Water Resource Management Commons^™

How Saltland Can Be Reclaimed, A J. Peck

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

Some possibilities for reclamation of saltland.

The Causes Of Saltland : A Case Study At Esperance, P R. George, S. C. Bull

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

A series of bores on the Esperance Downs Research Station has demonstrated that the groundwater levels change after clearing, and the relatiojnnship between groundwater levels and soil salinity has been emphasised. This pattern of hydrological change leading to soil salinity problems applies widely in the wheatbelt.

P.W.D. Supplementary Public Water Supply Schemes, J E. Davis

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

Shallow wells and soaks with very limited yields were the principal water sources for the early settlers.

Hundreds of such wells were constructed by the Public Works Department in remote areas.

In the early 1930s major development of water supplies from rock catchments was begun in the central wheatbelt.

After the war, larger and more effective earth moving equipment became available. The Public Works Department rehabilitated many old excavated dams as well as constructing new ones.

Roaded catchments were also developed during this post-war period. many farmers took advantage of Public Works Department technical advise and hired a P.W.D. grader …

A Logical Approach To Wheatbelt Water Supply, Stanley Thomas Smith

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

My particular task in this seminar (paper) has been to enunciate a logical approach to water recource utilisation in the wheatbelt, based on the points made by the speakers.

The Comprehensive Water Supply Scheme, K J. Kelsall

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

The Comprehensive Water Supply Scheme has been a great boon to the agricultural area, and it has received strong support from all political parties. The Scheme has been responsible for increased prosperity of country towns, the decentralisation of industry, and general improvements in the standard of living.

This is a look at the development of the Scheme.

Native Plants : Water Savers In The Garden, K S. Cole

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

The climate of Western Australia may be one of the best in the world for people but it is a difficult one for many of our imported, and common garden plants. as a consequence, some 70 per cent of our summer water usage is for gardens and lawns.

This is not the sort of statistic that we should accept easily or happily.

There is a solution to this problem: a new approach to home gardening is required.

The new garden is based on W. A.'s own colourful native plants, which are adapted to mild winters, hot dey summers and poor …

Cost Of Farm Water Supplies : Conclusions From Surveys, I A F Laing

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

The Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the Farm Water Supply Advisory Committee, has conducted farm wster supply surveys in many districts in the wheatbelt.

The aim of the surveys was to collect data to assess the existing water supplies, the potential for further water supply developments and to compare the relative difficulty of water supply development in different localities.

Some Basics Of Marron Production, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

marron are native to the South-West of Western Australia, and are keenly sought by inland fisher-men. However, supplies do not equal the apparent demand.

One solution is to cultivate marron in farm dams, or more intensively as a commercial enterprise.

This article suggests a few guidelines for marron production.

Water Supplies On Wheatbelt Farms : A General Picture, I A F Laing

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

In good rainfall years, farm dams provide water fo more than 50 per cent of the total stock in the wheatbelt.

Other sources include ground water supplies and the piped Comprehensive Water Scheme.

The March 1970 census included questions on farm water supplies including how farmers coped in the 1969-70 drought.

Test Sites For Farm Dams, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

A short article outlining procedures for testing potential dam sites.

Farm Dams In The Wheatbelt, I A F Laing

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

Of the estimated 76 000 farm dams in the wheatbelt, about 8 per cent either leak or are salt affected. The remaining 70 000 dams are capable of holding water for livestock use and can be regarded as sercicable dams.

A great many of the serviceable dams are unreliable water supplies due to the combined effects of lack of runoff from catchments, shallow depth of storage and small size of storage in relation to expected demand from livestock and evaporation loss.

Design Standards For Farm Surface Water Supplies, J L. Frith

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

Design is usually concerned with getting adequate return from limited recources. Farm dams which dry up represent dam failure. Less seriously, so too do dams which, although not drying out, never fill; they waste a recource.

Economics Of Farm Water Supplies, P P. Eckersley

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

The economics of farm water supplies can be studied in two ways. One is to compare the costs of alternative ways of supplying a specified quantity of water to a farm. Another is to calcu;ate how mucha farmer can afford or will pay for a water supply.

I propose to look at these questions from the point of vieew of an eastern wheatbelt farmer, assuming that he must pay the full costs of any water supply provided for his property.

Groundwater In The Wheatbelt, E P. O'Driscoll

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

In general six factors affect the occurence of groundwater; rainfall, topography, rock type, rock structurs, vegetation, and local evaporation.

Variation in even one of these can affect the potential yield of a bore or well, the groundwater salinity, and even whether any groundwater occurs at all.

Sealing Farm Dams, I A F Laing, R. G. Pepper

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

Research over the past 10 years has shown that it is technically possible to seal many leaking farm dams. In some situations a cheap chemical treatment is effective but in most cases it is cheaper to construct a replacement dam.

