DOCSLIB.ORG

Dryland and Urba Salinity Costs Across the Murray-Darling Basin AN

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Dryland and Urba Salinity Costs Across the Murray-Darling Basin AN Landscapes & Industries KNOWLEDGE Dryland and urban salinity costs across the Murray-Darling Basin AN OVERVIEW & GUIDELINES FOR IDENTIFYING AND VALUING THE IMPACTS Dryland and urban salinity costs across the Murray-Darling Basin AN OVERVIEW & GUIDELINES FOR IDENTIFYING AND VALUING THE IMPACTS the Murray-Darling costs across Dryland and urban salinity Dr Suzanne M. Wilson Author: Dr. Suzanne M. Wilson Integrated catchment management in the Murray-Darling Basin Published by: Murray-Darling Basin Commission Postal Address: GPO Box 409, Canberra ACT 2601 A process through which people can develop a vision, agree on shared values and behaviours, make informed decisions and act together to manage the natural resources of their catchment: their decisions on the use of land, Office location: Level 5, 15 Moore Street, Canberra City water and other environmental resources are made by considering the effect of that use on all those resources and Australian Capital Territory on all people within the catchment. Telephone: (02) 6279 0100 Our values Our principles International + 61 2 6279 0100 We agree to work together, and ensure that our We agree, in a spirit of partnership, to use the following Facsimile: (02) 6248 8053 behaviour reflects the following values. principles to guide our actions. International + 61 2 6248 8053 E-mail: [email protected] Courage Integration Internet: http://www.mdbc.gov.au • We will take a visionary approach, provide • We will manage catchments holistically; that is, leadership and be prepared to make decisions on the use of land, water and other For further information contact the Murray-Darling Basin Commission office on (02) 6279 0100. difficult decisions. environmental resources are made by considering the effect of that use on all those resources and on Inclusiveness This report may be cited as: all people within the catchment. • We will build relationships based on trust Wilson, S.M. 2004 Dryland and urban salinity costs across the Murray-Darling Basin. An overview & guidelines and sharing, considering the needs of future Accountability for identifying and valuing the impacts, Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra. generations, and working together in a • We will assign responsibilities and accountabilities. true partnership. • We will manage resources wisely, being ISBN 1 876830 883 • We will engage all partners, including Indigenous accountable and reporting to our partners. communities, and ensure that partners have the © Copyright Murray-Darling Basin Commission 2004 Transparency capacity to be fully engaged. This work is copyright. Graphical and textual information in the work (with the exception of photographs and the • We will clarify the outcomes sought. MDBC logo) may be stored, retrieved and reproduced in whole or in part, provided the information is not sold or used Commitment • We will be open about how to achieve outcomes for commercial benefit and its source Dryland and urban salinity costs across the Murray-Darling Basin. An overview • We will act with passion and decisiveness, taking and what is expected from each partner. & guidelines for identifying and valuing the impacts, is acknowledged. Such reproduction includes fair dealing for the the long-term view and aiming for stability in Effectiveness purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968. Reproduction for other decision-making. • We will act to achieve agreed outcomes. purposes is prohibited without prior permission of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission or the individual photographers • We will take a Basin perspective and a non- and artists with whom copyright applies. partisan approach to Basin management. • We will learn from our successes and failures and continuously improve our actions. To the extent permitted by law, the copyright holders (including its employees and consultants) exclude all liability Respect and honesty to any person for any consequences, including but not limited to all losses, damages, costs, expenses and any other • We will respect different views, respect each Efficiency compensation, arising directly or indirectly from using this report (in part or in whole) and any information or material other and acknowledge the reality of each • We will maximise the benefits and minimise the contained in it. other’s situation. costs of actions. The contents of this publication do not purport to represent the position of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission. • We will act with integrity, openness and Full accounting They are presented to inform discussion for improvement of the Basin’s natural resources. honesty, be fair and credible, and share • We will take account of the full range of costs and Cover photo: Arthur Mostead, Dryland Salinity reclamation, Galong NSW. knowledge and information. benefits, including economic, environmental, social • We will use resources equitably and respect and off-site costs and benefits. MDBC