Rivers across South East Queensland are undergoing increasing geomorphic adjustment driven by climate, flood events, historical disturbance, and population growth. At the Dayboro Reach of the North Pine River, these changes have altered channel form, groundwater connectivity, and sediment dynamics, creating challenges for Seqwater’s groundwater supply infrastructure within the North Pine catchment.
This project, delivered as part of Seqwater’s Source Protection Program, explored an alternative approach to erosion management by focusing on understanding and working with river processes rather than attempting to control them. The Dayboro wells rely on hydraulic connectivity between the river and adjacent alluvial aquifers. However, recent channel incision, widening and migration have lowered river levels and reduced groundwater recharge while increasing sediment delivery to North Pine Dam.
A geomorphology-led assessment was undertaken to understand the evolutionary trajectory of the reach and the interaction between river processes and groundwater behaviour. The study integrated historical aerial analysis, LiDAR-based change detection, field investigation, hydraulic modelling, and groundwater interpretation. These insights informed a structured options analysis and multi-criteria assessment to evaluate rehabilitation strategies.
Rather than relying solely on conventional erosion control, the project considered lower-intervention pathways including revegetation, infrastructure protection, and targeted grade control to guide river self-adjustment and support long-term recovery. The findings highlight how rehabilitation can be informed by linked geomorphic and groundwater processes to support both water supply reliability and river resilience.
This approach reflects an emerging practice in SEQ: shifting from stabilisation toward guiding recovery processes to achieve sustainable outcomes for water security and river health.