Dealing with salinity in Wheatbelt Valleys - Department of Water

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Shelley, C. (1993). Barramundi farming in the Northern Territory, 1993 edition. DPI. Short, R.J. & McConnell, C. (2001). Extent and Impacts of Dyland Salinity. Resource Management Technical Report No 202. Natural Resource Management Services, Agriculture WA. Smith, S.T. (1962). Some aspects of soil salinity in Western Australia. The University of Western Australia. MSc. (Agric.) Thesis (unpublished). Sudmeyer, J.E., Hancock, D.A. & Lenanton, R.C.J. (1999). Biological synopsis of black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri) (Munro), Fisheries Research Report No 93. Timms, B.V. (1992). Lake Geomorpholgy. Gleneagles Publishing, Adelaide. – 21 – George and Coleman Tseng, W. (1987). Shrimp Mariculture: A Practical Manual. University of Papua New Guinea. Turner, J.V., Townley, L.R., Rosen, M.R. & Sklash, M.K. (1992). Coupling the spatial distribution of solute concentration and stable isotope enrichments to hydrologic processes in hypersaline paleochannel aquifers. In: Proceedings 7th International Symposium on Water- Rock Interaction, Park City, Utah, USA, 217–222. Walsh, W.A., Swanson, C. & Lee, Cheng-Sheng (1991). Combined effects of temperature and salinity on embryonic development and hatching of striped mullet, Mugil cephalus. Aquaculture, 97(2–3): 281–289. Wood, W.E. (1924). Increase of salt in soil and streams following the destruction of native vegetation. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 10(7): 35–47.
Hatton and Ruprecht WATCHING THE RIVERS FLOW: HYDROLOGY OF THE WHEATBELT Tom Hatton 1 and John Ruprecht 2 ABSTRACT The surface hydrology of Western Australian wheatbelt catchments is characterised by low gradients, high potential salt loads, and high variability in flows. It is also distinctive in the variability of the actual catchment area contributing to flows at the outlet in any given year. The flood event of January 2000 is highlighted as an example of the mercurial behaviour of these systems, in that the runoff originated from areas a great distance from the outlet, linking many lakes systems on the way. The condition and trend of these catchments is described, in particular the trends and impacts of nutrients, salt and flooding. While strategic revegetation and improved farm practice have the potential to reduce sediment and nutrient yields, it is argued that only appropriate engineering can significantly reduce the impacts of stream salinisation and flood risk. INTRODUCTION The rivers of the West Australian Wheatbelt are distinctive from rivers elsewhere in a number of significant ways, and pose unique challenges to the people that live in that region and those that live downstream. In this paper, we review the natural characteristics of these systems, the changes they have undergone since settlement, and forecast their future condition. Against a background of the needs and trends in regional sociology and economics, we consider the options for river management open to us. Physical Setting The region under consideration drains large portions of the South West Drainage Division of Western Australia (Mulcahy & Bettenay 1972), and comprises the drainage basins of the Swan-Avon River, the Moore-Hill Rivers/Yarra-Yarra/Ninghan system (also known as the Monger System, sensu Beard 1999), and the Blackwood River (Figure 1). Drainage Basins with some similarities to these also include Frankland-Gordon River, Kent River, upper Pallinup, Gairdner, Fitzgerald, Lort and Young rivers. By far, the largest portion of this region drains via the Avon River into and through the Swan system. This particular catchment is also significant in that its health most directly impacts most West Australians, in that it flows through the City of Perth. Note that this catchment is roughly the size of Tasmania (12 million ha). The bulk of this paper is devoted to a consideration of wheatbelt valley hydrology in this particular catchment, although examples are drawn from other catchments where relevant. Climate 1 CSIRO Land and Water, Private Bag No 5, PO WEMBLEY WA 6913 2 Water and Rivers Commission, Hyatt Centre, 3 Plain Street, EAST PERTH WA 6004 – 1 – The first distinctive feature of these rivers is that mean annual rainfall is highest at or near their outlets to the sea (900–1,200 mm), and lowest in their uppermost headwaters (less than 350 mm) (Figure 2). The climate is typically Mediterranean, with cool wet winters and hot dry summers. However, summer rainfall does occur from northwest cloudbands and less frequently from tropical depressions. The summer events are typically the most extreme rainfall events. The potential evaporation is the reverse of the rainfall, with 800-1,200 mm mean annual evaporation near the coast and over 2,000 mm in the most inland parts of the catchment.
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Foreword Dealing with Salinity in W
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1Day one: Monday 30th July. Field t
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Papers Dealing with Salinity in Whe
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Ali and Coles biggest challenges fa
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Ali and Coles erosion, maintenance
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Ali and Coles expected under these
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Ali and Coles Coles, N.A. & Ali, M.
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Commander, Schoknecht, Verboom and
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Pannell • the area of land protec
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Pannell Proposals to construct majo
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Pannell been conducted for the Cent
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Pannell investments in long-term la
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Pannell Pannell, D.J. (2001). Dryla
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Porter, Bartle and Cooper Table 1:
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Porter, Bartle and Cooper operation
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Porter, Bartle and Cooper Increase
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Porter, Bartle and Cooper support i
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Porter, Bartle and Cooper that is a
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CASE STUDY - TOOLIBIN LAKE AND CATC
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• The distribution, storage and m
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Secondly, there is a set of practic
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within three categories: relationsh
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CONCLUSIONS Actions to protect and
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FIELD TOUR LOCATIONS FIELD TOUR NOT
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COLES FARM “Avon River Basin Over
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Conference Outcomes Dealing with Sa
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with Salinity in Wheatbelt Valleys:
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with Salinity in Wheatbelt Valleys
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Photo Gallery 2 Dealing with Salini
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APPENDIX 1 BACKGROUND HYDROLOGY AND
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WHEATBELT HYDROLOGY Flow in the Yil
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Flow (ML) STREAM SALINITY Salt Rive
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APPENDIX 2 WATER MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
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APPENDIX 3 MANAGING WATER AND SALIN
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SUMMARY- TIMELINE OF RECENT SIGNIFI
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RECENT HISTORY OF WATER AND SALINIT
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Figure 1. Hydrological cross-sectio
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Depth (m) 316 315 314 313 312 311 M
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FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS AND MANAGEME
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