Publication 34/04 the environment. Informed decision-making Flexibility • We will make decisions at the most • We will accept reform where it is needed, be appropriate scale. willing to change, and continuously improve our • We will make decisions on the best available actions through a learning approach. information, and continuously improve knowledge. Practicability • We will support the involvement of Indigenous • We will choose practicable, long-term people in decision-making, understanding the outcomes and select viable solutions to achieve value of this involvement and respecting the living these outcomes. knowledge of Indigenous people. Mutual obligation Learning approach • We will share responsibility and accountability, and • We will learn from our failures and successes. act responsibly with fairness and justice. • We will learn from each other. • We will support each other through the necessary change. Foreword Throughout the 1980s, the prevailing view was that the main impacts of dryland salinity in the Basin were lost agricultural production due to salinised land, and declining river health due to increased salt concentration in river water. Investigations in the early 1990s suggested that off-farm costs are larger than previously anticipated, and include not only damage to rural and regional assets such as roads, railways, bridges and culverts, but also damage to urban assets such as street paving and guttering, parks and gardens, and domestic and commercial buildings. Environmental assets such as floodplain wetlands are also being damaged. In 1998 the Murray-Darling Basin Commission initiated the Determining the full cost of dryland and urban salinity across the Murray-Darling Basin project to develop and apply a method to estimate the full range of dryland salinity impact costs across the Basin. In particular, the method needed to enable comparisons of salinity impact costs on agriculture with off-farm costs on rural and regional infrastructure and urban infrastructure. These guidelines introduce and describe the methods developed through this project. The guidelines have been prepared as one document with two parts. Part 1 of the guidelines gives a catchment scale overview of the costs related to the impacts of salinity in urban and dryland rural areas, excluding costs to irrigators, the environment and cultural heritage. Part 2 of the guidelines provide the detailed instructions and tools of this approach for specialist natural resource economists to assess the costs related to the impacts of urban and dryland salinity. In combination, these guidelines should be a valuable resource to assist in local and catchment planning processes. I commend these guidelines and tools to any person considering investment in dryland salinity management. Recent research, including the work initiated by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, suggests that focus should be on protecting future damage to higher value assets, and that close attention should be paid to analysing costs and benefits before making such decisions. Kevin Goss Acting Chief Executive iii How these guidelines are structured These guidelines have been prepared in two separate parts to meet the needs of different stakeholders involved in local action planning Part 1: An overview of the dryland and urban salinity costs across the Murray-Darling Basin. This part introduces this project, presents an overview of the nature and costs of salinity in urban and dryland rural areas, and demonstrates how this information fits into the bigger picture of preparing a local action plan and cost-sharing arrangements. It is suggested that readers are conversant with the material presented in Part 1 before working through Part 2. Part 2: Guidelines for identifying and valuing the impacts. This part provides the detailed instructions, tools and questionnaire forms a skilled natural resource economist will need to assess the nature and impact costs of dryland and urban salinity to various agricultural and non-agricultural stakeholders, the environment and cultural heritage in a particular catchment or area. iv v Contents Foreword . iii How these guidelines are structured . iv Summary . 1 Part One: An overview of the dryland and urban salinity costs across the Murray-Darling Basin . 3 1 Introduction. 4 1.1 Why have these guidelines been produced? . 4 1.2 Who are these guidelines for?. 5 1.3 What information is (and is not) provided? . 5 1.4 How were these guidelines produced? . 6 2 What is dryland and urban salinity and how is it caused? . 7 3 Where does dryland and urban salinity occur? . 8 4 What are the impacts of dryland and urban salinity and who bears them?. 11 4.1 Dryland agriculture . 11 4.2 Infrastructure . 13 4.3 Environment . 17 4.5 Flow-on social impacts . 22 4.6 Are there any benefits from dryland salinity? . 22 5 What are the costs? . 23 6 Why value the costs of dryland and urban salinity?. 24 7 How do these guidelines assist local action planning? . 26 8 References . 29 Part Two: Guidelines for identifying and valuing the impacts . 33 1 Introduction. 35 2 Identifying the nature of the salinity problem . 36 3 Identifying the affected stakeholders. 37 3.1 Introduction . 37 3.2 Proforma for identifying the stakeholders affected by dryland and urban salinity .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Schedule 1 — DETERMINATION AREA A. Description of Determination Area the Determination Area Comprises All of the Land and Wate
    Schedule 1 — DETERMINATION AREA A. Description of Determination Area The Determination Area comprises all of the land and waters described in Parts 1, 2 and 3 below, to the extent that they are within the External Boundary Description as described in Part 4 below, and depicted in the map, excluding the areas described in Schedule 2. Part 1 — Exclusive Areas: All of the land and waters described in column 1 of the following table and shown on the determination map described in column 2 of the following table: Area Description Determination Map Sheet Number Lot 10 on CS46 Sheet 1 and Sheet 3 Lot 4 on CS47 Sheet 3 and Sheet 5 Inset 17 Part 2 — Non-Exclusive Areas: (a) The land and waters comprised of the lots and part lots listed in column 1 of the table below and shown on the determination map described in column 2. Area Description Determination Map Sheet Number Lot 55 on B2191 Sheet 5 Inset 1 Lot 37 on B2194 Sheet 5 Inset 1 Lot 61 on B2194 Sheet 5 Inset 1 Lot 11 on B21910 Sheet 5 Inset 1.1 Lot 12 on B21910 Sheet 5 Inset 1.1 Lot 13 on B21910 Sheet 5 Inset 1.1 Lot 14 on B21910 Sheet 5 Inset 1.1 That Part of Lot 4 on BAN100 that falls Sheet 1 within the External Boundary Description Lot 6 on BAN23 Sheet 1 Lot 2 on BEL53167 Sheet 4 Lot 48 on BLM1023 Sheet 5 Inset 1 Lot 49 on BLM1031 Sheet 2 Lot 4 on BLM1089 Sheet 4 Lot 1 on BLM1187 Sheet 5 Inset 1.2 Lot 8 on BLM182 Sheet 5 Inset 12 Area Description Determination Map Sheet Number Lot 3 on BLM255 Sheet 4 Lot 7 on BLM279 Sheet 5 Inset 14 Lot 9 on BLM333 Sheet 5 Inset 3 Lot 2 on BLM339 Sheet 5
    [Show full text]
  • New South Wales Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle Operator’S Guide
    New South Wales Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle Operator’s Guide Important: This Operator’s Guide is for three Notices separated by Part A, Part B and Part C. Please read sections carefully as separate conditions may apply. For enquiries about roads and restrictions listed in this document please contact Transport for NSW Road Access unit: [email protected] 27 October 2020 New South Wales Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle Operator’s Guide Contents Purpose ................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Definitions ............................................................................................................................................................... 4 NSW Travel Zones .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Part A – NSW Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicles Notice ................................................................................................ 9 About the Notice ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 1: Travel Conditions ................................................................................................................................................. 9 1.1 Pilot and Escort Requirements ..........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Dubbo Zirconia Project
    Dubbo Zirconia Project Aquatic Ecology Assessment Prepared by Alison Hunt & Associates September 2013 Specialist Consultant Studies Compendium Volume 2, Part 7 This page has intentionally been left blank Aquatic Ecology Assessment Prepared for: R.W. Corkery & Co. Pty Limited 62 Hill Street ORANGE NSW 2800 Tel: (02) 6362 5411 Fax: (02) 6361 3622 Email: [email protected] On behalf of: Australian Zirconia Ltd 65 Burswood Road BURSWOOD WA 6100 Tel: (08) 9227 5677 Fax: (08) 9227 8178 Email: [email protected] Prepared by: Alison Hunt & Associates 8 Duncan Street ARNCLIFFE NSW 2205 Tel: (02) 9599 0402 Email: [email protected] September 2013 Alison Hunt & Associates SPECIALIST CONSULTANT STUDIES AUSTRALIAN ZIRCONIA LTD Part 7: Aquatic Ecology Assessment Dubbo Zirconia Project Report No. 545/05 This Copyright is included for the protection of this document COPYRIGHT © Alison Hunt & Associates, 2013 and © Australian Zirconia Ltd, 2013 All intellectual property and copyright reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1968, no part of this report may be reproduced, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system or adapted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to Alison Hunt & Associates. Alison Hunt & Associates RW CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED AUSTRALIAN ZIRCONIA LTD Dubbo Zirconia Project Aquatic Ecology Final September 2013 SPECIALIST CONSULTANT STUDIES AUSTRALIAN ZIRCONIA LTD Part 7: Aquatic Ecology Assessment Dubbo Zirconia Project Report No. 545/05 SUMMARY Alison Hunt & Associates Pty Ltd was commissioned by RW Corkery & Co Pty Limited, on behalf of Australian Zirconia Limited (AZL), to undertake an assessment of aquatic ecology for the proposed development of the Dubbo Zirconia Project (DZP), which would be located at Toongi, approximately 25 km south of Dubbo in Central West NSW.
