Site 14 Coburg - Edgars Creek Terrace and Meanders

This information has been developed from one or more of these publications:

Sites of Environmental Significance in the Flood Plain of the Upper Yarra Valley Region (1983) by Neville Rosengren, Douglas Frood and Kim Lowe (as part of a study of Sites of Environmental Significance by the University of Melbourne for the then Upper Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Authority).

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 section of the Geological Society of Australia website for details of geological heritage reports, and a bibliography.

Location:	YARRA 5000/04.09 E21400 N22000 to E21500 N21660
	Channel and adjacent floodplain and terrace of Edgars Creek between Outlook Drive and Ronald Street, North Coburg.
Access:	Outlook Drive and Ronald Street, North Coburg.
Ownership & Municipality:	Public Land, City of Coburg.
Site Description:	The site is a broad terrace and floodplain crossed by the meandering channel of Edgars Creek. The creek is incised up to 2 metres below the level were partly blocked by the lava flows and deposited sediment in a series of lakes and swamps. Undercut bank sections show the stratigraphy of these sedimentary deposits. The floodplain was deposited when both Edgars Creek and Merri Creek were in higher level channels before Merri Creek had deeply incised into the confining lava flow. The Edgars Creek channel is a dynamic feature and is places is undercutting the bank and extending the meanders. A natural “goose-neck” meander is forming at the site. This is natural process and illustrates the method by which alluvium is transported and stored in stream channels.
Significance Rating:	Local.
	The site is a clear example of a confined floodplain. It is the latest modified remnant of a more extensive alluvial unit that extended eastward toward Elizabeth Street. This unit was the bed of Pleistocene age lake that had been dammed by lava flows spilling into the southern end of Edgars Creek and also blocking Merri Creek. Bones of extinct marsupials including Diprotodon were found in clays of this lake deposit although these older sites are now covered by buildings. The modern floodplain of Edgars Creek is a younger geological feature than these lake deposits.
Site Sensitivity:	Class 2.
	The creek channel is a dynamic feature and in places is undercutting the bank and extending the meanders. This is a natural process and illustrates the method by which alluvium is transported and stored in stream channels. As come sectors are now covered by rock walling, consideration should be given to allowing some meander bends to continue to erode as the undercut banks provide excellent natural cross sections of older and modern alluvium. Land use adjacent to the channel should be designed to accommodate channel changes. There are no other opportunities in the Metropolitan area of Merri Creek and Edgars Creek to allow this process to be seen.
References:	Hanks, W. 1934, The Tertiary sands and Older Basalt of Coburg, Pascoe Vale and Campbellfield, Victoria. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict., 46 Part II, 144-150.

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