Juniper Place Landslide Restoration

British Columbia · 2016 installation · Monitored through 2018

Site assessment in February 2016 identified conditions typical of a complex slope failure:

• Very steep gradient with dense blackberry colonization, a common indicator of disturbed, unstable ground
• Active seepage water emerging across the slope face, a key driver of slope instability and ongoing movement
• Compacted soils in places, limiting infiltration and root establishment
• Large slide extent: the scale of the failure required a systematic installation approach working progressively up the slope

Seepage water is one of the most important factors in landslide restoration. Unless drainage is managed, by intercepting and redirecting water rather than letting it sheet across the slope face, revegetation is undermined by continued soil saturation and movement.

Installation began in late February 2016 and proceeded systematically up the slope, with work documented at regular intervals through late March and into April. The installation was completed by April 10, 2016.

Soil bioengineering techniques applied to steep landslide terrain typically combine:

• Live stake installation using willow and other pioneering species, dormant cuttings driven directly into the slope to intercept seepage, stabilize the surface, and initiate vegetative cover
• Wattle fences or brush layering on flatter terrace areas, creating micro-topography that traps sediment and establishes rooted plant material in layers
• Live pole drains where seepage concentration points require active water interception and redirection

The approach treats seepage as a resource, directing it to planted material rather than letting it saturate the slope, while simultaneously building root biomass that will progressively reinforce the soil structure.

Monitoring photographs document a clear recovery trajectory:

The dated photographs show substantial vegetation establishment within two growing seasons while also documenting remaining exposed areas. They are visual field evidence, not a measured stability or survival study.

Soil bioengineering for landslide recovery, addressing the causes of instability, not just the surface. Request a Site Assessment →

The Juniper Place field record follows a steep, seeping slide through installation in early 2016, visible first-season growth, and monitoring visits through 2018.

February 2016 photographs document a very steep slope with seepage, compacted soils, and blackberry cover. The treatment focused on the slope face and seepage conditions rather than only the toe.

Wattle fences built up the whole face, bottom to top.

Up close, a wattle fence uses long willow stems laid behind driven vertical posts, then backfilled and lightly tamped down. It provides a low contour barrier while the living material has an opportunity to root. The installation was documented as complete on April 10, 2016.

By summer, the cuttings were growing and the face was greening.

By 2017 and 2018, later photographs show dense woody growth across much of the slope. May 2018 photographs also show a remaining exposed central face with installed woody material visible. The record documents vegetation development across the treatment area; it is not a measured stability or survival study.

• Polster, D.F. 1997. Restoration of Landslides and Unstable Slopes: Considerations for Bioengineering in Interior Locations. 21st BC Mine Reclamation Symposium, Cranbrook, BC.

We can assess the failure geometry, seepage, and available live material to design stabilization that addresses the cause, not only the surface.