Soil/Landform Unit - Navarre foothills

Navarre Hill with gentle to undulating rises and slopes surrounding

Area: 11 723 ha

0.50% of CMA region

This unit consists of an undulating terrain complex that forms part of the upper Wimmera northern catchment boundary. This rise and low hill unit is part of the hills, valley slopes and plains on non-granitic

Palaeozoic

rocks subdivision of the Dissected Western Uplands (2.1.2). These undulating rises and low hills of Palaeozoic and Cainzoic sediments drain into upper alluvial and colluvial units (Wattle Creek unit) and the Wimmera River valley (Drung unit) further downstream. Hillslopes share prominent upper and lower slopes, crests and drainage lines. Soils are relatively well drained and are predominantly red texture contrast soils (

Chromosols

) with yellow, brown and grey texture contrast soils generally sodic (

Sodosols

) on the lower slopes and poorer drainage areas. Sheet and rill erosion are major land degradation susceptibilities given slope and soil (texture contrast, dispersive). Gully erosion is a factor on lower slopes with greater depth of unconsolidated material. Grazing (sheep and some cattle) is the major enterprise with occasional cropping on lower gentler slopes. Remnant vegetation consists of Heathy Dry Forest, Box Ironbark Forest, Grassy Woodland, Riparian Woodland and Plains Woodland.

Parilla Sand over kaolinised palaeozoic bedrock
	Gentle rise cutting east of Campbells Bridge

Component	1	2	3	4
Proportion of soil-landform unit	10%	45%	30%	15%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 530
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 530
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 8, Maximum 20
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	September–April
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Neogene fluvial gravel, sand and silt; Quaternary silt, sand and minor gravel (Shepparton Formation); Quaternary fluvial gravel, sand and silt
GEOLOGY Age and lithology
Geomorphology	2.1.2 Hills, valley slopes and plains on non-granitic Palaeozoic rock of the Dissected Western Uplands
LANDUSE	Uncleared areas: nature conservation Cleared areas: dryland cropping; sheep and beef cattle grazing
LANDUSE
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Undulating rises and foothills
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Undulating rises and foothills
Elevation range (m)	188–331
Local relief (m)	10
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	0.8
Landform	Undulating rises (Navarre 3)		Undulating plains (Navarre 1 and 2)
Landform element	Crest	Upper slope	Lower slope	Drainage line
Slope and range (%)	3 (0-7)	7 (3-20)	4 (2-15)	2 (0-15)
Slope shape	Convex	Convex	Straight	Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Grassy Woodland (39.0%), Plains Woodland (18.8%), Heathy Dry Forest (14.6%), Box Ironbark Forest (14.6%), Other (6.1%)
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class
SOIL Parent material	Marine sand and silt, minor sandstone, siltstone and biotite schist	Marine sand and silt, minor sandstone, siltstone and biotite schist	Fluvial gravel, sand and silt	Alluvial gravel, sand and silt
SOIL Parent material			Fluvial gravel, sand and silt	Alluvial gravel, sand and silt
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Red texture contrast soils (1) and sodic and non-sodic, yellow and brown texture contrast soils (5)	Red texture contrast soils (1) and sodic and non-sodic, yellow and brown texture contrast soils (5)	Sodic and non-sodic, yellow and brown texture contrast soils (5) and sodic and non-sodic, brown and red texture contrast soils (6)	Sodic and non-sodic, yellow and brown texture contrast soils (5) and sodic and non-sodic, brown and red texture contrast soils (6)
Soil type sites	LP83, DOAGW31, DOAGW15	LP83, DOAGW31, DOAGW15	DOAGW15, WLRA141, WLRA142	DOAGW15, WLRA141, WLRA142
Surface texture	Fine sandy loam to sandy clay loam	Fine sandy loam to sandy clay loam	Sandy loam (silty)	Sandy loam (silty)
Permeability	Moderate to high	Moderate to high	Moderate	Moderate
Depth (m)	0.7	1.2	< 2	> 2
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS Critical land features, processes, forms	Friable with better infiltration in moister areas, hardsetting and soft surfaces susceptible to sheet and rill erosion even on gentle slope due to impeding layer (clay or hardpan). Subsurface soil and upper subsoil susceptible to compaction, and also gully erosion where sodic and deep. Topsoil may be susceptible to acidification.	Friable with better infiltration in moister areas, hardsetting and soft surfaces susceptible to sheet and rill erosion even on gentle slope due to impeding layer (clay or hardpan). Subsurface soil and upper subsoil susceptible to compaction, and also gully erosion where sodic and deep. Topsoil may be susceptible to acidification.	Hardsetting and soft surfaces susceptible to sheet and rill erosion even on gentle slope due to impeding layer (clay or hardpan). Subsurface soil and upper subsoil susceptible to compaction, and also gully erosion where sodic and deep. Topsoil may be susceptible to acidification.	Hardsetting and soft surfaces susceptible to sheet and rill erosion even on gentle slope due to impeding layer (clay or hardpan). Subsurface soil and upper subsoil susceptible to compaction, and also gully erosion where sodic and deep. Topsoil may be susceptible to acidification.

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