    [Show full text]
  • GWQ4164 Qld Murray Darling and Paroo Basin Groundwater Upper
    ! ! ! ! ! ! 142°E 144°E 146°E 148°E ! 150°E 152°E A ! M lp H o Th h C u Baralaba o orn Do ona m Pou n leigh Cr uglas P k a b r da ee e almy iver o Bororen t Ck ! k o Ck B C R C l ! ia e a d C n r r r Isisford ds al C eek o r t k C ek Warbr ve coo Riv re m No g e C ecc E i Bar er ek D s C o an mu R i ree k Miriam Vale r C C F re C rik ree ree r ! i o e e Mim e e k ! k o lid B Cre ! arc Bulloc it o Cal ek B k a k s o C g a ! reek y Stonehenge re Cr Biloela ! bit C n B ! C Creek e Kroom e a e r n e K ff e Blackall e o k l k e C P ti R k C Cl a d la ia i Banana u e R o l an ! Thangool i r ive m c i ! r V n k n o B ! C ve e C e e C e a t g a o e k ar Ta B k Cr k a na Karib r k e t th e l lu o n e e e C G Nor re la ndi r B u kl e e k Cre r n Pe lly e c an d rCr k a e a M C r d i C m C e Winton Mackunda Central W y o m e r s S b re k e e R a re r r e ek C t iv Moura ! k C ek e a a e e C Me e e Z ! o r v r r r r r w e l r h e e D v k i e e ill Fa y e R C e n k C a a e R e a y r w l ! k o r to a C Bo C a l n sto r v r e s re r c e n e o C e k C ee o k eek ek e u Rosedale s Cr W k e n r k in e s e a n e r ek k R k ol n m k sb e C n e T e K e o e h o urn d o i r e r k C e v r R e y e r e h e e k C C e T r r C e r iv ! W e re e r e ! u k v Avondale r C k m e Burnett Heads C i ing B y o r ! le k s M k R e k C k e a c e o k h e o n o e e o r L n a r rc ek ! Bargara R n C e e l ! C re r ! o C C e o o w e C r r C o o h tl r k o e R r l !e iver iver e Ca s e tR ! k e Jundah C o p ! m si t Bundaberg r G B k e e k ap Monto a F r o e e e e e t r l W is Cr n i k r z C H e C e Tambo k u D r r e e o ! e k o e e e rv n k C t B T il ep C r a ee r in Cre e i n C r e n i G C M C r e Theodore l G n M a k p t r e Rive rah C N ! e y o r r d g a h e t i o e S ig Riv k rre olo og g n k a o o E o r e W D Gin Gin co e re Riv ar w B C er Gre T k gory B e th Stock ade re Creek R C e i g b ve o a k r k R e S k e L z re e e li r u C h r tleCr E tern re C E e s eek as e iv i a C h n C .
    [Show full text]
  • District 11 Eastern Map (PDF, 2.2
    o! E o! E E E E E E E E E E E t S t s a E E T E he S n Rd ow kajo y Buc R iv e r W a y Tat hra Rd Joint Fuel iver Candelo - rray R Mu Bega Rd E Forest Hill RA E t S C a e m n an S a L i d n d l m R l e tain i ha o oun lo d W n Management w M alo - y y ang W W taw o R Tan lumla Rd iv e r t a S nim Bur Mt Cobberas No 1 E E Un Program n am E ed Eden Mount Darragh Rd St CFA District 11 d R art thc Ca (Eastern) ! ! M er t im S b u t ! e la D b r S ! y a t M e k r ! ! a M E ! E r 2020-2021 to 2022-2023 D Suggan Buggan ! e in a K r ! u h rt n St A d Gordo R ! e t ! a g ! e Toa ! l Moun llo St Beehive e t Darragh Rd ! D ! d ! Creek RA ! R E e E ! ! t a ! g ! a r r ! ! u New South B ! ! ! +$ 2020-21 Planned Burn (<50Ha) ! ! Wales ! ! ! ! TUBBUT ! ! ! - MOUNT ! +$ ! 2021-22 Planned Burn (<50Ha) ! WHITTAKERS ! o! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! t +$ ! S 2022-23 Planned Burn (<50Ha) ! ! ! am ! ! h ! D d ! ! e n Per ! le y icoe ! ! g W St ! a la ! a ! t b e Bom ! Concordia DELEGATE - Rd ! St ! d 2020-21 Planned Burn (50Ha +) ! Gully RA ! ! ! DEAD END R ! ! r e ! ! ! TRACK E v T i ! ! o R ! ! w Tubbut BENDOC - BENDOC - a ! y m ! w Deddick b ! ROARING CAMP CORNER a o ! ! ! 2021-22 Planned Burn (50Ha +) ! R n Valley S ! d Mt Seldom ! TRACK ! DELEGATE - Seen ! ! E ! BORDER TRACK ! BONANG-YELLOW ! ! ! # # # # # # # # ! 2022-23 Planned Burn (50Ha +) ! STREAK MINE # # # # # # ! # # # ! ! ! E ! ! ! ! # # # # # # # # ! TRACK ! ! ! ! ! # # # # # # ! ! # # # # # ! ! ! ! ! ! # # # ! # ! # # # # # # ! ! Non Burning Treatment - Mineral Earth Disturbance # # # #
    [Show full text]
  • Ken Hill and Darling River Action Group Inc and the Broken Hill Menindee Lakes We Want Action Facebook Group
    R. A .G TO THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MURRAY DARLING BASIN ROYAL COMMISSION SUBMISSION BY: The Broken Hill and Darling River Action Group Inc and the Broken Hill Menindee Lakes We Want Action Facebook Group. With the permission of the Executive and Members of these Groups. Prepared by: Mark Hutton on behalf of the Broken Hill and Darling River Action Group Inc and the Broken Hill Menindee Lakes We Want Action Facebook Group. Chairman of the Broken Hill and Darling River Action Group and Co Administrator of the Broken Hill Menindee Lakes We Want Action Facebook Group Mark Hutton NSW Date: 20/04/2018 Index The Effect The Cause The New Broken Hill to Wentworth Water Supply Pipeline Environmental health Floodplain Harvesting The current state of the Darling River 2007 state of the Darling Report Water account 2008/2009 – Murray Darling Basin Plan The effect on our communities The effect on our environment The effect on Indigenous Tribes of the Darling Background Our Proposal Climate Change and Irrigation Extractions – Reduced Flow Suggestions for Improvements Conclusion References (Fig 1) The Darling River How the Darling River and Menindee Lakes affect the Plan and South Australia The Effect The flows along the Darling River and into the Menindee Lakes has a marked effect on the amount of water that flows into the Lower Murray and South Australia annually. Alought the percentage may seem small as an average (Approx. 17% per annum) large flows have at times contributed markedly in times when the Lower Murray River had periods of low or no flow. This was especially evident during the Millennium Drought when a large flow was shepherded through to the Lower Lakes and Coorong thereby averting what would have been a natural disaster and the possibility of Adelaide running out of water.
    [Show full text]
  • Rivers and Streams Special Investigation Final Recommendations
    LAND CONSERVATION COUNCIL RIVERS AND STREAMS SPECIAL INVESTIGATION FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS June 1991 This text is a facsimile of the former Land Conservation Council’s Rivers and Streams Special Investigation Final Recommendations. It has been edited to incorporate Government decisions on the recommendations made by Order in Council dated 7 July 1992, and subsequent formal amendments. Added text is shown underlined; deleted text is shown struck through. Annotations [in brackets] explain the origins of the changes. MEMBERS OF THE LAND CONSERVATION COUNCIL D.H.F. Scott, B.A. (Chairman) R.W. Campbell, B.Vet.Sc., M.B.A.; Director - Natural Resource Systems, Department of Conservation and Environment (Deputy Chairman) D.M. Calder, M.Sc., Ph.D., M.I.Biol. W.A. Chamley, B.Sc., D.Phil.; Director - Fisheries Management, Department of Conservation and Environment S.M. Ferguson, M.B.E. M.D.A. Gregson, E.D., M.A.F., Aus.I.M.M.; General Manager - Minerals, Department of Manufacturing and Industry Development A.E.K. Hingston, B.Behav.Sc., M.Env.Stud., Cert.Hort. P. Jerome, B.A., Dip.T.R.P., M.A.; Director - Regional Planning, Department of Planning and Housing M.N. Kinsella, B.Ag.Sc., M.Sci., F.A.I.A.S.; Manager - Quarantine and Inspection Services, Department of Agriculture K.J. Langford, B.Eng.(Ag)., Ph.D , General Manager - Rural Water Commission R.D. Malcolmson, M.B.E., B.Sc., F.A.I.M., M.I.P.M.A., M.Inst.P., M.A.I.P. D.S. Saunders, B.Agr.Sc., M.A.I.A.S.; Director - National Parks and Public Land, Department of Conservation and Environment K.J.
    [Show full text]
  • Outback NSW Regional
    TO QUILPIE 485km, A THARGOMINDAH 289km B C D E TO CUNNAMULLA 136km F TO CUNNAMULLA 75km G H I J TO ST GEORGE 44km K Source: © DEPARTMENT OF LANDS Nindigully PANORAMA AVENUE BATHURST 2795 29º00'S Olive Downs 141º00'E 142º00'E www.lands.nsw.gov.au 143º00'E 144º00'E 145º00'E 146º00'E 147º00'E 148º00'E 149º00'E 85 Campground MITCHELL Cameron 61 © Copyright LANDS & Cartoscope Pty Ltd Corner CURRAWINYA Bungunya NAT PK Talwood Dog Fence Dirranbandi (locality) STURT NAT PK Dunwinnie (locality) 0 20 40 60 Boonangar Hungerford Daymar Crossing 405km BRISBANE Kilometres Thallon 75 New QUEENSLAND TO 48km, GOONDIWINDI 80 (locality) 1 Waka England Barringun CULGOA Kunopia 1 Region (locality) FLOODPLAIN 66 NAT PK Boomi Index to adjoining Map Jobs Gate Lake 44 Cartoscope maps Dead Horse 38 Hebel Bokhara Gully Campground CULGOA 19 Tibooburra NAT PK Caloona (locality) 74 Outback Mungindi Dolgelly Mount Wood NSW Map Dubbo River Goodooga Angledool (locality) Bore CORNER 54 Campground Neeworra LEDKNAPPER 40 COUNTRY Region NEW SOUTH WALES (locality) Enngonia NAT RES Weilmoringle STORE Riverina Map 96 Bengerang Check at store for River 122 supply of fuel Region Garah 106 Mungunyah Gundabloui Map (locality) Crossing 44 Milparinka (locality) Fordetail VISIT HISTORIC see Map 11 elec 181 Wanaaring Lednapper Moppin MILPARINKA Lightning Ridge (locality) 79 Crossing Coocoran 103km (locality) 74 Lake 7 Lightning Ridge 30º00'S 76 (locality) Ashley 97 Bore Bath Collymongle 133 TO GOONDIWINDI Birrie (locality) 2 Collerina NARRAN Collarenebri Bullarah 2 (locality) LAKE 36 NOCOLECHE (locality) Salt 71 NAT RES 9 150º00'E NAT RES Pokataroo 38 Lake GWYDIR HWY Grave of 52 MOREE Eliza Kennedy Unsealed roads on 194 (locality) Cumborah 61 Poison Gate Telleraga this map can be difficult (locality) 120km Pincally in wet conditions HWY 82 46 Merrywinebone Swamp 29 Largest Grain (locality) Hollow TO INVERELL 37 98 For detail Silo in Sth.
