Wamboin & Bellmount Forest projects
November 2020 saw the completion of Mulloon Consulting’s on-ground rehydration work at James and Elizabeth Teale’s Bellmount Forest property 50km north of Canberra, and at Fiona David and Jake Blight’s Wamboin property 25km east of Canberra.
Construction on both sites has focused on repairing eroded gullies and reintroducing functionality into the watercourse. The presence of highly sodic soils at both sites created a unique challenge for our landscape planners but one that Peter Hazell, Cam Wilson, Anne Gibson and Bill McAlister, Joe Skuse and Damon Mudge were only too happy to meet.
Bellmount Forest, NSW
During: Spillway construction.
After: Rock ramp and spill way installed.
Excavators were bought on-site to arrange huge amounts of earth into rock ramps and dam spill ways. These structures are designed to slow high energy water flows and transform what were once degrading rain and floods into events that improve the landscape.
As vegetation planted on bare soil becomes more established, it will help to establish root biomass in the soil structure as well as increase surface roughness. These measures will slow surface water flow, allowing for more water infiltration and protect the soil from further erosion.
Wamboin, NSW
Before: Degraded creek.
After: Rock ramps and ponds installed.
Mulloon Consulting is excited to witness the progression of these sites over the coming years. In the high rainfall events that were once very damaging, it will be exciting to see how the landscapes improve thanks to our interventions.
These projects mark the spread of the science, practices and ideas cultivated at the Mulloon Institute across the Australian landscape. We are excited for all future projects and look forward to working with more passionate landowners.