Verterra Launches Game-Changing Sediment Accounting Method for Mining Industry
Verterra’s sediment tracking method helps pinpoint erosion zones, quantify effectiveness of rehab, and generates verifiable sediment baselines for reporting.
New monthly, spatial sediment monitoring framework sets a higher standard for rehabilitation and ESG reporting
Brisbane, Australia – 18 August 2025 – Verterra Ecological Engineering has unveiled an innovative sediment tracking method set to transform how mining companies monitor, report, and manage erosion across operational and rehabilitated landscapes.
Leveraging a proven approach originally developed for water quality projects on the Great Barrier Reef, Verterra has adapted the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in conjunction with a novel application of the Dynamic Reference Cover Modelling (DRCM) to deliver monthly, spatially explicit erosion accounting across entire mine sites.
The innovation means mining operators can now pinpoint high-risk erosion zones, quantify the effectiveness of rehabilitation works, and generate verifiable sediment baselines for environmental compliance and ESG reporting—without the need for impractical physical control plots.
“This is a step-change in how the mining sector can measure and manage erosion,” said Ben Silverwood, Senior GIS and Systems Engineer at Verterra. “We’ve taken a method that’s been peer-reviewed and applied at landscape scale, then re-engineered it for the operational realities of mine sites. It’s accurate, scalable, and immediately actionable.”
From Compliance Cost to ESG Asset
Traditional mine sediment monitoring relies on occasional inspections, analogue reference sites, and annual reporting. Verterra’s new approach integrates:
High-resolution satellite and drone imagery
Site-specific LiDAR, rainfall, slope, and soil data
Monthly RUSLE modelling to measure actual erosion against a dynamic, locally relevant baseline generated by the DRCM.
Verterra says this will enable mining companies to:
Detect and address erosion risks earlier
Prioritise rehabilitation investment where it has the greatest impact
Demonstrate measurable environmental performance to regulators, investors, and communities
Position for participation in emerging ecosystem service markets.
Proven Science, Adapted for Mining
The DRCM removes seasonal and site-condition “noise” from monitoring results, ensuring measured improvements are due to actual land management changes. Originally developed to support the award of Reef Credits for improved grazing practices within Great Barrier Reef catchments, the method’s credibility is underpinned by rigorous peer review and application at scale.
“In a sector where sustainability credentials are increasingly scrutinised, being able to show quantified, independently defensible erosion reduction is a powerful advantage,” said Bernhard Wehr, Sector Lead – Mining at Verterra. “This is not just about meeting conditions, it’s about telling a verifiable story of environmental improvement.”