    [Show full text]
  • Effectiveness of Current Farming Systems in the Control of Dryland Salinity
    Effectiveness of Current Farming Systems in the Control of Dryland Salinity Glen Walker, Mat Gilfedder and John Williams W. van Aken © CSIRO W. Why do we need to worry about dryland salinity? Dryland salinity is a serious problem in many parts of Australia, including the Murray-Darling Basin. In 1998, the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering limit of 800 EC units for desirable drinking water, and Innovation Council estimated that the costs and create concern for its long-term sustainability of dryland salinity include $700 million in lost for urban water use. In some northern parts of the land and $130 million annually in lost Basin it is expected that river salinity will rise to production. The effects of dryland salinity include levels that seriously constrain the use of river increasing stream salinity, particularly across the water for irrigation. southern half of the Murray-Darling Basin, and The enormous level of intervention needed to losses of remnant vegetation, riparian zones and deal with dryland salinity, and the landscape’s wetland areas. Salinity is degrading rural towns slow response to any changes, mean that now and infrastructure, and crumbling building is the time to devise new ways to manage the foundations, roads and sporting grounds. problem. The problem is not under control—we can expect The government of Western Australia is the effects of dryland salinity to increase developing a dryland salinity action plan for that dramatically. For example, if we do not find and State. The Murray-Darling Basin Commission is implement effective solutions, over the next fifty currently setting in place a process to develop years the area of land affected by dryland salinity new natural resource management strategies to is likely to rise from the current 1.8 million address salinity issues in the Basin.
    [Show full text]
  • The Profound Response of the Dryland Warrego River, Eastern Australia, to Holocene Hydroclimatic Change Zacchary Larkin
    BSG Postgraduate Research Grant – March 2017 A shifting ‘river of sand’: the profound response of the dryland Warrego River, eastern Australia, to Holocene hydroclimatic change Zacchary Larkin Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia [email protected] Project outline Understanding how rivers respond to extrinsic forcing (e.g. hydroclimatic change) is increasingly important given concerns surrounding the changes to climate projected for the coming decades and beyond. However, disentangling changes brought about by extrinsic forcing and those brought about by intrinsic fluvial dynamics can be difficult. A long-term perspective on dryland river development can improve our understanding of fluvial responses to extrinsic forcing and the associated thresholds that influence river behaviour. The Warrego River is a dryland river in the northern Murray-Darling Basin. Little is known about its geomorphology and late Quaternary evolution, however large palaeochannels preserved on the floodplain that have a significantly different morphology to the modern river may provide insight into threshold responses of rivers to changing hydroclimatic conditions. The main aims of this project were to: 1) characterise the hydrology and geomorphology of the modern Warrego River, and 2) to determine the age of large palaeochannels adjacent to the modern river and to characterise their palaeohydrology and geomorphology. 2017 Fieldwork The BSG postgraduate grant provided critical funding to help support an 11-day fieldtrip to the Warrego River in southwest Queensland and northwest New South Wales, Australia. The aim of this fieldwork was to undertake topographic surveys of the Warrego River and to collect samples for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating from large palaeochannels on the Warrego floodplain.
