Sparks Road – Wetland Restoration

Design and Planning – Christchurch City Council

Main Contractor – GSL

Purpose: The Sparks Road wetland was designed to help remove the sediment from the stormwater before it enters the Heathcote River.

With the increasing demand for the residential development of land in suburban and semi-rural areas of Christchurch, challenges around erosion and sediment control are faced and met head-on by the Christchurch City Council. This project shows not only forward planning with erosion and sediment considerations but also the integration of revegetation and regenerative strategies to create a beautiful aesthetic wetland to enhance the local community.

Terra Mulch (now called DAGMAT) was used on this project initially for plant establishment and weed suppression, however, it soon became clear that the Terra Mulch provided excellent ground stabilisation and a solid substrate for the contractors to work on in challenging Winter conditions. Within a month or two the wool in the DAGMAT binds to the soil, providing excellent filtration of sediment during rain events. GSL mentioned numerous times about the clearer discharge of water coming from the area covered by the DAGMAT.

Another significant advantage of using DAGMAT is the release of nutrients, such as nitrogen, into the soil as the matting degrades, acting like a fertiliser for the plants, increasing growth and survival rates.

There are many benefits of considering locally manufactured products in today’s climate and especially when a product like DAGMAT utilises such a great renewable and biodegradable resource – Wool!

As environmental considerations are at the forefront of these projects now and in the future, proven biodegradable solutions like DAGMAT become the obvious first choice.

Terra Lana is a local Christchurch-based manufacturing company with a focus on providing innovative solutions to the building and construction industry with minimal impact on our environment.