While there have been high-profile revegetation projects implemented in Tasmania, the riparian and instream benefits and costs have rarely been assessed. Most projects have focussed on sections of large, mainstem rivers and their conservation goals have been geared towards terrestrial outcomes. The remaining opportunities for improved riparian management lie mostly in headwater and smaller, upper catchment areas. Happily, focussing on headwaters facilities practical farm-scale interventions. However, the main management tools (fencing, revegetation) are costly and rarely achieve substantial, continuous riparian corridors. This compromises benefits for water quality and nutrient retention, but these restorations may still benefit biodiversity and instream habitats. Unfortunately, headwaters are rarely monitored and there are no readily applicable protocols for intermittent streams – which probably comprise the majority of headwater streams in these landscapes, and their proportion will increase as climate change intensifies. Two major informational barriers are: 1. What can be achieved reasonably for water quality and nutrient management from the likely patchwork of riparian interventions in these landscapes? 2. How do we assess success of interventions in headwater and intermittent streams, especially as climate change intensifies?