Tackling Salinity
Salinity and rising watertables have widely impacted farming practices across Australia (NSW DPI Salt Bag Manual). In our region, the Murray Catchment Action Plan identifies managing for productive and healthy soils as a priority and the Salinity hazard report for Catchment Action Plan identifies some areas within West Hume Landcare region as a high and very high salinity hazard. To tackle this issue, it is essential to identify and measure the impacts of salinity through monitoring and supply our landholders with the knowledge of salinity best management practices.
This project will revisit and build on previous work done in our region and educate a new generation of landholders. It will provide the opportunity to understand and manage salinity as a combined group effort, leading to more effective results. We will train & resource Landholders to measure soil & water salinity levels on their properties and interpret the results. Through workshops and one-on-one training sessions, Landholders will increase their knowledge of salinity issues and their impact on our soil and water resources. Landholders will be supported by a project officer to implement strategies to address these issues. We will also set up 3 demonstration sites to showcase the latest practices in managing salinity discharge sites.
This project is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Program.
If you are interested in being involved in this project, please contact our Project Officer.
A past salinity project site with hilltop planting
A Piezometer. Holes are bored into the ground which give access to the groundwater. The height of the water table can be measured and samples of groundwater obtained for testing for salt concentration.
Salt patch