Soil/Landform Unit 125

Cropping and grazing are the major land uses of these plains west of Inverleigh

Area:

5705 ha

0.43% of CMA region

This unit of gently undulating plains formed on the

basalt of the Western Plains is characterised by long gentle slopes with minor swamps, drainage depressions and lunettes. Comprising a single entity between Wingeel and Inverleigh, the gentle plain is bound by other basaltic plains to the west and north, and terraces and dissected valleys to the east and south-east. The soils are

mottled

brown and yellow

sodic

texture contrast soils (

Sodosol

to the east and southeast) with occasional stone content. Remnant vegetation includes Plains Grassland/Plains Grassy Woodland Mosaic. This area is relatively dry for the catchment and land use is dominantly grazing for sheep production and cereal cropping. The strongly sodic soils generally have susceptibilities to structure decline,

compaction

and local waterlogging.

Most of the gently undulating plains have been clared previously as part of the large pastoral runs of the south-west Victoria

Component	1	2	3	4
Proportion of soil-landform unit	82%	10%	5%	3%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 570
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 9, Maximum 19
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	October-April
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Quaternary basalt and fluvial clay, sand and gravel
Geomorphology	6.1.3 Volcanic Western Plains with poorly developed drainage
LANDUSE	Uncleared areas: Nature conservation Cleared areas: Sheep and beef cattle grazing; cropping (cereal)
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Gently undulating plains
Elevation range (m)	62-133
Local relief (m)	30
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	0.7
Landform	Plains
Landform element	Plain	Drainage line and depression	Swamps	Lunette
Slope and range (%)	1 (0-3)	1 (0-2)	0	3 (2-8)
Slope shape	Straight	Concave	Straight	Convex
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Plains Grassland / Plains Grassy Woodland Mosaic (0.7%)
SOIL Parent material	In situ basalt and colluvium	Basaltic colluvium and alluvium	Clay, silt and sand	Clay, silt and sand
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Mottled brown, grey and yellow texture contrast soils (35/36)	Mottled brown, grey and yellow texture contrast soils (35/36)	Grey cracking clays (31), mottled brown, grey and yellow texture contrast soils (36)	Grey self-mulching and cracking clays (9)
Soil type sites	SW86, SW90, SFS6	SW86, SW90, SFS6	CLRA15, SW37, CLRA48	SW87, SFS21, MM114
Surface texture	Fine sandy clay loam	Fine sandy clay loam	Light medium clay	Light clay
Permeability	Low	Very low	Very low	Moderate to high
Depth (m)	<2	>2	>2	>2
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS	Textue contrast, mottled. Poor drainage. Low infiltration if trafficked and susceptible to compaction. Moderate to high nutrient holding capacity and strongly sodic subsoil.	Texture contrast, mottled. Poor drainage. Low infiltration if trafficked and susceptible to compaction. Moderate to high nutrient holding capacity and strongly sodic subsoil.	Heavy texture (clay) with depth. Very poor drainage. Low infiltration if trafficked and susceptible to compaction once moist. May have friable surface when dry or slightly moist. High nutrient holding capacity.	Heavy texture (clay) with depth. Strongly structured with calcareous material at depth, moderately well drained. May have friable surface when dry or slightly moist. High nutrient holding capacity.

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