Soil/Landform Unit 83

Clifton Springs

Area:

345 ha

0.03% of CMA region

This small unit on the northern edge of the Neogene plateau (near Point Richards on the Bellarine Peninsula) consists of

Cretaceous

outcrops within a higher basaltic unit (Unit

) to the south and within dunefields and swamps (Unit

) to the north (part of the coastal strip). The unit components are rises and depressions. The soils are

sodic

brown texture contrast soils (

Sodosols

) sitting on thick sediments, some with dark upper soils where colluvial material from the higher basalt unit have been deposited. These soils are susceptible to

compaction

and structure decline when moist, and possibly mass movement. Land use is grazing, residential and horticulture.

Development on these Cretaceous sediments at Clifton Springs has left little remaining outcrop of this geology on the peninsula

Component	1	2
Proportion of soil-landform unit	80%	20%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 640
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 10, Maximum 19
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	October-April
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Cretaceous fluvio-volcanic sandstone and conglomerate, Paleogene tholeiites and pyroclastics
Geomorphology	3.3.1 Dissected low hills plateaux of the Southern Uplands
LANDUSE	Uncleared: Nature conservation Cleared: Sheep and beef cattle grazing; residential; horticulture
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Undulating rises
Elevation range (m)	17-98
Local relief (m)	10-15
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	0.4
Landform	Rises
Landform element	Rise	Depression
Slope and range (%)	5 (0-12)	4 (0-10)
Slope shape	Convex	Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Grassy Woodland (5.5%)
SOIL Parent material	Fine sandstone and mudstone	Fine sandstone and mudstone
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Sodic brown gradational and texture contrast soils (5)	Sodic brown gradational and texture contrast soils (5)
Soil type sites	CLRA27, OTR735, CLRA40	CLRA27, OTR735, CLRA40
Surface texture	Clay loam	Clay loam
Permeability	Moderate	Low
Depth (m)	<1	<2
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS	Texture contrast, moderate to high water holding capacity and nutrient holding capacity in the surface soil, higher in subsoi. Often sharp boundary to rock. Susceptible to compaction and structure decline when moist. Strongly structured, moderately deep and moderately rapid site drainage, moderate permeability.	Texture contrast, moderate to high water holding capacity and nutrient holding capacity in the surface soil, higher in subsoil. Often sharp boundary to rock. Susceptible to compaction and structure when moist. Strongly strutured, deep and slow site drainage, low permeability.

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