Also making further progress during April was our Mulloon catchment scale project. Previously known as the Mulloon Community Landscape Rehydration Project (MCLRP), it will now be referred to as the Mulloon Rehydration Initiative (MRI). While still remaining a project, with this name change we also want to emphasise how this ‘initiative’ can be implemented in other landscapes across Australia.
While ‘MRI’ is generally accepted as a medical term, in many respects there is some synergy between the two. The medical MRI’s have been the most detailed forensic examination of the internal workings of the human body, at least until Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans came along, and our Mulloon Rehydration Initiative is giving us very detailed data of the workings of our catchment. Stream flows, ground water levels and quality, landscape function analysis, biodiversity enhancements, etc. Our MRI is like an MRI of the landscape!
To date, 14 leaky weirs have been installed in Stage 1 of the MRI, over the 3.5 km stretch of Mulloon Creek running from the Mulloon Road crossing to the Kings Highway. Another 18 structures have been installed so far in Stage 2 across a further 4 km of the creek on the Palerang and Duralla properties. All up we will be installing close to 100 structures along the creek with a total of five stages planned. You can view drone footage of where work has been undertaken along Mulloon Creek at Mulloon Farm North, Palerang, and Westview via our Vimeo page.
Westview video – Flying upstream at ‘Westview’ farm in April 2020. Three structures were built in November 2018 raising the creek by about 80cm. From downstream to upstream, they are a log rock sill, a double log rock sill and a stock and vehicle crossing. Each is now well vegetated on and this section of creek has transformed from a high energy torrent during periods of high flow to a gentle series of ponds and riffles with hydrated secondary channels, back swamps and wetlands.
Leaky weir MN7 video – Leaky weir at ‘Mulloon Farm North’ in April 2020. This structure was completed in March 2018 and the natural regeneration of plants and habitat has been nothing short of astounding despite being one of the driest periods since records began.
Note – For all of these structures we have received ‘Controlled Activity Approvals’ from the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR).