findings by bioregion - Victorian Environmental Assessment Council

Distribution of site condition scoresArea (ha)• Public land1,200• Private land80040000 20 40 60 80Site condition scoresPublic land median score – 36.5Private land median score – 34.8[Statewide median score – 36.8]BIOPHYSICAL BASISBridgewater bioregion is a thin coastal plain of Tertiarylimestones which have been overlain by Upper Pliocenebasalts. Along the coastal areas wind and wave action hascut into rock, creating tall cliff faces with overhanging anddeep caves. A dune capped sand ridge stretches parallelto the coastline with gently sloping sandy terrain andlagoonal systems behind. The lagoonal system supportsa network of deep water pools and collapsed caverns orsink holes. The soils are a combination of siliceous sandson the dunes with underlying calcareous deposits givingrise to Calcarenite Dune Woodland and Coastal DuneScrub. Wetlands extend intermittently from approximatelythe Bridgewater Lakes to the shallow estuary of theGlenelg River at Nelson, extending into South Australia.Average annual rainfall across the bioregion: 600-700 mmDaily mean temperature across the bioregion: 12-15˚CDistribution of landscape context scoresArea (ha)• Public land5,000• Private land4,0003,0002,0001,00000 5 10 15 20Landscape context scoresLAND USE HISTORYOutside the Discovery Bay Coastal Park agriculture is themain land use activity. The dune fi elds of the bioregion arean unusual feature, constituting the largest area of mobiledunes in Victoria. The extensive areas of bare sand maybe partly natural, although it is likely that human activities(pre- and post-European occupation) have extended andaccelerated dune erosion. Coastal development of thearea, particularly for tourism, is increasing.Public land median score – 15.7Private land median score – 14.3[Statewide median score – 14.9]101