Soil/Landform Unit 152

The undulating ridge (lunette) of Lake Modewarre is located on the eastern shore of the lake (closest). This lunette supports cereal cropping on its rich black self-mulching clays

Area:

280 ha

0.02% of CMA region

The undulating ridge along the eastern shore of Lake Modewarre represents one of many

lunettes

across the volcanic Western Plains. Lake Modewarre is located south of the Princes Highway near Buckley. The lake provides a water body and wetland for a variety of birds, plants and other invertebrates. Little remnant vegetation occurs on the ridge (less than 0.5%) with the major vegetation class being Plains Grassy Woodland. The undulating ridge has highly fertile deep black

self-mulching

soils on the slopes and crest. Cereal production is a prominent land use. These expansive clay soils are strongly structured with moderate site drainage. Subsoils are likely to be

calcareous

and

sodic

with depth.

Undulating ridge (lunette) on the south-eastern edge of Lake Modewarre
	Quaternary basalt at northern end of Lake Modewarre

Component	1	2	3
Proportion of soil-landform unit	20%	30%	50%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 650
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 9, Maximum 19
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	October-April
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Quaternary basalt and alluvium, Neogene fluvio-marine clay, sand and gravel
Geomorphology	6.1.5 Alluvium, terraces, floodplains, lakes, swamps and lunettes of the Volcanic Western Plains
LANDUSE	Unclared: Water supply catchment; nature conservation (remnants bordering Lake Modewarre) Cleared: Sheep and cattle grazing; cropping
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Undulating ridge (lunette) along the eastern shore of Lake Modewarre
Elevation range (m)	116-131
Local relief (m)	15
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	2.4
Landform	Ridge
Landform element	Crest	Upper slope	Lower slope
Slope and range (%)	2 (1-4)	10 (5-20)	5 (3-10)
Slope shape	Convex	Convex	Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Plains Grassy Woodland (0.2%)
SOIL Parent material	Clay, silt and sand	Clay, silt and sand	Clay, silt and sand
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Alkaline black self-mulching clays (9)	Alkaline black self-mulching clays (9)	Alkaline black self-mulching clays (9)
Soil type sites	SW87, SFS21, MM114	SW87, SFS21, MM114	SW87, SFS21, MM114
Surface texture	Light clay	Light clay	Light clay
Permeability	Moderate to high	Moderate	Moderate to low
Depth (m)	>2	>2	>2
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS	Expansive clay soil, strongly structured, fine in upper soil (self-mulching) coarser with depth. Moderately rapid site drainage. Probably sodic and calareous in subsoil particularly with depth.	Expansive clay soil, strongly structured, fine in upper soil (self-mulching) coarser with depth. Rapid site drainage. Probably sodic and calcareous in subsoil particularly with depth.	Expansive clay soil, strongly structure, fine in upper soil (self-mulching) coarser with depth. Moderate site drainage. Probably sodic and calcareous in subsoil particularly with depth.

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