Troy Creek facts for kids

Troy Creek is a small stream located near the city of Dubbo in central western New South Wales, Australia. It flows through a special area of land called a 'catchment'. This area was once known for having very high levels of salinity, which means the soil and water were too salty. Troy Creek is an ephemeral stream, meaning it only flows after it rains. It starts in the Beni forest, flows about 10 kilometres through farms and towns, and then joins the Macquarie River.

The Story of Troy Creek

For a long time, the land around Troy Creek was used in ways that caused a big problem: salinity. This happened when too many trees were cut down. Without trees, the water table (the water underground) rose, bringing salt from deep in the soil to the surface. This made the soil and water very salty.

Troy Creek suffered a lot from this salt. Large areas of land became 'salt scalds', which are bare patches where nothing can grow because of the high salt. The salt levels in some parts of the soil were twice as salty as the ocean! This was far too salty for most native plants and trees to survive.

How People Helped

Luckily, people decided to help Troy Creek. Local volunteers, businesses, and even school students worked together. They planted thousands of trees along Troy Gully and Troy Creek. Planting trees helps to lower the water table, which means less salt comes to the surface.

These efforts have made a huge difference! In recent years, the salinity has gone down a lot. The salt scalds are now slowly being covered by special grasses that can handle salty conditions. The amount of salt in the groundwater (water underground) has also dropped significantly.