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Dealing with salinity in Wheatbelt Valleys - Department of Water

Dealing with salinity in Wheatbelt Valleys - Department of Water

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<strong>with</strong> Sal<strong>in</strong>ity <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wheatbelt</strong> <strong>Valleys</strong> Conference<br />

<strong>Deal<strong>in</strong>g</strong><br />

Prospects and Practical Options<br />

Processes,<br />

KEY WORKSHOP OUTCOME STATEMENTS<br />

A. MANAGING CATCHMENT AND VALLEY WATER<br />

Workshop Outcome Statements:<br />

Some water use options:<br />

• Change is <strong>in</strong>evitable<br />

• ‘Time is tick<strong>in</strong>g away – some <strong>of</strong> us are close to midnight!!”<br />

• Need a shared vision at the catchment scale to engage all landholders and<br />

engender social cohesion<br />

• Urgent actions required now to alleviate wider future problems<br />

• Manag<strong>in</strong>g water up-slope is relatively easy – the difficulty is <strong>in</strong> the valleys<br />

• <strong>Water</strong> is valuable – need to f<strong>in</strong>d other uses for excess water (maximise water<br />

resource use) and attract people back to rural areas <strong>in</strong> do<strong>in</strong>g so<br />

• Need to manage liv<strong>in</strong>g systems that are bio-diverse<br />

• It is a people issue more than it is a water management issue<br />

• Mov<strong>in</strong>g water away from <strong>sal<strong>in</strong>ity</strong> problem areas is required but safe disposal is<br />

important<br />

• Need to develop and apply economic de-sal<strong>in</strong>ation<br />

• Trad<strong>in</strong>g water between farms should be an option. A framework is required to<br />

achieve equity <strong>in</strong> do<strong>in</strong>g this.<br />

“Without extraction from the landscape”<br />

• Salt-tolerant crops (cereals, horticultural products, salt tolerant native species,<br />

breed<strong>in</strong>g or genetically modified options)<br />

• Salt-tolerant forage crops<br />

• Agro-forestry (salt-tolerant species, pharmaceutical products)<br />

• Nature/biodiversity (corridors, eco-tourism, brand-market<strong>in</strong>g)<br />

“With extraction from the landscape” (by pump<strong>in</strong>g or dra<strong>in</strong>age)<br />

• Recreation <strong>in</strong>dustries (tourism, water-based adventure parks, fish<strong>in</strong>g, cable<br />

ski<strong>in</strong>g)<br />

• Aquaculture (f<strong>in</strong> fish, crustaceans, seaweed, algae, B-carot<strong>in</strong>e)<br />

• De-sal<strong>in</strong>ised water<br />

• Salt products from extraction ponds<br />

• Energy potential from stored sal<strong>in</strong>e water.<br />

Vision Statement<br />

(i) A revitalised rural community, work<strong>in</strong>g together, that has achieved fundamental,<br />

positive change to create a healthy, well-dra<strong>in</strong>ed landscape that is maximis<strong>in</strong>g<br />

biodiversity and landscape resilience <strong>with</strong> susta<strong>in</strong>able economic return from exist<strong>in</strong>g<br />

and new <strong>in</strong>dustries.<br />

(ii) A healthy well-dra<strong>in</strong>ed landscape is one which is free from waterlogg<strong>in</strong>g and shallow<br />

water tables where water moves <strong>in</strong> def<strong>in</strong>ed pathways<br />

B. RETAINING AND MANAGING BIODIVERSITY<br />

Workshop Outcome Statements:<br />

• Biodiversity <strong>of</strong> wheatbelt landscapes is high and is <strong>in</strong>ternationally recognised<br />

• Sal<strong>in</strong>ity significantly threatens wheatbelt biodiversity values

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