QE83001 CROWSCROWS NESTNEST DISTRICTDISTRICT LLANDLANDAND MMANAGEMENTMANAGEMENTANAGEMENT FIELDFFIELDIELD MANUALMMANUALANUAL Queensland Government Technical Report This report is a scanned copy and some detail may be illegible or lost. Before acting on any information, readers are strongly advised to ensure that numerals, percentages and details are correct. This report is intended to provide information only on the subject under review. There are limitations inherent in land resource studies, such as accuracy in relation to map scale and assumptions regarding socio-economic factors for land evaluation. Before acting on the information conveyed in this report, readers should ensure that they have received adequate professional information and advice specific to their enquiry. While all care has been taken in the preparation of this report neither the Queensland Government nor its officers or staff accepts any responsibility for any loss or damage that may result from any inaccuracy or omission in the information contained herein. © State of Queensland 1983 For information about this report contact [email protected] Queensland Department of Primary Industries Training Series Q£83001 LAND MANAGEMENT FIELD MANUAL CROW'S NEST DISTRICT J. Bierenbroodspot Soil Conservation Branch Major contributor and J.A. Mullins Development Planning Branch Editor Queensland Department of Primary Industries Brisbane 1983 ISSN 0812-0005 None of the material contained in this publication may be abstracted or cited as a reference without the specific permission of the authors concerned. Queensland Department of Primary Industries GPO Box 46 Brisbane 4001. (\) �· 'i:·�_-·::f < CON, ���� , . ·> . I'Vol\'o . �,. ;, ·'·· . ' . '41.£ -�/I /,' /, Pittsworth onah 2X SCALE 1:1 000 000 QUEENSLAND DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES LEGEND CROW'S NEST SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT Road Railway LOCALITY PLAN r--, Soil Conservation Study Area L __ J Map 1. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE NO. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Part I - The Land Resources 2. CLIMATE 2.1 3. GEOLOGY 3. 1 4. THE LAND RESOURCE AREAS AND AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT UNITS 4.1 4. 1 Land Resource Areas 4. 1 4.2 Agricultural Management Units 4. 1 4. 2.1 Introduction 4. 1 4.2.2 Marburgs Land Resource Area 4.4 4.2.3 Metamorphics Land Resource Area 4.6 4.2.4 Granites Land Resource Area 4.7 4.2.5 Basalt West Land Resource Area 4.8 4.2.6 Basalt East Land Resource Area 4.9 4.2.7 Basaltic Red Soils Land Resource Area 4.10 4.2.8 Alluvium Land Resource Area 4.12 5. LAND USE AND LAND DEGRADATION s. 1 5.1 Existing Land Use s. 1 5.2 Land Degradation 5.2 Part II - Land Management 6. LIMITATIONS AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION 6.1 Introduction 6. 1 6.2 Grain and Fodder Crops 6. 1 6.3 Horticultural Crops 6.6 6. 3.1 Sma 11 Crops 6.6 6.3.2 Tree and Vine Crops 6.6 6.4 Pastures 6.7 6. 4.1 Native Pastures 6.7 6.4.2 Improved Pastures 6.7 6.4.3 Pasture Management 6. 11 ii PAGE NO. 7. SPECIFICATIONS FOR RUNDFF CONTROL STRUCTURES 7.1 7.1 Introduction 7. 1 7.2 Runoff Estimation 7.1 7.3 The Runoff Control Structures 7.4 7.4 Specifications for Contour Banks 7.5 7.5 Specifications for Modified Contour Banks/ Beds for Small Crops 7. 15 7. 6 Specifications for Diversion Banks 7.22 7-7 Specifications for Pondage Banks 7.26 7.8 Specifications for Spreader Channels 7.27 7.9 Specifications for Waterways 7.28 7.1 0 Specifications for Grass Strips 7-39 7.11 Specifications for Pasture Furrows 7.40 8. AGRONOMIC PRACTICES FOR EROSION CONTROL 8. 1 8.1 Introduction 8. 1 8.2 Grain and Fodder Crops 8. 1 8.3 Horticultural Crops 8.3 8.4 Pastures 8.3 9. CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 9. 1 9.1 Introduction 9. 1 9.2 Grain and Fodder Crops 9.1 9.3 Horticultural Crops 9.5 9.3. 1 Small Crops 9. 5 9.3.2 Tree and Vine Crops 9.5 9.4 Pastures 9.5 10. SPECIFICATIONS FOR SPECIAL PURPOSE LAND US E 1 0. 1 10.1 Specifications for Subdivision and Farm Amalgamation 1 0. 1 10.2 Specifications for Rehabilitation of Top Soil Quarries 1 '). 3 10.3 Specifications for Reclamation of Severely Eroded Land 10.3 11. SUMMARY OF THE MANAGEf�ENT PRACTICES FOR THE M1Us 11. 1 11. 1 Marburgs, Metamorphics and Granites Land Resource Areas1 1 . 2 11. 2 Basalt West Land Resource Area 11 • 14 11.3 Basalt East Land Resource Area 11 . 17 11.4 Basaltic Red Soils Land Resource Area 11 . 22 11 .5 Alluvium Land Resource Area 11. 30 BIBLIOGRAPHY 12. 