Hydrology Commons^™

Climate, Physiography, Geology, Hydrology And Land Use In The North Stirlings Area : A Precursory Report, R Lennard, R A. Nulsen, C E. Southwell

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Background Papers To Wawa's South-West Irrigation District Strategy Study, G J. Luke, I Af Laing, P R. George, G R. Olney, R L. Taylor, I F. Wilkinson, P T. Arkell

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Reclaiming Sandplain Seeps Planting Trees, Richard George

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Sandplain seeps affect large areas of agricultural land in Western Australia's eastern and northern wheatbelt and in the Great Southern. These seeps are estimated to account for about 10 per cent of dryland salinity in the agricultural area. Research and field observations show that seeps may be cheaply and quickly reclaimed using various types of drains or small blocks of trees (George 1990). This article discusses results of reclamation methods associated with tree planting on sandplain seeps in the eastern wheatbelt.

Planting Trees To Control Salinity, Nick Schofield, Phil Scott

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Dense tree plantings covering at least 30 per cent of cleared land can lower groundwater levels by two metres or more in 10 years from the time of planting. This sizeable drop can be expected at sites receiving 700 to 800 mm of rain a year. Research by the Water Authority of Western Australia shows the most promising strategy when using trees is to put dense plantings on the discharge zone and on lower to midslopes. This strategy is successful where groundwaters contain less than 30,000 milligrams per litre total soluble salts (TSS).

This article discusses research in the 450 …

Drainage Of Sandplain Seeps For Salinity Control And Stock Water Supplies, Richard George, Peter Frantom

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Sandplain seeps are derived from a shallow groundwater system which flows from the deep sandplain soils upslope. Seeps result in small areas of salinity and waterlogging, which can be the focus of soil erosion. Sandplain seeps may represent as much as 10 per cent of Western Australia's salt problem in the drier agricultural area. Several drainage experiments conducted between 1986 and 1989 determined the best methods of reclaiming sandplain seeps.

This article discusses the results of these drainage experiments. It comments on the most suitable method for reclaiming sandplain seeps and developing them for stock water supplies.

Whole-Farm Planning : Success At Wilgi Creek, Kevin Shanhun

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Ian and Bev Lynch own Wilgi Creek, a 376 ha mixed farming property at West Mount Barker in the 700 mm rainfall zone. In 1983, they started a whole-farm plan to overcome the problems of declining production caused by waterlogging (their biggest problem), salinity and deterioration of the remnant native vegetation. Today, their property is an example of a successful, wholefarm land conservation plan based on agroforestry, timber production, water harvesting and improved pastures.

Unique Co-Operative Landcare Venture In The Avon Catchment, Darrel Brewin, John Collett

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The Avon catchment is bustling with landcare activity generated by a unique co-operative venture between farmers, the Department of Agriculture, the National Soil Conservation Program and Alcoa of Australia Ltd. The Avon Catchment Landcare Program was initiated by the Department of Agriculture and Alcoa, in support of the national Decade ofLandcare. The program provides financial, human and technical resources to undertake catchment and farm planning and demonstrations of rehabilitation techniques that tackle soil and water degradation problems. We know that without specially planned landcare programs and substantial changes in land management, land degradation will continue and further losses of agricultural …

Regenerating The Rangelands, Adrian Williams, Ron Shepherd

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Parts of Western Australia's rangelands have been degraded by inappropriately high stocking rates, often associated with large numbers of native or feral animals, poor seasonal plant growth, or the ravages of cyclones, floods or fire. Today, most pastoralists are keen to rehabilitate the degradation of the past, as indicated by the proliferation of Land Conservation Districts (LCDs) throughout the pastoral zones.

There is no 'quick fix' to regenerating the rangelands. It may take many years to achieve the desired result.

