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Salinity Province 56, Lake Buloke

Thumbnail image showing the location of the Lake Buloke Province in VictoriaThe Lake Buloke Salinity Province covers the large terminal lake system of the Avon-Richardson River, parts of which are significant wild life habitat. Its major features consist of the large “Lake Buloke” and small ancillary lakes together with their large lunette systems on their eastern sides. Extensive saline zones have developed in the lakebed when dry and in the lakeside lunette swales.

This province has the largest percentage of mapped saline land area outside of the Mallee CMA region (and the third highest overall) with over 17% of its area mapped as saline. It has a regional scale Groundwater Flow System (GFS) in alluvial and marine sediments, overlain by local to intermediate scale GFSs in the lunette sediments. Occasional flooding combined with upward groundwater pressure in the regional scale GFS beneath the terminal lakes has allowed evaporative concentration to increase groundwater salinity to half that of seawater.

Management options are limited, so living with salinity is required. Improved upper catchment conditions through greater use of perennial plants in farming systems and the post drought decline in groundwater levels should reduce salt loads entering the lakes in future.



Province Attributes

Catchment Management Region:NORTH CENTRAL
Priority Status:High
Province Area:67,670 ha
Recorded Soil Salinity Area 1:11,796 ha
Dominant Surface Geology Type:Sedimentary
Influence of Geological Structure on Salinity Occurrence/s:Probable
Relevant Geomorphological Mapping Units (GMUs):4.1.3, 5.X
Predominant Groundwater Flow Systems (GFSs):Regional & Local/Intermediate
Relevant Irrigation Areas:N/A


Lake Buloke Salinity Province Map

A detailed map showing the Lake Buloke Salinity Province

Links to further reading and material related to the North Central Salinity Province
For further information relating to groundwater levels and salinities in this Province please see: Visualising Victoria's Groundwater (VVG)



1 Please Note: The ‘Recorded Soil Salinity Area’ indicated in the Salinity Province Attribute Table, comprises the total geographic area that has been mapped as having, or showing symptoms of, dryland soil salinity at some time (past or present). As dryland salinity occurrence in the Victorian landscape exhibits many different levels of severity and can change due to climate, landuse and vegetation, previously mapped areas may no longer be showing symptoms. In addition, as not all parts of the State have been mapped, or mapped in the same way, the mapping may not have captured some occurrences.

The soil salinity mapping used to calculate this ‘area’ does not cover irrigation regions. In irrigation regions, depth to watertable and watertable salinity mapping has been used to convey the threat of high watertables on soil waterlogging and/or soil salinisation and these areas are not included in this ‘area‘ calculation.

Please contact the Department, your Catchment Management Authority or your rural water provider for more information about salinity in your location.
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