The first major farm-scale study of salt stores and water at key sites across NSW has unlocked secrets above and below the surface of the ancient Australian landscape, turning traditional models on their heads.

NSW Department of Primary Industries hydrologist, David Mitchell, said the majority of salt movement on farms was caused by overland flows, rather than by groundwater as previously thought.

"In many cases individual landowners can make a difference by managing the salt store rather than focussing on recharge and water draining into groundwater," Dr Mitchell said.

"Improved understanding of how groundwater and surface flows are affected by landscape, land use and climate means we can give clearer, more consistent advice to land managers, particularly regarding the effects on dryland salinity and catchment water yield and quality.

"Using ground cover to minimise overland flows and strategic tree-plantings to reduce saturation, which in turn minimises both overland and subsurface flows can help manage the salt stores.

"Design of on-ground actions to reduce salt movement, planting perennials or earthwork for instance, should be based on the hydrological aspects of the individual site."

The NSW Salinity Strategy and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality program funded eight key sites at Gumble, Baldry and Sloanes Creek in the central west, Boorowa, Singleton, Livingstone Creek near Wagga Wagga and Duri and Paringa near Tamworth, which represented a range of typical landscapes and farming systems.

One project at Gumble, near Manildra, has been selected as one of four national case studies for inclusion in the Bureau of Rural Sciences Land Salinity Monitoring Network Design Manual to demonstrate a well-planned and executed salinity and water monitoring program.

The research has also contributed to the recently released 2009 Salinty Audit.

Farmers can arrange to visit the sites and get more information on managing dryland salinity by contacting David Mitchell at the Orange Agricultural Institute, (02) 6391 3852.

NSW DPI worked with the Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW, Murray, Murrumbidgee, Lachlan, Central West, Namoi and Hunter/Central Rivers Catchment Management Authorities, University of NSW, Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre, Rio Tinto and Macquarie Generation to complete the project.

Digital photographs available bernadette.york@dpi.nsw.gov.au

Further reading

Salinity

Media contact: Bernadette York, NSW DPI (02) 6391 3936 or 0427 773 785