Soil/Landform Unit - Kanya hills

Navarre Hill and the Kanya Hills located in the northern reaches of the upper Wimmera catchment

Area: 1287 ha

0.05% of CMA region

The Kanya hills occur in the upper Wimmera River region on the catchment divide. These

basement rocks form part of the Dissected Western Uplands and include a suite of landform components including hillslopes, hillcrests and drainage depressions. Soils are red to yellow texture contrast soils that may be

sodic

on lower slopes that have deeper soil profiles. While soil surfaces can be

friable

(especially in wetter areas), they tend to be sandy, and therefore loose and prone to surface stripping if exposed. The main vegetation communities present are Heathy Dry Forest, Box Ironbark Forest and Hillcrest Herb-rich Woodland. Land use on these low hills is predominantly sheep grazing with some cropping on favourable slopes with greater soil depth.

Clear red hills near Landsborough undergoing revegetation
	Looking east towards Moonambel

Component	1	2	3	4	5
Proportion of soil-landform unit	10%	25%	35%	20%	10%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 535
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 535
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 8, Maximum 20
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	September–April
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Cambrian marine sandstone, siltstone and biotite schist (St Arnaud Group); Quaternary fluvial silt, sand and minor gravel (Shepparton Formation)
GEOLOGY Age and lithology
Geomorphology	2.1.2 Hills, valley slopes and plains on non-granitic Palaeozoic rock of the Dissected Western Uplands
LANDUSE	Uncleared areas: water supply; nature conservation; gravel extraction Cleared areas: dryland cropping; sheep grazing
LANDUSE
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Low hills
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Low hills
Elevation range (m)	226–405
Local relief (m)	60
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	0.6
Landform	Hills and hillslopes				Drainage lines
Landform element	Crest	Upper slope	Mid slope	Lower slope	Drainage depression
Slope and range (%)	7 (3-10)	25 (10-35)	15 (10-30)	6 (3-15)	3 (1-15)
Slope shape	Convex	Convex	Convex	Straight	Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Hillcrest Herb-rich Woodland (60.8%), Box Ironbark Forest (23.8%), Heathy Dry Forest (3.6%)
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class
SOIL Parent material	In situ marine sandstone, siltstone and biotite schist	In situ marine sandstone, siltstone and biotite schist	In situ marine sandstone, siltstone and biotite schist	In situ marine sandstone, siltstone and biotite schist	Fluvial gravel, sand and silt
SOIL Parent material	In situ marine sandstone, siltstone and biotite schist	In situ marine sandstone, siltstone and biotite schist	In situ marine sandstone, siltstone and biotite schist	In situ marine sandstone, siltstone and biotite schist	Fluvial gravel, sand and silt
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Red texture contrast soils (1) and yellow texture contrast soils (3)	Red texture contrast soils (1) and yellow texture contrast soils (3)	Yellow texture contrast soils (3) and sodic yellow texture contrast soils (4)	Yellow texture contrast soils (3) and sodic yellow texture contrast soils (4)	Yellow texture contrast soils (3) and sodic yellow texture contrast soils (4)
Soil type sites	LP83, DOAGW31, GW31	LP83, DOAGW31, GW31	GW31, WLRA91, GW28	GW31, WLRA91, GW28	GW31, WLRA91, GW28
Surface texture	Sandy loam to silty loam	Sandy loam to silty loam	Coarse sandy loam	Coarse sandy loam	Coarse sandy loam
Permeability	Moderate to high	Moderate - high	Slow	Slow	Very slow
Depth (m)	0.7	1.2	1.4	> 2	> 2
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS Critical land features, processes, forms	Friable with better infiltration in moister areas, hardsetting and more prone to sheet and rill erosion in drier areas (north and westerly aspects). Susceptible to acidification in wetter areas.	Friable with better infiltration in moister areas, hardsetting and more prone to sheet and rill erosion in drier areas (north and westerly aspects). Susceptible to acidification in wetter areas.	Light loose surface soils that may be susceptible to wind, sheet and rill erosion in drier areas (including drier aspects). Poor subsurface drainage, particularly on flats and gentle slopes. Susceptible to acidification in wetter areas.	Light loose surface soils that may be susceptible to wind, sheet and rill erosion in drier areas (including drier aspects). Poor subsurface drainage, particularly on flats and gentle slopes. Susceptible to acidification in wetter areas.	Light loose surface soils that may be susceptible to wind, sheet and rill erosion in drier areas (including drier aspects). Poor subsurface drainage, particularly on flats and gentle slopes. Susceptible to acidification in wetter areas.

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