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Salinity Province 81, Mortlake Caramut

Thumbnail image showing the location of the Mortlake Caramut Salinity Province in VictoriaThe Mortlake_Caramut Salinity Province is a large province which covers an extensive landscape of basalt plains (older phase volcanics), volcanic eruption points and stony rises country (later phase volcanics). It has a regional scale Groundwater Flow System (GFS) on the basalt plains and local scale GFSs associated with the eruption points and stony rises.

Salinity occurrence is of both primary and secondary type. High watertables, waterlogged swamps, depressions and saline discharge to natural salt lakes and drainage lines are features of this province, but widespread clearing allowed greater recharge to the groundwater systems, causing the subsequent expansion of these natural salinity features. Fresh groundwater associated with the eruption points and stony rises is often an important water resource, so management to reduce recharge on these areas may conflict with protecting this drought resistant water resource.

The older basalt plains generally hold brackish or saline groundwater that is unlikely to respond to vegetation control of recharge, so ‘living-with-salt’ and protecting wet areas in the landscape should be the priority of any management planning and activities.



Province Attributes

Catchment Management Region:GLENELG-HOPKINS
Priority Status:High
Province Area:188,140 ha
Recorded Soil Salinity Area 1:2,541 ha
Dominant Surface Geology Type:Sedimentary
Influence of Geological Structure on Salinity Occurrence/s:None
Relevant Geomorphological Mapping Units (GFSs):6.1.3
Predominant Groundwater Flow Systems (GFSs):Local & Local/Intermediate
Relevant Irrigation Areas:N/A


Mortlake Caramut Salinity Province Map

A detailed map showing the Mortlake Caramut Province


Links to further reading and material related to the Glenelg Hopkins Salinity Province
Groundwater Flow Systems (GFS) in the Glenelg Hopkins CMR

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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