Soil/Landform Unit - Balmoral undulating plains

WLRA Landform Units Balmoral undulating plains

Looking south over the Douglas Depression towards the plains leading to the Glenelg River

Area: 3231 ha

0.14% of CMA region

Undulating plains dominated by Neogene marine deposits characterise this soil-landform unit. Occurring on the southern boundary of the Wimmera CMA region, the plains line the northern boundary of the Glenelg River to the south with its prominent valley slopes and floor. This unit is part of the low relief, low drainage density of the eastern Dundas Tablelands. Land use is dominantly grazing (cattle and sheep) and dryland cropping with waterlogging and seasonal inundation an issue in years of near or above mean annual rainfall (610 mm). Soils are typically brown and yellow texture contrast soils with sandy surfaces and

sodic

subsoils on plains and slopes, with drainage depressions consisting largely of cracking clays. Heathy Woodland vegetation is the most common remnant vegetation type with a number of other vegetation types such as Plains Grassy Woodland, Alluvial Terraces Herb-rich Woodland, Dry Creekline Woodland, Heathy Herb-rich Woodland, Plains Woodland and Shallow Sands Woodland also present.

Gentle undualting plains along roadside near Telangatuk, cleared for pastoral use
	Looking south across gentle undulating plains

Component	1	2	3	4	5
Proportion of soil-landform unit	15%	30%	25%	25%	5%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 610
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 610
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 8, Maximum 20
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	October–April
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Quaternary fluvial gravel, sand and silt; Silurian fluvial marine sandstone, siltstone and minor conglomerate (Grampians Group); Neogene deflational laterite; Neogene marine sand, sandstone, silt and laterites (Dorodong Sand)
GEOLOGY Age and lithology
Geomorphology	2.3.2 Low relief, low drainage density low plateaux (tablelands)
LANDUSE	Uncleared areas: softwood forestry; water supply; nature conservation; gravel extraction Cleared areas: sheep and beef cattle grazing; dryland cropping
LANDUSE
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Undulating plains with a deeply dissected valley
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Undulating plains with a deeply dissected valley
Elevation range (m)	157–252
Local relief (m)	10
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	0.6
Landform	Valley slopes		Gently undulating plains and valley floors
Landform element	Crest and upper slope	Mid to lower slope	Gently undulating plain	Flat	Drainage line
Slope and range (%)	5 (1-25)	5 (2-15)	2 (0-5)	0 (0-1)	1 (0-3)
Slope shape	Convex	Convex	Straight	Straight	Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Heathy Woodland (31.3%), Plains Grassy Woodland (27.5%), Heathy Woodland/Plains Grassy Woodland Complex (12.6%), Other (13.7%)
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class
SOIL Parent material	Fluvial sandstone, siltstone and minor conglomerate	Fluvial gravel, sand and silt	Lateritic sand, silt and clay	Lateritic sand, silt and clay	Lateritic sand, silt and clay
SOIL Parent material	Fluvial sandstone, siltstone and minor conglomerate	Fluvial gravel, sand and silt	Lateritic sand, silt and clay	Lateritic sand, silt and clay	Lateritic sand, silt and clay
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Sodic brown and yellow texture contrast soils (sandy surfaces) (18)	Sodic brown and yellow texture contrast soils (sandy surfaces) (18)	Sodic brown and yellow texture contrast soils (sandy surfaces) (18)	Sodic brown and yellow texture contrast soils (sandy surfaces) (18) and cracking clay soils (20)	Cracking clay soils (20)
Soil type sites	WLRA136	WLRA136	WLRA136	WLRA136, WLRA137	WLRA137
Surface texture	Loamy sand	Loamy sand	Loamy sand	Loamy sand or Light medium clay	Light medium clay
Permeability	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate to slow	Slow
Depth (m)	1.4	1.4	1.4	> 2	>2
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS Critical land features, processes, forms	Flats are subject to inundation and waterlogging and susceptible to gully erosion where subsoil is exposed. Light sandy surface soils generally well drained to subsoil or hardpan. Acidic with low inherent fertility. Weakly coherent surfaces (above subsoil or hardpan) with little organic matter are susceptible to sheet and wind erosion where exposed. Fragile surface horizons may be susceptible to compaction.	Flats are subject to inundation and waterlogging and susceptible to gully erosion where subsoil is exposed. Light sandy surface soils generally well drained to subsoil or hardpan. Acidic with low inherent fertility. Weakly coherent surfaces (above subsoil or hardpan) with little organic matter are susceptible to sheet and wind erosion where exposed. Fragile surface horizons may be susceptible to compaction.	Flats are subject to inundation and waterlogging and susceptible to gully erosion where subsoil is exposed. Light sandy surface soils generally well drained to subsoil or hardpan. Acidic with low inherent fertility. Weakly coherent surfaces (above subsoil or hardpan) with little organic matter are susceptible to sheet and wind erosion where exposed. Fragile surface horizons may be susceptible to compaction.	Flats are subject to inundation and waterlogging and susceptible to gully erosion where subsoil is exposed. Weakly coherent surfaces (above subsoil or hardpan) with little organic matter are susceptible to sheet and wind erosion where exposed. Fragile surface horizons may be susceptible to compaction.	Flats are susceptible to inundation and waterlogging with light sandy surfaces that are generally well drained, overlying heavy subsoils/hardpans that restrict further water infiltration. Surfaces may be susceptible to sheet and wind erosion where exposed. Compaction may occur where critical moisture contents exceed soil strength.

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