G16, G17 - Yarra Flats - New Cut-Off, Bluff, Outcrop

This information has been developed from the publications:

Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance in the Western Region of Melbourne (1986) by Neville Rosengren
Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance on the Coast of Port Phillip Bay (1988) by Neville Rosengren.
Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance in the Shire of Otway (1984) by Neville Rosengren.

Geological heritage sites, including sites of geomorphological interest and volcanic heritage sites, are under regular revision by the Geological Society of Australia, especially in the assessment of significance and values. Reference should be made to the most recent reports. See the Earth Science Heritage (external link) section of the Geological Society of Australia website for details of geological heritage reports, and a bibliography.

Location:	AMG Ref: 585295 to 595296.	Strike controlled channel section.
Access:	Private road off Yarra Glen - Healesville Road.
Geomorphology:	(G17) The river here is guided by a bedrock spur of Humevale Formation sandstone. Outcrop of this occurs on the east of the spur and the river channel is aligned along the strike of the sedimentary beds.
	(G16) The meander scars at A indicate a former sinuous channel with tight meander loops of short radius. The channel is now straight and the present meander pattern differs in form from that indicated by the meander scars.
	This site includes on of the youngest cut-offs on the floodplain. The ends of the cut-off are still open and in times of high flow, the river occupies the cut-off Humevale Formation outcrops upstream of this cut-off and at low flow forms a rock bar across the channel.
Significance:	Regional. This is one of the few bedrock outcrops in the channel along the Yarra flats. It illustrates the structural control exercised by the Humevale Formation on the form of the northern boundary of the floodplain.
Management:	Class 1. No physical alteration should be permitted at the point of cut-off of the new meander as it represents the best example in the Yarra flats of a newly forming oxbow lake. Filling or excavation of the meander scars at X should not be permitted.