Melbourne Water engaged Alluvium to conduct a wetland condition assessment across ~160 individual wetlands over two years. Given seasonal variations—such as wetlands drying out in summer—the project was structured to assess 40–50 wetlands per year, ensuring comprehensive data collection across different conditions.

Each wetland was evaluated using a consistent methodology to establish a baseline, including:

• Wetland boundary identification and ecological gradients
• EVC mapping and weed assessments
• Catchment and physical form analysis
• Hydrology assessments and water quality analysis (e.g., nutrient enrichment, salinity changes)
• Soil disturbance evaluation
• Biota surveys, identifying wetland vegetation and notable species (e.g., rare or threatened)

Many wetlands were remote or on private land, requiring specialist training and a robust safety plan to ensure field teams could safely access and assess these sensitive environments. Our expertise in wetland ecology, data management, and spatial analysis ensured the delivery of a high-quality dataset to support Melbourne Water’s strategic planning and conservation efforts.