The medium sized Mt Camel Range Salinity Province lies on the border of the North Central and Goulburn Broken catchments about 40 km east of Bendigo. It has undulating to steep hilly terrain, colluvial/alluvial fans and flatter alluvial plains centred along the Mt. Camel Range.
Local to intermediate scale Groundwater Flow Systems (GFSs) in fractured Cambrian rocks and colluvial and alluvial fans are dominant with a regional scale GFS present in the flatter alluvial plain areas. Most of the native vegetation has been cleared for grazing, cropping and horticulture. Salinity has been a major problem in the area since the 1950s. Significant areas of land have been salinised at the ‘break-of-slope’ and along gullies within the ranges. Salinity is mainly caused by high recharge at the ridges and upper slopes being discharged at the lower slopes.
Salinity management options for this province include: planting trees and establishing perennial pastures over high recharge areas on the ridges and upper slopes; planting salt tolerant grasses in the discharge areas coupled with groundwater pumping along fault zones.
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