Seedling death toll is grim

Yesterday I was able to do a death toll of all the seedlings I had planted in the creek or within 6 feet of it. Out of the 13 seedlings I planted within this zone only 2 have survived. The 2 survivors are Flooded Gums which have not escaped injury. They have been bent over and slightly uprooted from the strong current and rocks washed over them. Their future survival is not promising.

On a further note, the island which was forming in the middle of the creek that I had planted 2 gum trees and a bush has been destroyed by this last flood. I discovered a self-seeded gum tree seedling had also started growing on that island but it was also washed away.

The left view of what used to be the island.

Centre view of what used to be the island.

Right view of what used to be the island.

Surprise, surprise. Guess what's growing in what used to be the island? A Melaleuca! The Melaleuca is just off centre toward the top of this third photo above. It's branches are curving up and to the left, and are a yellowish green colour. The Melaleuca in this photo was in the direct path of the flood water's flow and current, unprotected by boulders yet it somehow survived when all else was washed away. This Melaleuca must has some super strong roots to not have been uprooted by the flood. It looks like it will survive despite it being fairly young still.

My 2 Flooded Gums again. Notice the plant right on the water's edge
in the background - this side of the water?

I'm not entirely sure what species of plant the dark green leafed plant is but I believe it might be some sort of Jasmine. This plant has survived flood after flood for years on end, including the worst flood Tenterfield had seen in 60 years. And it is still there minus some leaves, stems and flowers. It just looks like it has been moved with a lawn mower actually. This "Jasmine" is actually growing in the creek itself, in the creek's water. It is also growing on the west side of one of the bends in the creek.

There were a few other specimens of this plant, seedlings of this main plant I'm guessing, but they were washed away or buried underneath sand/rock debris from this last flood.

This "Jasmine" is a tough plant to kill via flooding. I've always wanted to get cuttings of this plant to see if I can establish more of them along the west and south sides of the creek banks. The Jasmine is even tougher to wash out than the reeds that grow in the creek.

Myself (red tshirt), my daughter and neighbour's dog. Photo by Daniel C. Hardy.
Reeds and grasses where the creek's water normally is. Photo taken in
first week of December 2012.

When a major flood comes along all but a few mature reeds are washed away by flood waters. The grasses usually are the only things left in the creek. Over the course of several years of flooding the reeds and grasses have all but disappeared from within the creek itself. They always seem to grow back though, as new seedlings emerge to replace the mature plants that get washed away.

Nature is always trying to revegetate the creek with what flora is currently available in the creek itself. However, with the last 3 floods it has endured there is very little flora left that could possibly survive. Seeds get washed away so too do the seedlings. It has become a fight against nature now, to help the vegetation (native) to survive and prosper. It is the young seedlings that need all the attention, not what I could possibly do to revegetate the creek. Growing Melaleucas in between boulders or in cracks between boulders is now sounding not as silly as when I first came up with that idea (about a week ago).