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Salinity Province 68, Macalister

Salinity in the large Macalister Salinity Province is mainly associated with irrigation induced high watertables and salinity of the Macalister Irrigation District. There is an underlying regional scale Groundwater Flow System (GFS) comprising alluvial sediments of the Seaspray - Sale group gravels overlain with a complex array of local to intermediate scale GFSs in younger alluvial sediments. Increased recharge due to irrigation and rainfall has resulted in high watertables, affecting farm productivity through soil damage and increasing salt and nutrient loads draining to the Gippsland Lakes. Management actions have been developed as part of the Salinity Management Plans for the Clydebank, Nambrook, Heyfield, Maffra and Boisdale areas since the 1990s. Key actions include switching to more efficient irrigation practices, pumping and re-using shallow groundwater to control watertables and reduce salt building up in root zones, increasing plant water use and incorporating more salinity tolerant plants into the affected areas.

Province Attributes

Catchment Management Region:	WEST GIPPSLAND
Priority Status:	High
Province Area:	117,400 ha
Recorded Soil Salinity Area 1:	0 ha
Dominant Surface Geology Type:	Sedimentary
Influence of Geological Structure on Salinity Occurrence/s:	Possible
Relevant Geomorphological Mapping Units (GMUs):	7.2.X, 7.3.X
Predominant Groundwater Flow Systems (GFSs):	Regional and Local/Intermediate
Relevant Irrigation Areas:	Macalister

Macalister Salinity Province Map




Links to further reading and material related to the West Gippsland Salinity Province
Groundwater Flow Systems (GFS) in the West Gippsland CMR

For further information relating to groundwater levels and salinities in this Province please see: Visualising Victoria's Groundwater (VVG)


¹ Please Note: The ‘Recorded Soil Salinity Area’ indicated in the Salinity Province Attribute Table, comprises the total geographic area that has been mapped as having, or showing symptoms of, dryland soil salinity at some time (past or present). As dryland salinity occurrence in the Victorian landscape exhibits many different levels of severity and can change due to climate, landuse and vegetation, previously mapped areas may no longer be showing symptoms. In addition, as not all parts of the State have been mapped, or mapped in the same way, the mapping may not have captured some occurrences.

The soil salinity mapping used to calculate this ‘area’ does not cover irrigation regions. In irrigation regions, depth to watertable and watertable salinity mapping has been used to convey the threat of high watertables on soil waterlogging and/or soil salinisation and these areas are not included in this ‘area‘ calculation.

Please contact the Department, your Catchment Management Authority or your rural water provider for more information about salinity in your location.