Salinity Province 19, Connewarre Lakes

Thumbnail image showing the location of Connewarre Lakes Salinity Province in Victoria Primary salinity is a feature of the coastal and estuarine environments of the Connewarre Lakes Salinity Province which is located on the lower Barwon River.

Local Groundwater Flow Systems in the surficial quaternary sediments and slightly older Pliocene sands sediments are strongly influenced by coastal salinity processes and contain groundwater which typically ranges from 1000 to 10,000 mg/l. The lower Barwon river and associated lakes are tidal so any flat land close to sea level elevation near the lakes and wetlands has a high probability of having a watertable close to the surface, hence the threat of salinity will always remain a part of this province.

Management needs to focus on protecting naturally wet and saline areas from disturbance and leaving waterlogging tolerant vegetation in place to protect their significant biodiversity value. Surface drainage works should also be avoided as they can result in acid sulphate drainage problems.

Province Attributes

Catchment Management Region:	CORANGAMITE
Priority Status:	High
Province Area:	27850 ha
Recorded Soil Salinity Area ¹:	1867 ha
Dominant Surface Geology Type:	Sedimentary
Influence of Geological Structure on Salinity Occurrence/s:	None
Relevant Geomorphological Mapping Units (GMUs):	3.3.1, 6.2.
Predominant Groundwater Flow Systems (GFSs):	Local, Regional & Local/Intermediate
Relevant Irrigation Areas:	N/A

Connewarre Lakes Salinity Province Map

A detailed map showing Connewarre Lakes Salinity Province

Links to further reading and material related to the Corangamite Salinity Province

Groundwater Flow Systems (GFS) in the Corangamite CMR

For further information relating to groundwater levels and salinities in this Province please see: Visualising Victoria's Groundwater (VVG)

¹ Please Note: The ‘Recorded Soil Salinity Area’ indicated in the Salinity Province Attribute Table, comprises the total geographic area that has been mapped as having, or showing symptoms of, dryland soil salinity at some time (past or present). As dryland salinity occurrence in the Victorian landscape exhibits many different levels of severity and can change due to climate, landuse and vegetation, previously mapped areas may no longer be showing symptoms. In addition, as not all parts of the State have been mapped, or mapped in the same way, the mapping may not have captured some occurrences.

The soil salinity mapping used to calculate this ‘area’ does not cover irrigation regions. In irrigation regions, depth to watertable and watertable salinity mapping has been used to convey the threat of high watertables on soil waterlogging and/or soil salinisation and these areas are not included in this ‘area‘ calculation.

Please contact the Department, your Catchment Management Authority or your rural water provider for more information about salinity in your location.

Page top