabilitating and protecting affected land are outlined in a summary and associated report.