What lies beneath the sand? Results will shed light on how wetland restoration impacts the coastal environment

Karst springs and their associated alkaline fens are a unique feature of the South East SA, and listed as a highly threatened ecosystem. In 2023 the Limestone Coast Landscape Board (LCLB) purchased a parcel of land in the Eight Mile Creek area containing the threatened community, to restore from farmland. This includes installing infrastructure to hold water up in the artificial drain and re-establish a wetland area. You can read more about their project here.

This type of ecological work is something that NGT is known for, but most of the time occurs further inland, away from the coastal zone. As many of you know Jess has a passion for the coast and marine environment, and when the purchase announcement was made by the LCLB, it lead to a question of what effect the any change in freshwater flow dynamics will have on the intertidal beach system where the Deep Creek flows out? Will this benefit the fauna that usually live in the sand, the infauna, along this stretch of beach? Many of these are food for migratory shore birds such as the Hooded Plover and other bird species.

Thanks to a Grassroots Grant from the Limestone Coast Landscape Board, we are about to investigate what’s currently in the sand at the drain outlet, with the idea to come back after the infrastructure has been installed at the property and flows from the artificial drain have been altered to see what (if any) impact this has had on the intertidal infauna (creatures that live within the sediments) at the outflow point.

If you are interested to have a look at some of the intertidal fauna you don’t usually get to see, come along on Monday 23^rd February. Samples will be collected during low tide and any fauna collected will be identified and counted before being returned.

Places are limited, so please register with Jess by emailing

This project is supported by the Limestone Coast Landscape Board’s Grassroots Grants program and is funded by the regional landscape levy.