History and Effects of Channelisation on the Latrobe River,Victoria

Channel changes on the lower Latrobe River since the late 1800s include a 25 per cent reduction in channel length due to artificial meander cutoffs, increases in mean channel width, increased channel instability and incision of up to 1.05 m. Hydraulic changes at the Rosedale gauge include increases in bankfull flow velocity and a 67 per cent increase in channel capacity, resulting in a threefold reduction of over-bank flow duration. The extensive channelisation works have reduced the frequency of minor flooding and the period offloodplain inundation, but these and other human impacts have severely degraded the stream environment.