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Salinity Management in the East Gippsland CMA

Statewide Salinity Management | Salinity Indicator Plants | Salinity Provinces in the East Gippsland CMA

In the East Gippsland Basin, water quality with respect to salinity is satisfactory but the highest EC measures are found in the East Branch of the Cann River. This decreases slightly downstream and then rises again near the lower end of the small irrigated area of river flats.

In the Snowy River Basin, water quality with respect to salinity is generally good but with higher EC values recorded for the Snowy and Deddick Rivers. It is also generally higher during summer than in winter.

Water quality in Tambo River Basin is good to moderate overall. Elevated levels of salinity are often found in the Tambo River (especially during summer), which may reflect an effect of irrigation. Throughout the Basin, levels of salinity are higher in summer than winter, suggesting a slightly saline base flow.

For the Mitchell River Basin, water quality with respect to salinity is generally good. Salinities are slightly elevated in the Dargo River and Cabbannah Creek but pose no threat. Throughout the Basin, levels of salinity are higher in summer than during winter.

(DWR 1989)

Dryland salinity is a localised issue in the extreme west of the Coastal Complex RMU and is related to rising groundwater. Landowners in the area are undertaking remedial programs including:

  • Establishing deep-rooted perennial vegetation cover.
  • Trialling salt-tolerant plant species on salt affected areas.
  • Investigating mechanical decrease of water table.
(East Gippsland CaLPB 1997)

Saltwatch (external link) brings many community groups together to collect samples from local rivers, creeks, dams and bores. Saltwatch has also been a catalyst for developing further environmental projects between community groups.

Related Links

Murray-Darling Basin Salinity Management Strategy. Information about the 15 year Basin Salinity Management Strategy (2001-2015) on the Murray Darling Basin Commission website (external link). Includes downloadable documents.

Murray-Darling Basin Salinity Audit (external link). Provides detailed predictions for all major river valleys in the Murray-Darling Basin for the next 20, 50 and 100 years.

Effectiveness of Current Farming Systems in the Control of Dryland Salinity. (external link) A downloadable CSIRO publication on the Murray Darling Basin Commission website. To view the information PDF requires the use of a PDF reader. This can be installed for free from the Adobe website (external link).

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia website provides a range of documents related to Salinity Risk Management (external link) in Australia (including: the salinity problem; integrated salt risk characterisation and salinity risk management).


Information about salinity on the Australian Academy of Sciences website (external link).


The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Science and Innovation tabled its report on June 21st 2004 - entitled Science overcoming salinity: Coordinating and extending the science to address the nation's salinity problem (external link). A copy of the entire report is available for download on the Parliament of Australia House of Representatives website.

The Australian Government's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website provides a range of salinity information (external link) (including major programs and initiatives, research and development, salinity advice and salinity monitoring and assessment) as well as information about the National Dryland Salinity Program (external link) (including salinity mapping methods, Groundwater Flow Systems, desalinisation technologies and the Australian Dryland Salinity Assessment 2000).


References

Department of Water Resources (1989). A Water Resource Handbook. Melbourne.

East Gippsland Catchment and Land Protection Board (CaLPB) (1997). Regional Catchment Strategy, East Gippsland CaLPB.
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