Gabi Quoi Quoi catchment updates

A rehabilitated saline valley floor of the Gabby Quoi Quoi creek

Last week Lance Mudgway visited the Gabby Quoi Quoi catchment south of Wongan Hill in the Wheatbelt of WA. A literal translation of Gabby Quoi Quoi, Lance was informed, is “water plenty plenty”.  On a couple of the properties he visited, this was definitely the case, with one property home to a nice permanent freshwater soak, and another a creek system that flows for nine months of the year, even in the drying WA climate. 

There is actually plenty of water across the whole catchment, though much of it is saline. Valley floors are significantly impacted by secondary salinity (salinity caused by clearing and raising of water tables). The Gabby Quoi Quoi catchment group has been beavering away for over 30 years to address the salinity issues, with massive plantings of native trees and bushes as well as surface water management (absorption, interceptor and grade banks). Although this work has largely stopped the spread of salinity and established vegetation cover on the saline valley floors, it hasn’t addressed the root causes – clearing of the land has upset the water balance, increasing runoff which recharges in the valley floors and removing the organic pumps to maintain a low water table.

A view upstream of the catchment from the lookout established by the group in the 1990s

The current project, sponsored by Wheatbelt NRM with funding the WA State NRM is about adapting the existing land management plans with a rehydration lens to start restoring the water balance. A short presentation on landscape rehydration was given at the group’s AGM.  Six properties across four land-owners were visited with each property having specific sites with ongoing issues. Conceptual plans will be provided for those sites together with broader catchment recommendations. Four more landowners came on board after the AGM and will be visited in the coming months.

The sign at the lookout showing a map of the area and work done