Where is dryland salinity in Australia?
Where is dryland salinity in Australia?
New South Wales The main regions currently affected, and at high risk, are The Murrumbidgee River catchment near Griffith, and Jemalong River Catchment near Forbes, as well as the Murray River irrigation area near Deniliquin.
What is dryland salinity in Australia?
What is dryland salinity? Dryland salinity is the build-up of salts in the soil and groundwater in non-irrigated areas. Although salts are a natural part of the Australian landscape, dryland salinity is a process where excess salt affects soil, pastures, vegetation, crops , biodiversity and water quality.
Why is dryland salinity an issue in Australia?
Salinity has been caused by extensive land clearing in Australia, predominantly for agricultural purposes. Land clearance can also lead to soil erosion and, when it results in a changing water balance, to dryland salinity.
How do you manage dryland salinity?
The key to addressing dryland salinity is managing excess water in the landscape. This can be done by: maintaining adequate vegetation cover. maximising water use by choosing an appropriate mix of pasture species.
How bad is salinity in Australia?
The scale of the dryland salinity problem More than 1 million hectares of agricultural land in the south-west of Western Australia (WA) is severely affected by salt. The lost agricultural productivity from salinity damage is estimated to be worth at least $519 million per year.
What is the Australian government doing about salinity?
Major programs. The Australian Government has supported salinity management through programs such as the National Dryland Salinity Program (1993-2004) and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (2001-2008).
Why is dryland salinity bad?
Dryland salinity is closely linked to other soil degradation issues, including soil erosion. Salinity is often associated with prolonged wetness and lack of surface cover and therefore increases the vulnerability of soils to erosion.
Why is dryland salinity a problem?
As the soil surface dries out, salt is left behind. Dryland salinity is a problem for farmers because salt makes it harder for plants to extract water from soil. The result is loss of pasture and groundcover, and eventually soil erosion, which affects the productivity and sustainability of your farm.
How do you overcome salinity problems?
How To Reduce Soil Salinity?
- Increase drainage for better flushing (to remove salts from the ground surface).
- Plant salt-tolerant crops to manage economic risks and to ensure land cover.
- Remove salt crystals from the surface mechanically.
- Restore the balance via chemical amendments (e.g., gypsum or sulfuric acid).
How can dryland salinity be reversed?
Approaches to combat dryland salinity There are three sets of options for addressing dryland salinity. The first is to reduce groundwater recharge by reintroducing deep-rooted perennial plants or by using engineering options to intercept fresh water (e.g., surface interception drains).
Why is soil salinity important in Australia?
Secondary dryland salinity has been one of Australia’s most costly forms of land degradation. Most annual crops, such as wheat, are susceptible to salinity , which reduces grain yields if it exceeds a threshold level.
What can be done to improve the salinity situation in Australia?
Managing salinity
- planting, regenerating and maintaining native vegetation and good ground cover in recharge, transmission and discharge zones, where possible.
- using more groundwater in recharge areas by pumping water from bores and redirecting it to other storages.
How is dryland salinity affecting South West Australia?
More than 1 million hectares of previously productive land in South West Western Australia (SW WA) is now severely affected by dryland salinity. Dryland salinity is a major cause of land degradation and remains a threat to 2.8–4.5 million hectares of highly productive, low-lying or valley soils.
How much land is affected by salt in Western Australia?
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that saltland management is part of a whole farm, or preferable whole catchment, plan. More than 1 million hectares of agricultural land in the south-west of Western Australia (WA) is severely affected by salt.
How does water management work in Western Australia?
In most areas of Western Australia, the benefits from management on-farm will also be on that farm. However, surface water management at a catchment level is often needed to avoid transferring unwanted water and salt to downstream land managers. Manage salinity as part of whole-farm water management.
When to drain subsurface water to control salinity?
An owner or occupier of land must give at least 90 days notice to the Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation of an intent to drain subsurface water to control salinity and discharge that water onto other land, into other water or into a watercourse, even if on the same property.