Focus on landscape function is working at Flagstone

Manager Brett Scott has made a strategic decision to focus on landscape function at Flagstone. 

By introducing landscape rehydration techniques to reinstate hydrological function in areas that are experiencing erosion issues, Brett expects to yield economic and environmental rewards through ecological enhancement and improved productivity.

Through the LDC project, The Mulloon Institute was engaged to design small-scale, low-cost interventions to reduce velocity and flow of water off property. 

The erosion site that is being treated is a historic alluvial fan that has formed off the steep hillside near Flagstone Creek. 

At the top of the main flowline a large active gully has formed, and 30m below the gully head, a smaller alluvial fan is forming. The combined catchment of these two flowlines is 1.6ha.

A gully plug (also known as a check dam) will be constructed to entirely bury the large active gully head. It has been designed to lift water back to the soil surface to increase infiltration while reducing the gradient at the point of erosion.

The construction of two earth walls and the excavation of a pond at the smaller alluvial fan will redirect water and lower the velocity of flow to the gully head. 

This will spread water across the landscape, increase inundation and infiltration across the plain, increase deposition of sediments, and slow subsurface moisture movements.

A field day was held at Flagstone in November to showcase the works in progress. The paddock will be subdivided and a watering point relocated to promote pasture establishment.

The long term benefits of the works includes increased water infiltration, healthier soils, more diverse pastures, increased grazing capacity, reduced erosion, and improved water quality.

Flagstone has been on a transformational journey over the past 18 months. This case study outlines other projects Flagstone has completed with NQ Dry Tropics.