1 APPENDICES iii APPENDICES Appendix 1 Detailed Soils' Information for the AMUs of the Basalt East, Basaltic �ed Soils and Alluvium LRAs -by S.E. Macnish Appendix II Soil A�alytical Data for Representative Profiles of the Basalt East,, Basaltic Red Soils and Alluvium LRAs -by S.E. Macnish Appendix Ill Land Capability Classification for Agriculture. Appendix IV Determination of Rainfall Intensity for Use in the Rational Formula. Appendix V Peak Runoff from the Inter Bank Area for a Runoff Coefficient of 0.5 for the 1:10 design frequency. Appendix VI Design Depth of Flow for Narrow Base Contour Banks. Appendix VII Permissible Channel Gradient and Design Depth of Flow for the Various Types of Modified Contour Banks/Beds for Small Crop areas. Appendix VIII Furrow Velocities for a Range of Furrow Gradients in Small Crop Row Furrows. Appendix IX Design Depth of Flow and Channel Capacity for Di,version Banks with a bottom Width of 3m. Appendix X Bottom Width and Design Depth of Flow for \Jaterways with a Bottom Width Less than 30 m for Grain and Grazing areas. Appendix XI Bottom Width and Depth of Flow for Waterways with a Bottom Width Greater than 30 m for Grain and Grazing areas. Ai)pendix XII Design Depth of Flow for Waterways for Small Crop Areas . Appendix XIII Botanical Name of the Common Plant Species Listed in this Publication. Appendix XIV Potential of the Major Pasture Species for the Grow's Nest District. Appendix XV Research and Monitoring Projects in the Grow's Nest District (January 1982) . I , iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I. Officers contributing major sections: (i) Mr. S.E. Macnish -Provision of AMUs, soil profile descriptions and soil analytical data for the Basalt East, Basaltic Red Soils and Alluvium Land Resource Areas. Section 4.2.6 and 4.2.7 and Appendices I and I I. I I. Officers providing technical advice and editorial assistance: (i) Mr. J.K. Cull -information on crop and pasture management. (i i) Dr. W.J. Scattini -information on suitable pasture species. (i ii) Mr. G.W. Lubach - information on horticultural crop management. (iv) Mr. A.W. Plasto -stocking rates for the AMUs. (v) Dr. P.N. Truong -information on waterway species and maintenance. (vi) Mr. N.M. Dawson, Mr. B.E. Vandersee and Mr. R.M. Stephens for helpful criticism and editing of the manuscript for this the first Land Management Field Manual. I - 1 1, INTRODUCTION Farm planning for optimum production with m1n1murn degradation to the land resource requires adequate definition of specifications for production and erosion control management. These specifications should be related to a suitable soils base that is both relevant to the area of concern and easily used by the farm planner. Such information should be recorded in an easily interpreted and readily useable format and should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. Information in this format is required for the Grow's Nest district located in the eastern Darling Downs of Queensland (Map 1). This Grow's Nest field manual is the first in a series of manuals which will compile the land management practices for the major cropping areas of the State. The programme was commenced in its present form in late 1979 and has as its objectives: (i) To provide a resource base for farm planning purposes by defining the major agricultural management units (AMUs) for each District; (ii) To provide specifications for soil conservation measures, agronomic practices and conservation management systems; (iii) To document this material in Land Management Field Manuals; and (iv) To continually review and update the resource base and management specifications. The programme currently involves co-operation between Soil Conservation, Agriculture and Development Planning Branches of the Department of Primary Industries and where applicable other agricultural organisations. The end product of the programme will be a series of land management field manuals such as this for use by Departmental officers who are aware of the constraints of the manual. This manual identifies (Map 3) and describes the land resource areas for the Crew's Nest district, and collates all available information on the soil resources together with their current management recommendations. The material contained in this field manual will be continually reviewed and updated as better information becomes available. 2-1 2. CLI�1ATE Detailed climatic data are presented by Cull (1972) . The approximate isohyets which were determined from Meteorological Bureau and farmer data are shown in Map 2. Mean annual rainfall varies from 650 mm at Meringandan to 1 200 mm at Ravensbourne. The rainfall is summer dominant. Mean monthly rainfall for selected centres are shown in Map 2. Mean monthly maximum and minimum temperatures for ° Toowoomba are shown in Map 2. On average, temperatures exceed 32 C in only 10 days of the year. Higher temperatures are expected east and west of the Great Divide. The first frost usually occurs at the beginning of May and the last frost in mid September.