Salinity Province 24, Dimboola

The Dimboola Salinity Province mainly contains the lakes and flood plain drainage patterns of the lower reaches of the Wimmera River. The major landuse is broadacre cropping interspersed with sheep grazing.

The province is impacted by both soil and water salinity with just over 4% of the province mapped as saline, which is significantly above the statewide (per province) average. The large terminal lakes of Hindmarsh, Victoria’s largest freshwater lake and RAMSAR listed Lake Albacutya are impacted by the high salinity levels in the lower Wimmera River system. Saline groundwater infiltration from a regional Groundwater Flow System (GFS) poses the biggest risk factor to the health of the river system, while discharge from the local to intermediate scale GFSs in the overlying aeolian and alluvial sediments may also contribute to soil salinity in the province.

Suggested management actions include protection of wetland fringes and low lying seasonally wet or saline areas from grazing and cropping, allowing salt tolerant revegetation. Best practices on cropping and grazing areas should aim to maximise plant water use and add perennial re-vegetation, such as alley farming, where possible.