Water Resource Management Commons^™

Results Of Stubble Research In Western Australia, Michael Perry, Ron Jarvis, Mel Mason, David Tennant

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

Few farmers would question the desirability of retaining stubbles, both for control of erosion by wind and water, and to return organic matter to the soil. While the present debate is focused on the short term management of stubbles, longer term effects also need to be considered.

The Department of Agriculture has several long-running trials intended to measure long term effects.

Red Kangaroos Can Set Back Range Regeneration, Andrew Mclaughlin

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

After years of severe drought, stocking rates in Western Australia s arid rangelands have been kept low since the 1970s to allow native pastures to regenerate. As well, extensive re-seeding programs have started and sheep and cattle grazing on these areas has been restricted or eliminated. However, pasture regeneration in the rangelands can only succeed when grazing by all animals - sheep, cattle, kangaroos, goo.ts, camels, brumbies and donkeys - is controlled Many more red kangaroos roam throughout Western Australia's pastoral areas today than 20 years ago. The installation of windmills and troughs to water domestic livestock has allowed kangaroo …

How To Reduce Spending On Land Conservation, Tim Negus

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

Heavy spending on capital works for land conseroation is usually out of the question in the present financial climate, but the recession does not mean that landcare must be abandoned. There are many aspects of landcare that involve little or no extra cost. Soil conseroationist Tim Negus discusses them in this article.

Groundwater Investigations In The Jerramungup Shire, S B. Martin

Resource management technical reports

Drilling was carried out with a dry rotary auger rig, with a depth limit of 31 m for the first 28 piezometers and 40 m thereafter. Farmers assisted in the site selection and construction of the piezometers in most cases and will in the future be responsible for monitoring their piezometer(s) regularly. The average depth to bedrock was 18 m and the average dept to groundwater was 9 m, with an average salinity level of 3600 mS/m. The average total salt storage was approximately 2800 tonnes per hectare.

Selecting And Developing Reliable Bore Sites In The Eastern Wheatbelt, Richard George

Bulletins 4000 -

In the Western Australian wheatbelt, groundwater supplies contribute about 40 per cent of the on-farm livestock requirements and occasionally domestic water supply systems. The first part of this Bulletin comments on sites suitable for both high yielding bores and also those which yield water suitable for livestock. The second part outlines techniques for constructing and developing a bore. Throughout this Bulletin livestock quality water, for adult sheep, is defined as groundwater of less than 12,000 mg/L (or 850 grains per gallon) which has not been subject to localized pollution. For other livestock, the maximum salinities range from 2,600 mg/L for …

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 …

Catchment Drainage : Three Case Studies, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia. Division Of Resource Management, J E P Green

Resource management technical reports

Three areas were visited, namely the Coobidge creek catchment in Esperance, the Koolanooka-Bowgada Catchment near Morawa and the Petan Creek Catchment (Winchester catchment) near Carnamah. Each area was advised independently through separate reports and the three reports are collated herein for future reference.

Bulletin No 4174 - Tree Planting On Farms In High Rainfall Areas, Ken Angell

Bulletins 4000 -

Many of the techniques described in this Bulletin are applicable to broadacre farms. However, they are specifically directed to small rural properties in the high rainfall areas.

Trees can usually serve more than one purpose on small rural properties. They can be used as ornamentals, to provide shelter and shade, for erosion control, as a wildlife habitat, or for waterlogging and salinity control.

Land Management Manual. Merredin Advisory District, F. Frost, M Howell

Natural resources published reports

Farming by soil type recognizes that each major soil unit has specific land use capabilities. 'When developing a farm management programme, understanding and appreciating the productive potential and degradation hazard of each soil unit ensures that production systems can be developed which are 'sustainable. The aim of this land management manual is to describe the climatic and geological features of the district and provide definitions of each of the major soil units and 'current management recommendations. The material is designed to be used as an information base for farm planners.

Thes oil units described are for the Merredin advisory district …

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.

The Future For Recreational Fishing : Issues For Community Discussion., Recreational Fishing Advisory Committtee

Fisheries Management Papers

The West Australian Government has initiated a major review of recreational fishing, and how it may be managed for a productive future. This public discussion paper is the first stage in this vitally important review.

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 : 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.

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.