This article reviews the situation in western Australia and outlines some of the methods used for sealing dams.

Efficiency Of Sprinkler Irrigation Systems, T C. Calder

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

Shallow-rooted vegetable crops growing on sandy soils in hot, often windy summer weather, pose a difficult watering problem for most Western Australian vegetable growers.

Irregularities in wetting patterns are common. Wind effects are seldom taken into account in system design. The increasing popularity of knocker-type sprinklers makes these considerations particularily important.

Salt Encroachment : The 1974 Saltland Survey, C V. Malcolm, R. C. Stoneman

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

It has long been recognised that the clearing of land for agriculture in the south western Australia is followed by the development of saline soils and streams.

In 1955 and again in 1962, in conjunction with the annual statistical returns, farmers in Western Australia were asked to supply estimates of salt-affected land on their properties.

In 1974 a further survey was conducted, in co-operation with the Australian Bureau of Statistics, using questions covering only the basic information. As the information is again available on a Shire basis a direct comparison can be made with the 1962 survey except for some …

Water Economy For Lawns And Gardens, K S. Cole

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

Much of the summer water consumption occurs because it is widely believed that heavy summer watering is necessary. Householders often mistakenly water heavily to keep their gardens green and growing. Many may not realise that gardens can be kept vigorous and healthy with much less water than is commonly applied.

Conservation Of The National Estate, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

In 1973 the Australian Government established a Committee of Inquiry under Mr. Justice R. M. Hope to inquire into the National Estate. Under its terms of reference the Committee was to assess the nature and condition of the National Estate and the measures which were being and should be taken for its preservation and enhancement.

Officers of the Department of Agriculture recognise that there are basic natural resources such as land, water, gene material and ecosystems which are essential elements of the National Estate held in trust by successive generations.

In a submission to the Inquiry, matters of particular concern …

Nitrogen Fertilisers For Pasture Production, Walter Jacob Cox, K Hawley

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

At current prices nitrogen fertiliser is not an economic substitute for good clover pastures, but it can supplement the system by increasing nitrogen supply at peak growth periods. It can also provide useful increases in pasture production at critical feed times. Nitrogen usage for pasture production is still in the experimental stages and small areas should be tried before large-scale application.

Trickle Irrigation, B Swan

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

THE introduction of trickle irrigation has caused tremendous interest among commercial irrigators. While not a new concept, its application was formerly restricted to glasshouse and nursery use.

Sprinkler Irrigation In Windy Conditions, K S. Cole, G. C. Brown

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

THOSE summer winds—be they cooling afternoon breezes or scorching easterlies—are no help to the irrigationist.

Where sprinklers are used wind can result in uneven irrigation, reduced yields and spoilt produce.

Low Cost Filter For Trickle Irrigation, C R. Coffman, G. L. Godley

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

CLEAR water is essential for a successful trickle irrigation scheme. Most water sources are not sufficiently clean and some form of filtration is necessary.

Farm Dams In High Rainfall Areas, G C. Brown

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

WATER storage is essential on most south-west farms to ensure adequate irrigation supplies in the dry summers. Government irrigation water supply schemes are limited and most farmers must supply their own water storage.

Land Levelling With Scrapers, K R. Southon

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

A VARIETY of earth-moving equipment can be used in preparing land for flood irrigation, but the best machine for extensive earth moving over some distance is a power-driven, carry-all scraper.

Irrigating With Underground Water, T C. Calder

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

MANY farmers in South-West areas are looking to irrigation to increase and diversify farm production, particularly on the sandy coastal plain where irrigation in summer is essential for vegetable, fruit and fodder production.

Clay Cover For Roaded Catchments, J L. Frith, R. A. Nulsen

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

RECENT dry years have stimulated interest in improved catchments for farm dams. Although roaded catchments have been installed on many farm dams in Western Australia, most of them fall short of their potential for increasing run-off.

Simple Evaporimeter For Timing Trickle Irrigation, C R. Coffman

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

DIFFERENCES in soil types and size of trees in orchards make it impossible to give a single recommendation for trickle irrigation running time.

Daily running time for each situation can be simply and fairly accurately calculated from weekly readings of an easily constructed evaporimeter.

Reducing Evaporation From Farm Dams : A Progress Report December 1969, I A F Laing

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

IN most seasons in the Western Australian Wheatbelt evaporation reduction techniques rate a low priority due to either the expense or the relative inefficiency of the techniques.

It is generally agreed that a similar investment in deepening or enlarging existing dams, or making new dams larger from the outset, is likely to be more profitable.

The Growing Season, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia, Bureau Of Meteorology

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

IN AUSTRALIA the seasons of summer, autumn, winter and spring do not have the importance that they have in the Old World, and though summer and winter weather are quite different, there is not the obvious difference in autumn and spring conditions that there is in the colder countries.

This is largely due to the difference in vegetation and in its life cycle in the different places.