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Soil/Landform Unit 148

Landform Unit Description

Unit 148 image a
Looking north over the swamps, lunettes and plains of this unit
      Area: 9735 ha
      0.73% of CMA region

      This unit consists of gently undulating plains, lunettes and associated minor swamps that occur between Cressy and Colac. Located within the volcanic Western Plains, the relief of this unit is subdued having a masked affect upon agricultural performance and land versatility. This unit has a number of components, some (such as the low rises and undulating plain) that are erosional landforms while others (such as the swamps, flats and lunettes) are depositional. The unit is adjacent to lakes and basaltic (stony) rises and forms a north-south corridor between Cressy and Lake Colac. The remnant vegetation includes less than 1% Plains Grassy Woodland. The soils are black strongly sodic texture contrast soils on the plains (coarse structure, hardsetting) with black and red cracking self-mulching soils on the lunettes, and black and grey cracking soils in the swamps. Land use is generally grazing, with the capability of the unit varying with component composition. The shallower soils and strongly structured soils on the lunettes provide more use throughout the year than the wetter flats.
Unit 148 geomorphology

Unit 148 image b
Lunettes typically have deep frable soils that can support
a wide variety of land uses
Unit 148 cross section
Unit 148 graph
Unit 148 image c
Undulating lunettes intermixed with stony rises

Component
1
2
3
4
5
Proportion of soil-landform unit
8%
17%
15%
50%
10%
CLIMATE
Rainfall (mm)
Annual: 600
Temperature (oC)
Minimum 8, Maximum 19
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration
October-March
GEOLOGY
Age and lithology

Quaternary source bordering sand dunes, alluvium and minor basalt
Geomorphology
LANDUSE
Uncleared: Nature conservation; water supply
Cleared: Cropping; beef cattle and sheep grazing; dairy
TOPOGRAPHY
Landscape

Gently undulating plains with low rises and lunettes, swamps and lakes
Elevation range (m)
112-139
Local relief (m)
10
Drainage pattern
Centripetal
Drainage density (km/km2)
0.7
Landform
Low rises, hillocks
Lunettes
Plains with minor drainage depressions
Swamps and broad depressions
Landform element
Crests and upper slopes
Mid and lower slopes
Lunettes
Plains
Swamps
Slope and range (%)
3 (1-6)
5 (3-10)
2 (1-5)
1 (0-3)
2 (1-5)
Slope shape
Convex
Concave
Convex
Straight
Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION
Ecological Vegetation Class

Plains Grassy Woodland (1%)
SOIL
Parent material

In situ basalt

In situ basalt

Aeolian deposits

In situ basalt and associated colluvium

Alluvial clay; silt and sand
Description
(Corangamite Soil Group)
Friable red gradational soils (40) and alkaline red self-mulching clays and some black self-mulching clays (39)
Alkaline red self-mulching clays (39) and friable red gradational soils (39)
Alkaline black and grey self-mulching clays (9)
Alkaline mottled black texture contrast soils, some not mottled (35)
Alkaline grey cracking clays (31)
Soil type sites
SW26, SFS2, SW103
SW101, BD10, CLRA46
Surface texture
Clay loam
Light clay
Medium clay
Fine sandy clay loam
Medium clay
Permeability
Moderate to high
Moderate
Moderate
Low
Very low
Depth (m)
<1.5
<2
>2
<2
>2
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS
Friable soils, some expansive clays. Gradational or uniform texture change with depth. Moderate to high permeability, moderate rapid site drainage. Moderate to high nutrient capacity.
Friable but expansive clays and other friable soils. Uniform or gradational texture change with depth. Moderate permeability, moderately rapid site drainage.
Friable but expansive clays, calcareous and often sodic at depth. High nutrient capacity.
Texture contrast, possible surface waterlogging and compaction
High seasonal watertable leads to soil compaction. High organic matter content, high clay content and expansive clays.
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