Tree Crops For Profit And Land Improvement, John Bartle

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Western Australian agriculture is deficient in good perennial species. The traditional segregation of agriculture and forestry has diverted attention from commercial wood producing trees as a potential perennial crop. Recently, scientists have made rapid progress in developing tree cropping systems suitable for extensive use in the wetter (more than 600 mm average annual rainfall) areas of the lower south-west. There is potential for a major industry based on fast-growing eucalypts for pulpwood. The foundations for this industry developed from work on agroforestry, forestry sharefarming and salinity control.

Manual Of Field Techniques In Hydrology, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia. Division Of Resource Management

Agriculture reports

No abstract provided.

Using Pumps And Syphons To Control Salinity At A Saline Seep In The Wallatin Creek Catchment, Richard J. George Dr, P W C Frantom

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Pumps : A Method Of Financially Assessing Groundwater Pumping Used To Mitigate Salinity In South-Western Australia, Richard J. George Dr

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Preliminary Groundwater And Salinity Investigation In The Eastern Wheatbelt. 1. Brennand's Catchment, Richard J. George Dr, P W C Frantom

Resource management technical reports

Groundwaters were found to be 10 m below the floor of the ancestral playa lake in Brennand's catchment. They were extremely saline. A groundwater flow system was not established on much of the catchment. Flow was observed to be occurring from recharge areas near the playa lakes towards the midslopes of the catchment. Flow was apparently restricted from leaving Brennand's catchment because of obstruction to groundwaters created by dolerite dykes.

Preliminary Groundwater And Salinity Investigation In The Eastern Wheatbelt. 4. Kitto's Hillslope, Tammin - 1985-90, Richard J. George Dr

Resource management technical reports

The investigation revealed that a deep, brackish to saline groundwater system and dolerite dyke, contained within the saprolite were responsible for the secondary salinity; the annual discharge of water and salt at the seep from the damp groundwater system was about 2800 kL and 17 tonnes respectively; and the water-tables were not rising and that the most appropriate management of the site was to plant salt tolerant forage plants in combination with trees.

Shallow Drains For Reducing Waterlogging And Salinity On Clay Flats, Don Mcfarlane, Tim Negus, Arjen Ryder

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Flooding, waterlogging and salinity are problems which commonly occur together on the broad valleys of the wheatbelt. Drainage lines often become poorly defined once they reach the valleys and flood waters spread out, causing inundation and waterlogging. This excess water needs to be controlled because it contributes to salinity

Waterlogging Limits Growth On Duplex Soils, Bob Belford, Miles Dracup, David Tennant

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Duplex soils - soils with a sandy topsoil overlying a clayey subsoil -are ividespread in Western Australia's agricultural areas (see map). These soils are potentially highly productive, but crop growth is variable and the soils can become waterlogged. Work on a duplex soil site near Beverley has shoivn that the soil ivaterlogs where the permeability of the clay is low, and that this permeability varies ividely over the site. Waterlogging accounts for an average of half of the variation in wheat yields on this site; surprisingly, lupins have so far appeared less sensitive to waterlogging- The Department of Agriculture and …

The Extent And Cost Of Waterlogging, Don Mcfarlane, Buddy Wheaton

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Waterlogging is an underrated and not widely recognized problem in our cropping areas. Before we can tackle the problem through drainage and alternative cropping systems, we need to know its extent and how much crop yield is lost. The effect of waterlogging on pasture growth is also poorly known.

Waterlogging : One Reason Why Our Crops And Pastures Are Not Achieving Maximum Yields, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Water, either its lack"or excess, is the main factor affecting the yield of crops and pastures in Western Australia.

Mapping The Extent Of Waterlogged Crop Using Satellite Imagery, Jeremy Wallace, Buddy Wheaton

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

No abstract provided.

Seepage Interceptor Drains For Reducing Waterlogging And Salinity, Don Mcfarlane, Jim Cox

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Shallow interceptor drains can reduce waterlogging on sloping sites. Such drains will more than pay for themselves from the increased crop yield. Recent work has shown that these drains also decrease salinity so that they are cost-effective in the long as well as the short term.

