In 1999 an innovative drainage solution was used to improve agriculture productivity in the Muckatah Catchment.
The 600 square kilometre catchment was struggling with saline water and a rising water table.
The Muckatah Catchment Strategy addressing these issues was the first of its kind for a rural drainage scheme. It included an extensive network of vegetated floodways and created wetlands to aid with the filtration of sediments and associated nutrients, drastically reducing the impact on downstream waterways, and improving the productivity of the land.
The project - completed by GMW and the Goulburn Broken CMA - was highly successful, and in October 1999, it was awarded an Engineering Excellence Award by the Victorian branch of the Institution of Engineers, Australia.