Salinity - Overview - Tasmania
Tasmania
Introduction
The area affected by dryland salinity is estimated to be 53 000 ha. It is located mainly in the agricultural area of the midlands and northern Tasmania. King and Flinders Islands and other islands in the Furneaux Group are affected, and new areas are emerging in the Far North East.
The hazard assessment was based on field observation at the land system scale in the mid 1990s updated by expert opinion, questionnaire of Departmental and Landcare groups and limited ground truthing at a scale of 1:250 000 or greater. Groundwater data for Tasmania are extremely limited. As land system mapping units were used to portray areas within which dryland salinity hazard exists the areas depicted do not change between 2000 and 2050.
Findings
- Tasmania?s 53 000 ha affected by dryland salinity are located in agricultural land and represent 3% of the land used in Tasmania.
- The greatest threats to remnant vegetation, wetlands and fauna from dryland salinity are in the Flinders and Northern Midlands bioregions.
- In the land systems with medium to high salinity hazard there are:
-
- 25 reserves;
- 132 wetlands (six of which are of international significance);
- 44 wetlands of national significance;
- 44 flora species; and
- 17 fauna species.
- There is no evidence of infrastructure damage.
- There is some evidence of damage to four golf courses and some sports ovals.
An interim assessment of cost to agriculture is $5.3 m. This is predicted to rise to approximately $9.3 m in 2050.
Key issues
- Technical understanding of the hydrogeological processes that drive dryland salinity in Tasmania is limited.
- Limited data and information have prevented adequate assessment of the extent or range of impacts from dryland salinity.
- For agriculture the most significant impact of rising salinity is considered to be the regional effect on diversification from marginal enterprises into intensive irrigated cropping (especially high value salt sensitive crops).
Reporting units and case studies
Reporting units
The results of Tasmania?s Dryland Salinity Assessment 2000 are reported by land systems. Comprehensive descriptions of the land systems are included in seven Departmental reports (Department of Agriculture, 1978 - 89):
| Region | Author | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1: King Island | Richley, L.R. | 1984 |
| 2: Flinders Island | Pinkard, G.J | 1982 |
| 3: North West | Richley, L.R. | 1978 |
| 4: North East | Pinkard, G.J | 1980 |
| 5: Central Plateau | Pemberton, M | 1986 |
| 6: South, East and Midlands | Davies, J | 1988 |
| 7: South West | Pemberton, M | 1989 |
The vast majority of salinity occurs in Regions 2, 4 and 6. These regions contain 258 land systems. Forty-one were identified by Grice (1995) as containing saline areas in 1992, and a further nine by Finnigan (2000), a total of 50.
What are groundwater flows systems?
To understand salinity across the Australian landscape and through time, we need to understand how groundwater systems respond to changing recharge, and how the excess water that results from increased recharge is distributed. The broad distribution of groundwater flow systems in Australia has been mapped using attributes such as elevation, landscape form and geology. The classification groups groundwater systems with similar recharge and flow behaviour, and other measures such as length of flow paths through aquifers, aquifer permeability and driving pressure gradients for groundwater flow. It identifies groundwater flow systems where particular management activities will lead to similar responses and provides a framework for action.
For more detail: move to the Australia?s Groundwater Flow Systems overview
Further information
- Tasmania Dryland Salinity Assessment 2000 report
- Australian Dryland Salinity Assessment 2000 report
- National Technical Overview Report of the State-based dryland salinity assessments
- Australian Groundwater Flow Systems Report
- Tasmania Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment
- National Dryland Salinity Program
- National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality
Key references
Bobbi, C. (2000) "DPIWE Surface Water Permanent Monitoring Sites -Time Lapse Recordings 1994 - 2000", Department of Primary Industries ,Water and Environment, Hobart.
Dell, M.(2000) - report in preparation, Mineral Resources Tasmania, Hobart.
Doyle, R. (2000) "Historical weather trends in Tasmania" pers.com, School of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Hobart
Finnigan, J.J.(1995) "Salinity assessment in Tasmanian irrigation schemes and regional areas" Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries, Hobart
Finnigan, J.J. (1999) "Assessment, rehabilitation, management and monitoring of salt affected farmland in Tasmania" Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart
Finnigan, J.J. (2000) " New areas showing salinity symptoms 1992 - 2000", pers.com. Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart.
Grice, M.S.(1995) "Assessment of soil and land degradation on private freehold land in Tasmania", Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries, Hobart.
Kirkpatrick, J (2000) "Recent land clearance in Tasmania", pers.com, School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart.
Miller, J (2000) "Assessment of the potential impacts of dryland salinity on surface water in Tasmania" Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart.
Murray - Darling Basin Ministerial Council (1999) "The Salinity Audit of the Murray - Darling Basin: a 100 year perspective", CSIRO Murray - Darling Basin Commission Office, Canberra.
Nulsen, R.A. (1995) "A review of salinity assessment in Tasmania" Technical Series, Bulletin Number 4, Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment.
Reports on Land Systems of Tasmania - Department of Agriculture / Department of Primary Industry, Hobart:
| Region 1: King Island | Richley, L.R. | 1984 |
| Region 2: Flinders Island | Pinkard, G.J. | 1982 |
| Region 3: North West | Richley, L.R. | 1978 |
| Region 4: North East | Pinkard, G.J. | 1980 |
| Region 5: Central Plateau | Pemberton, M. | 1986 |
| Region 6: South, East and Midlands | Davies, J. | 1988 |
| Region 7: South West | Pemberton, M. | 1989 |
Tasmanian landsystems containing areas of salinity in 2000
Link to the Map Maker to make a map using this information.
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