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Sustainable Land Management in the Ellen Brook Catchment

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Sustainable Land Management in the Ellen Brook Catchment Bulletin No. 4498 ISSN 1326-415X June 2001 Sustainable Land Management in the Ellen Brook Catchment Developed and compiled by Kylie Banfield ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Several people contributed to the preparation of this manual: • Ken Angell (Agriculture Western Australia) • Damian Crilly (Ellen Brook Integrated Catchment Group) • Chris Ferreira (Landcare Solutions) • Mike Grasby (Mike Grasby Consulting) • Garry Heady (Heady Enterprises) • Jason Hick (BSD Consultants) • Ashley Prout (BSD Consultants) Thanks also go to Gerry Parlevliet from Agriculture Western Australia and members of the Ellen Brook Integrated Catchment Group for reviewing and commenting on this publication. © Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture 2001 IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER In relying on or using this document or any advice or information expressly or impliedly contained within it, you accept all risks and responsibility for loss, injury, damages, costs and other consequences of any kind whatsoever resulting directly or indirectly to you or any other person from your doing so. It is for you to obtain your own advice and conduct your own investigations and assessments of any proposals that you may be considering in light of your own circumstances. Further, the State of Western Australia, the Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture, the Agriculture Protection Board, the authors, the publisher and their officers, employees and agents: • do not warrant the accuracy, currency, reliability or correctness of this document or any advice or information expressly or impliedly contained within it; and • exclude all liability of any kind whatsoever to any person arising directly or indirectly from reliance on or the use of this document or any advice or information expressly or impliedly contained within it by you or any other person. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Section 1: The Ellen Brook Catchment .................................................................................. 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Background ........................................................................................................................ 2 Your property, the land degradation risks and opportunities ............................................ 7 Vegetation of the Ellen Brook Catchment ......................................................................... 30 Fauna ................................................................................................................................. 33 Range of landuses in the Ellen Brook Catchment ............................................................. 34 Section 2: Farm and catchment planning .............................................................................. 41 Integration of land management options ........................................................................... 41 Farm management plans .................................................................................................... 43 Section 3: Land degradation risks .......................................................................................... 46 Causes and key management options ................................................................................ 46 Section 4: Key agricultural management practices .............................................................. 63 Pasture management .......................................................................................................... 63 Pasture establishment ........................................................................................................ 63 Fertiliser application .......................................................................................................... 67 Soil and plant tissue testing ............................................................................................... 70 Weed control ..................................................................................................................... 76 Soil amendments ............................................................................................................... 77 Section 5: Key horticultural management practices ............................................................. 79 Fertiliser use ...................................................................................................................... 79 Irrigation ............................................................................................................................ 81 Windbreaks - Buffers for horticulture ............................................................................. 85 Section 6: Key environmental management practices .......................................................... 89 Water course management ................................................................................................ 89 Benefits of healthy riparian vegetation .............................................................................. 89 Protecting and enhancing your living stream .................................................................... 90 Vegetation and remnants ................................................................................................... 96 Section 7: Other management practices ................................................................................ 108 Firebreaks .......................................................................................................................... 108 Diversification of production systems ............................................................................... 109 Alternative industries ......................................................................................................... 113 Page Useful contacts ............................................................................................................................ 114 Useful web sites and e-mail addresses ........................................................................................ 115 References ................................................................................................................................... 117 Glossary ...................................................................................................................................... 121 Appendix A ................................................................................................................................. 129 Appendix B ................................................................................................................................. 132 Appendix C ................................................................................................................................. 133 Appendix D ................................................................................................................................. 134 Appendix E ................................................................................................................................. 136 Appendix F .................................................................................................................................. 137 Appendix G ................................................................................................................................. 138 Sustainable Land Management in the Ellen Brook Catchment SECTION 1: THE ELLEN BROOK CATCHMENT INTRODUCTION The Ellen Brook Catchment is a key catchment in the overall health of the Swan-Canning estuarine system. It has been identified as a major source of nutrients entering the estuary, exporting an average of approximately 77 t of nitrogen and 26 t of phosphorus per year. It is these nutrients that contribute to the periodic outbreaks of potentially toxic algal blooms in the Swan and Canning Rivers. The Ellen Brook Catchment is also experiencing an increase in various forms of land degradation including soil salinity, wind erosion, water erosion, waterlogging and flooding. All of these forms of degradation have the potential to compromise the environmental, economic and social well being of the Catchment. There are many different land uses within the Catchment including rural uses (such as cattle and sheep grazing), horticulture, commercial and industrial uses, an Air Force Base and urban and special rural residential areas. The majority of these uses have been located in the area for a long time and all contribute to the export of nutrients from the Catchment to the Swan Canning estuary. In order to address the issues of land degradation and nutrient export, land uses, soil types, and management practices leading to land degradation need to be identified and modified through a shift towards sustainable land management practices. A Catchment Management Plan has been developed for the Ellen Brook Catchment by the Ellen Brook Integrated Catchment Group outlining specific land management principles to help address each of the land degradation issues in the Catchment. Twelve Environmental Management Units have been identified within the Catchment according geomorphic province and soil landscape systems to provide land capability considerations and land management guidelines. The 12 Environmental Management Units provide a basis for this manual to describe best management information on: • wind and water erosion; • nutrient management; • water and drainage management; • water course and wetland management;
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