Great barriers to improve reef quality

Grass regrowth to fix erosion in alluvial gullies could provide a breakthrough solution to help save the Great Barrier Reef.

Scientists from Griffith University have identified thousands of hectares of rapidly eroding gullies which are spewing sediment into the deteriorating reef.

The alluvial gullies are producing tens of thousands of sediment into the reef each year according to Dr Andrew Brooks, from Griffith's Australian Rivers Institute.

However, researchers have developed a strategy which decreases erosion rates by 75 per cent within two years.

Over six years, Dr Brooks and his team carried out field work in the Cape York region to identify how alluvial gullies function, but also how they can be contained.

The rehabilitation process requires a complete regrading of the highly erodible gullies and effectively recreating a protective layer of surface soil to ensure it can support grass regrowth.

Both the Queensland and Federal governments have set reduction targets of 80 per cent for nutrients and 50 per cent for sediment by 2025, aimed at improving water quality to the Great Barrier Reef.

Dr Brooks is convinced that while individual land owners are part of the solution, the scale of the problem has grown beyond them being able to manage it on their own.

"It is essential that resources are directed to the right areas so that we can potentially avoid the quality of the reef worsening in certain areas," Dr Brooks said.