    [Show full text]
  • The Murray–Darling Basin Basin Animals and Habitat the Basin Supports a Diverse Range of Plants and the Murray–Darling Basin Is Australia’S Largest Animals
    The Murray–Darling Basin Basin animals and habitat The Basin supports a diverse range of plants and The Murray–Darling Basin is Australia’s largest animals. Over 350 species of birds (35 endangered), and most diverse river system — a place of great 100 species of lizards, 53 frogs and 46 snakes national significance with many important social, have been recorded — many of them found only in economic and environmental values. Australia. The Basin dominates the landscape of eastern At least 34 bird species depend upon wetlands in 1. 2. 6. Australia, covering over one million square the Basin for breeding. The Macquarie Marshes and kilometres — about 14% of the country — Hume Dam at 7% capacity in 2007 (left) and 100% capactiy in 2011 (right) Narran Lakes are vital habitats for colonial nesting including parts of New South Wales, Victoria, waterbirds (including straw-necked ibis, herons, Queensland and South Australia, and all of the cormorants and spoonbills). Sites such as these Australian Capital Territory. Australia’s three A highly variable river system regularly support more than 20,000 waterbirds and, longest rivers — the Darling, the Murray and the when in flood, over 500,000 birds have been seen. Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, Murrumbidgee — run through the Basin. Fifteen species of frogs also occur in the Macquarie and despite having one of the world’s largest Marshes, including the striped and ornate burrowing The Basin is best known as ‘Australia’s food catchments, river flows in the Murray–Darling Basin frogs, the waterholding frog and crucifix toad. bowl’, producing around one-third of the are among the lowest in the world.
    [Show full text]
  • A Guide to Traditional Owner Groups For
    A Guide to Traditional Owner Groups Th is m ap w as e nd orse d by th e Murray Low e r Darling Rive rs Ind ige nous Nations (MLDRIN) for Water Resource Plan Areas - re pre se ntative organisation on 20 August 2018 Groundwater and th e North e rn Basin Aboriginal Nations (NBAN) re pre se ntative organisation on 23 Octobe r 2018 Bidjara Barunggam Gunggari/Kungarri Budjiti Bidjara Guwamu (Kooma) Guwamu (Kooma) Bigambul Jarowair Gunggari/Kungarri Euahlayi Kambuwal Kunja Gomeroi/Kamilaroi Mandandanji Mandandanji Murrawarri Giabel Bigambul Mardigan Githabul Wakka Wakka Murrawarri Githabul Guwamu (Kooma) M Gomeroi/Kamilaroi a r a Kambuwal !(Charleville n o Ro!(ma Mandandanji a GW21 R i «¬ v Barkandji Mutthi Mutthi GW22 e ne R r i i «¬ am ver Barapa Barapa Nari Nari d on Bigambul Ngarabal C BRISBANE Budjiti Ngemba k r e Toowoomba )" e !( Euahlayi Ngiyampaa e v r er i ie Riv C oon Githabul Nyeri Nyeri R M e o r Gomeroi/Kamilaroi Tati Tati n o e i St George r !( v b GW19 i Guwamu (Kooma) Wadi Wadi a e P R «¬ Kambuwal Wailwan N o Wemba Wemba g Kunja e r r e !( Kwiambul Weki Weki r iv Goondiwindi a R Barkandji Kunja e GW18 Maljangapa Wiradjuri W n r on ¬ Bigambul e « Kwiambul l Maraura Yita Yita v a r i B ve Budjiti Maljangapa R i Murrawarri Yorta Yorta a R Euahlayi o n M Murrawarri g a a l rr GW15 c Bigambul Gomeroi/Kamilaroi Ngarabal u a int C N «¬!( yre Githabul R Guwamu (Kooma) Ngemba iv er Kambuwal Kambuwal Wailwan N MoreeG am w Gomeroi/Kamilaroi Wiradjuri o yd Barwon River i R ir R Kwiambul !(Bourke iv iv Barkandji e er GW13 C r GW14 Budjiti
    [Show full text]