The Kanamaluka/Tamar Estuary is situated in northern Tasmania, extending some 70km from the City of Launceston to Low Head.
Sedimentation is a natural process in the upper Kanamaluka/Tamar estuary, with early accounts describing a relatively shallow channel surrounded by extensive tidal flats and low tide wetlands. Sedimentation of the estuary has been a concern of residents since early European settlement. Work to improve navigation began in the upper estuary in the 1830’s with the establishment of the Port of Launceston. From as early as the 1880’s, letters to the editor have made calls to ‘get rid of the mud’.
To provide a better understanding of the options the Tamar Estuary Management Taskforce commissioned the Tamar Estuary and Esk Rivers (TEER) Program to conduct a review of sediment management options.
The review is a scientifically robust, evidence-based and peer-reviewed assessment of a wide range of sediment management options for the estuary, including various community proposals that have been put forward in recent years. The review brought together technical experts in flood management, estuarine dynamics, ecology, engineering, and infrastructure management to evaluate the potential management options.
Dr Matt Sheehan, who completed a PhD on the invasive plants ad dynamic processes in the Tamar Estuary, provided peer review of the report.
The final TEER sedimentation report was endorsed by the Taskforce in June 2021.You can read the final TEER sedimentation report here.
You can also learn more about the sedimentation in the estuary by watching this short video.http://https://youtu.be/PGfxc8cANpw