Level Banks Used To Decrease Waterlogging Can Increase Salinity, Don Mcfarlane, Richard Engel, Arjen Ryder, Maurice Eales

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Some farmers have used level W1SALTS banks to control surface zvaters above areas affected by ivaterlogging and salinity. Because the amount of waterlogging has been reduced, crop yields have increased downslope of some banks. However, the banks divert fresh surface water into deeper salty groundwater and, in the long term, worsen salinity. This article details an investigation of the effect of level WIS ALTS banks on saline groundwaters and discusses alternative methods of preventing the waterlogging of saline areas.

Economics Of Interceptor Drains : A Case Study, Andrew Bathgate, Ian Evans

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

This case study determines the most likely rate of return to capital invested in constructing seepage interceptor drains to reduce the effect of waterlogging on crop and pasture yields. The analysis of a farm in the Denbarker region, west of Albany, determined what increases were needed in pasture growth to justify the cost of constructing drains across four adjacent paddocks. The benefits of changing rotations to include lupins were also determined, as growing lupins was unprofitable before the construction of drains.

What Are Land Conservation Districts?, Western Australian Department Of Agriculture

Natural resources published reports

Land conservation groups need your support. Land degradation is not just a farming problem. We change the land and waters in many ways, whether it be clearing of precious natural bush or through the fertilizers which leach from our gardens.

By learning about the Land Conservation Districts achievements and understanding the challenges they face we can better see our own place in the scheme of things.

We will learn the ways to organize for Landcare in other rural areas, or in the city, that will be successful.

This is what the Decade of Landcare is all about - providing an …

Plantscan, Ted Lefroy, Fritz Droge

Natural resources published reports

PLANTSCAN is a network of schools and landholders throughout the wheatbelt of Western Australia. It aims to speed up the process of testing plants for their suitability to this environment.

This kit contains seed of various trees and shrubs and notes on how to grow them, plant them out into a small plot and record their progress.

Schools and landholders throughout the wheatbelt who have purchased this kit become part of a research network aimed at selecting plants that will:

* overcome soil erosion;

* overcome soil salinity;

* and provide a source of income for farmers.

The following sheets …

Salinity And Waterlogging On The Esperance Downs Research Station, D J. Mcfarlane, A T. Ryder

Resource management technical reports

Details the situation on the station so that the demonstration and research programs can be designed and the effect of the treatments assessed. Past work on the station has been briefly summarised and the results of geophysical surveys and additional drilling are given. Surveys of electromagnetic terrain conductivities have shown where salinity is most serious at present. The most deeply penetrating method may have identified areas likely to developing salinity in future.

Review Of The Wisalts Bank Installations, C J. Henschke

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Small Farmland Experimental Catchments In Western Australia, K J. Bligh

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Water Erosion On Vegetable Growing Land In South Western Australia, D J. Mcfarlane, N D. Delroy, H V. Gratte, J P. Middlemas, A M E Van Vreeswyk, I Mckissock

Resource management technical reports

The most serious erosion was found to be occurring in the Donnybrook area due to a combination of erosive winter rainfall, steep slopes and erodible soils. The most serious erosion was found to occur when storm runoff entered the vegetable plots from above, providing a transporting medium for the cultivated soil. A predictive model of erosion showed that soil texture, furrow slope, plot length, rainfall erosivity and canopy cover were significant factors affecting soil loss.

The Relationship Between The Concentration Of Total Soluble Salts And Osmotic Potential In Soil, Ground And Surface Waters For Several Regions Of Western Australia, H Borg

Resource management technical reports

In Western Australia salinity data are commonly reported in milligrams of total soluble salts per litre of solution. Laws from solution chemistry and data on the soluble salt composition for various regions of the State were combined to derive a relationship between total soluble salt concentration (C) and osmotic potential (WO) for each region. For the south-west of Western Australia, which contains the most productive agricultural areas in the Sate, this relationship is WO = 0.075 C.

Saltland Management, Tim Negus

Natural resources published reports

Salt land problems in Western Australia are categorized into one of three types:

* Valley waterlogging

* hillside seepage

* dry land salt