Your gateway to a wide range of natural resources information and associated maps

Victorian Resources Online

Salinity Province 108, Shepparton Kialla

Thumbnail image showing the location of the Shepparton Kialla Salinity Province in VictoriaSalinity in the Shepparton_Kialla Salinity Province is primarily associated with the irrigation development on the Broken River floodplain where it meets the Goulburn River floodplain.

A moderate sized province of some 32,000 ha, irrigation water is mainly sourced from the East Goulburn Main channel with some diversion from the Broken River. The province is underlain by local and regional scale Groundwater Flow Systems (GFSs) comprised of alluvial plains unconsolidated sediments. The shallow, local scale GFSs contain small ‘shoe-string sand’ aquifers, which influence salinity occurrence and management. Soil waterlogging and salinity was caused by a rise in the watertable due to increased recharge from irrigation development, poor surface drainage and the wetter climatic phase from the 1950s to 1990s. Orchards in the area were particularly affected in the 1970s. Depth to watertable maps going back to the 1980’s can be found on the Goulburn-Broken CMA website (external link). These show the dynamic nature of the watertable, which declined and contracted during the 1999 - 2009 drought decade.

The management of salinity and high watertables is through an integrated program of improved irrigation water use efficiency, surface drainage, groundwater pumping and environmental protection works and incentives.



Province Attributes

Catchment Management Region:GOULBURN BROKEN
Priority Status:High
Province Area:32,360 ha
Recorded Soil Salinity Area 1:33 ha
Dominant Surface Geology Type:Sedimentary
Influence of Geological Structure on Salinity Occurrence/s:None
Relevant Geomorphological Mapping Units (GMUs):4.2.1, 4.2.2
Predominant Groundwater Flow Systems (GFSs):Local & Regional
Relevant Irrigation Areas:Shepparton


Shepparton Kialla Salinity Province Map

A detailed map showing the Shepparton Kialla Salinity Province

Links to further reading and material related to the Goulburn Broken 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.
Page top