Comprising the upper catchment and headwaters of the Moorabool river, the Upper Moorabool Salinity Province has a complex mix of local to intermediate scale Groundwater Flow Systems (GFSs) in deeply weathered, fractured Palaeozoic rocks (incl. granite), deep leads and fractured basalt plains.
Local scale GFSs are found in an overlying veneer of sedimentary gravel caps on bedrock hills in the southern half of the province. Mapped salinity occurrence covers only some 200 ha, mainly found in slight depressions in the basalt plains areas. While land salinity is of lower significance in this province, the Moorabool river is an important water supply catchment, so brackish groundwater discharging to streams is of concern.
Reducing groundwater recharge by revegetating with higher water use plants on recharge areas above known gravel cap stream seepage points is recommended. High watertable depressions and discharge areas should be protected from stock to minimise soil structure damage and erosion and planted with suitable waterlogging and salt tolerant plants. Some areas could be suitable for conversion to seasonal wetlands.
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