Merricks

Merricks - Symbol: Me

The broad valley floors that comprise Quaternary alluvial sediments are mapped into the Merricks mapping unit. Generally the surface soils are dark grey very fine sandy clay loams or clay loams overlying, at a depth of about 100 mm a strongly bleached similarly textured subsurface layer. Strongly mottled grey with yellowish brown or yellowish grey light or medium clays generally occur between 400 and 600 mm, with some ironstone concretions above and below the clay. Medium to heavy clays occur from about 700mm depth and continue into the deep subsoil. The pH’s of the surface soil are around 5.0 to 6.0 and the subsoils about 5.5 to 6.5. These soils are best described as Yellow or Grey Dermosols using the Australian Soil Classification. Hydrosols can occur in the more poorly drained areas.

Because of their position in the landscape they tend to be poorly drained during wetter periods and are not usually used for horticulture but used for grazing. There are remnants of native vegetation, mostly swamp scrub and grassy woodland.

Merricks clay - Symbol: Me,c

Some areas are heavier than the above description, with dark grey light clay surface soils and less conspicuous bleaches, or no bleaches at all. The medium or heavy clays then generally occur before 300 mm depth. Such areas are delineated Me,c on the map. The vegetation and land use is similar to that on the Merricks mapping unit. These soils can best be described as Aquic Vertosols using the Australian Soil Classification. Soil Pit Site MOP2 is an example of a Merricks clay soil type profile near Baxter.