Clydebank (Ck)

	Area: 163 sq. km (0.8%,) Plains formed by the exposure of lake floors, surround the Gippsland Lakes and are in Clydebank land system. Exposure of the old lake floors developed in various ways, including sea level change, tilting and a slight lowering of lake-level following breaching of the outer harrier at Lakes Entrance. The plains are dominantly sandy and contain some low dunes, swamps and clay flats. Some of the swamps and flats are saline. The low areas may he temporarily inundated during high floods, greatly reducing flooding of other areas further downstream.	Remnants of woodland on sandy flats
The plains appear to have deep, acidic, sandy soils, with groundwater tables between one and two metres depth. The upper horizons have accumulated organic matter and have been leached. Soft, incipient humus- and iron-cemented horizons can be found in the subsoils, where they are probably forming above water table. The sands on the low dunes appear to be young and the accumulation of organic matter at the surface is the only soil development. On the silty and clayey plains, the soils have also accumulated considerable organic matter and show much subsoil or whole-profile mottling, indicative of poor drainage. Lime is sometimes evident in these subsoils and is probably derived from marine shells. The drier sands of the dunes are susceptible to wind erosion. Salinity hazard is high because of shallow groundwater and moderate to high, groundwater salinity. Prior to clearing, most of this country supported a grassy woodland I or ferny open woodland I, with a tussock grassland nearer the lake margins. Swamps, bordered by closed scrub, grow sedgeland and nearer the centre. herbfield.

CLIMATE Rainfall, mean (mm) Temperature, mean (°C) Seasonal growth limitations	Annual 500 - 800); lowest July (30 - 50), highest October (50 - 80) Annual 12 - 14; lowest July (8 - 10), highest February (19 - 21) Temperature <10°C (av.): No months Rainfall < potential evapotranspiration: November – March
GEOLOGY Age, lithology	Holocene lacustrine sand and some silts and clays
PHYSIOGRAPHY Landscape Elevation range (m) Relative relief (m) Drainage pattern Drainage density (km/km²)	Plains with low dunes, swamps and clay flats 0 - 20 0 - 5 Deranged 0
PRESENT LAND USE	Mostly cleared: grazing; residential use. Minor proportion uncleared: recreation — fishing and shooting (swamps); areas in Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park and Blond Bay State Game Reserve

A study of the land in the Catchment of Gippsland Lakes - Vol 2 - land system Clydebank- cs

A study of the land in the Catchment of Gippsland Lakes - Vol 2 - land system Clydebank- graph

LAND COMPONENT Percentage of land system Diagnostic features	1 15 Low dunes	2 65 Flats with deep sandy soils, often with high water tables	3 15 Flats with silty or clayey soils, sometimes brackish	4 5 Swamps in relict channels (too small to map as Morass land system)
PHYSIOGRAPHY Slope %, typical and (range) Slope shape	3 - 7, (0 - 15) Convex	1, (0 - 2) Straight	1, (0 - 2) Straight	1, (0 - 1) Concave to straight
SOIL
Parent material	Wind-sorted sand	Sands, often finer than in component 1	Lacustrine silt and clay
Description	Limited observations — black sand topsoil; brown sand subsoil becoming light yellowish brown at depth	Limited observations — black sand grading into grey sand over yellowish brown cemented sand	Black organic silty loam to light clay grading into strongly mottled brown to olive brown or grey clay subsoil; subsoil alkaline, sometimes calcareous	Soils as for Morass land system components 1.2 and 3
Classification	Siliceous Sands Uc l.43	Incipient Podzols Uc2.21	Wiesenboden, Humic Gleys Gn3.43, Gn3.93, Um6.21. Uf6.33
Surface texture	Sand	Sand	Silty loam to clay
Surface consistence	Friable to firm when moist	Friable when moist	Slightly hard to very hard when dry
Depth (m)	>2.0	>2.0	>2.0
Nutrient status	Very low	Very low	Moderate
Available soil water capacity	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate to high
Perviousness to water	Rapid	Rapid	Slow
Drainage	Good	Poor to somewhat poor	Poor to somewhat poor
Exposed stone (%)	0	0	0
Sampled profile number	-	-	41
NATIVE VEGETATION Structure of vegetation and characteristic species of dominant stratum (+ Predominant species)	Mainly ferny open woodland I of K. viminalis var. racemosa+ and Pteridium esculentum with or without Banksia serrata On dunes adjacent to lakes, grassy woodland I or open woodland I of E. tereticornis	Mainly grassy open woodland I of E. tereticornis or E. botryoides (in east) and/or Banksia integrifolia (usually near coast) Some open woodland I of E. ovata and ferny open woodland I typical of component I. Minor tussock grassland of Poa poiformis	Vegetation cleared — probably grassy open woodland I, II of E. tereticornis	Vegetation as for Morass land system

Disturbance	Affected process and trend	Primary resultant deterioration			Casual activities	Primary off-site process
Disturbance	Affected process and trend	Form	Susceptibility of components	Incidence with components	Casual activities	Primary off-site process
Alteration of vegetation: — reduction in leaf area, rooting depth and/or perenniality	Reduced transpiration, resulting in: a) increased deep percolation and leaching b) rising, saline groundwater table	Nutrient loss Salting	1; high 2; low 2,3; moderate 4; high	Not determined Common; west of Lake Wellington	Removal of trees Reduced water-use by plants within catchment	Increased movement of water to groundwater; increased base-flow of streams Increased waterlogging/salting in lower areas
Increased exposure of surface soil	Increased wind velocity over soil and increased detachment of sand	Wind erosion	1; moderate 2; low	Uncommon; local occurrence on dunes	Clearing, burning, road building and other earth-moving activities, trafficking by humans and vehicles.	Encroachment by sand
Increased physical pressure on soil	Increased compaction With reduced infiltration	Structure decline Sheet erosion	1; low 2,3,4; moderate - high 3,4; low	Uncommon; local occurrences Uncommon	Increased trafficking cultivation, overgrazing, export of organic matter As for sheet and rill erosion above	- Increased ponding of water in lower areas
Increased soil disruption	Increased loosening of sand	Wind erosion	1; moderate 2; low	Uncommon; local occurrence on dunes	As for wind erosion above	Encroachment by sand
Comments: -

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