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 …

Spacing Water Points In The Southern Pastoral Areas Of Western Australia, Don Burnside, Adrian Williams, Peter Curry

Bulletins 4000 -

An inadequate distribution of watering points in our pastoral lands, particularly in the saltbush/bluebush pasture, has caused localisized land degradation close to waters and reduced animal productivity (particularly in stressful times). From experimentation and observation, some generalised recommendations for water supply distribution in pastoral areas can be made.

Coastal Plains : Land Use And The Environment, P R. George

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

Five years ago, this Journal of Agriculture reported on ways to overcome severe algal pollution of the Peel-Harvey estuarine system, 70 km south of Perth.

Several articles in this Journal of Agriculture discuss improved agricultural practices on the Swan Coastal Plain in particular, although the principals will apply to similar eutrophication of the Slbany harbours, Wilson Inlet and the Vassee-Wonnerup Estuary. They also emphasixe the fine balance between man's demand for potable water and land for rural, industrial and urban use.

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

Catchment Salinity : Report On A Study Of The East Perenjori Catchment, C J. Henschke

Resource management technical reports

Dryland secondary salinisation has debilitated large areas of land in Western Australia due to clearing of native vegetation for agricultural development. The initial aim of the project (which is the subject of Part I of this report) was to establish a landscape framework for hydrogeological examination of the salinity problem. A catchment of 139 km2, located 30 km east of Perenjori townsite was selected for detailed study. It was mapped for soils, vegetation, topography, landform and salinity using both old and recent aerial photography. A field survey of soil hydraulic conductivity was undertaken to help define recharge areas. Soil-vegetation associations …

Introducing Onslow, Western Australian Department Of Agriculture

Grain and other field crops published reports

Onslow Barley........ a new breed of barley for the southern high rainfall areas (see map VH,H4 &H5). Suited to May plantings, Onslow is the first barley developed specifically for the long growing seasons in these areas.

For the first time barley growers have a variety designed for those 4 t/ha plus yields which research shows are possible with early sowing.

Onslow is the first of a new breed of barley cultivars developed in Western Australia specifically for the southern high rainfall areas which have a long growing season.

Problem Districts For On-Farm Water Supply In South Western Australia, I A F Laing, R G. Pepper, A F. Mccrea

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Preliminary Groundwater And Salinity Investigations In The Eastern Wheatbelt 2. Merredin Catchment, Richard J. George Dr, P W C Frantom

Resource management technical reports

Saline groundwater occurs within twelve metres of the surface throughout the valley of the Merredin catchment. Saline groundwater occurs within deep sediments deposited in the valley and deeply-weathered bedrock materials. Rapid groundwater recharge appears to be taking place in sandy-textured soils high in the landscape and directly into the Cainozoic sediments in the valley floor. Water-tables are rising at approximately ten centimetres each year in the upper catchment area.

Preliminary Groundwater And Salinity Investigations In The Eastern Wheatbelt. 3. Welbungin And Beacon River Catchments, Richard J. George Dr, P W C Frantom

Resource management technical reports

Water-tables show no obvious signs of a nett annual rise in the bores monitored in the valley floor, lower slope areas over the three year period. Groundwaters are extremely saline, the sedimentary and saprolite aquifers permeable (hydraulic conductivity range 0.1-2.0 m/day) (0.0001). Future management systems should seek to decrease recharge by changing rotations and farm practises while increasing discharge by using trees, pumps and halophytes. Options are available for drainage.

Drains : A Method Of Financially Assessing Drains Used To Mitigate Waterlogging In South-Western Australia, John S. Salerian, D J. Mcfarlane

Resource management technical reports

Seepage interceptor drains are often effective in mitigating waterlogging in duplex (sand over clay) soils on hill slopes in the sout-west. Spoon and W drains are sometimes effective in removing excess surface waters form clay flats.

This report outlines a method to determine the long-term (1 to 20 years) cost-effectiveness of installing drains to mitigate waterlogging for each individual situation.

Consumption Of Water By Livestock, G J. Luke

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Water Use By Some Crops And Pastures In The Southern Agricultural Areas Of Western Australia, R A. Nulsen, I N. Baxter

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Gypsum Use In The Wheatbelt, M R. Howell

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

One of the limitations to crop productivity in the wheatbelt is the poor structure of heavy textured soils. Many years of clearing and cultivation have caused the loss of soil organic matter and breakdown of soil aggregates - particles of sand, silt and clay - in the surface layers. This has led to the development of unstable soils with poor physical properties.

Although loss of soil structure is a serious problem, it can be reversed by altering the tillage practices that caused the problem. This improvement in soil structure and return to productivity can be a slow process. However gypsum …