Cootamundra
Indicator: Land Degradation
Results for this indicator are also available for [an error occurred while processing this directive]
What the results tell us for Cootamundra
For the 2004-08 reporting period, existing salinity hazards are present throughout much of the central region, and newly affected areas in the south are expected to become a problem if no preventative measures are taken. Drought was experienced throughout the Shire for much of the period with some relief towards the end of the reporting period. Landuse in the Shire remained largely compatible with its capability class. Since the last reporting period there has been no noteworthy data released on erosion, acidic or sulphate soils.
Sustainability of landuse
See also: Landuse
Figure 1. Landuse within the Cootamundra Shire
Source: NSW Department of Lands 2008
Landuse within the Cootamundra Shire Council area tended to be suitable land capability class (refer Table 1). Approximately 3% of land in use is vulnerable to erosion because of unsuitable practices.
Some 97% of land within the Shire is classed as suitable for grazing all of which is used for this purpose. The remaining land is considered at high risk of erosion if cleared and it is recommended that it be kept vegetated (Department of Lands).
| Landuse | Land Capability Class | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lands suitable for regular cultivation | Lands suitable for grazing—occasional cultivation | Lands suitable for grazing—no cultivation | Other lands | |||||
| I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | |
| Estimated grazing | 37,439 | 38,234 | 32,523 | 7,139 | 21,937 | 3,347 | 503 | |
| Other plantations | 0.3 | 9 | 17 | 0.5 | 7 | 3 | ||
| Rural residential | 78 | 426 | 261 | 117 | 9 | |||
| Totals (hectares) | 37,517 | 38,669 | 32,802 | 7,140 | 22,061 | 3,351 | 512 | |
Types of land degradation
Erosion
Soil erosion data was restricted to surveys carried out between 1985 and 1992 (refer Figure 2 and Tables 2 and 3). The surveys revealed 19 km of gully erosion and 145 km streambank erosion (refer Table 2). Minor to severe sheet erosion was present throughout the Council area (refer Table 3).
Gully erosion was predominately classed as minor to moderate with gullies less than 3.0m deep (Table 2), most of which was caused soon after the original native vegetation was removed. Gully lengths have since stabilised however accelerated erosion continues as is revealed by the high sediment loads to streams (Hughes and Prosser 2003). In NSW, the estimated overall accelerated erosion rate is 10–50 times the natural rates (Edwards and Zierholz (2001).
Figure 2: Degree of erosion within the Cootamundra Shire Council area
Source: NSW Department of Lands 2008
| Erosion type | Depth | Kilometres |
|---|---|---|
| Extreme gully erosion | 1.5 to 3m deep | 15 |
| less than 1.5m deep | 30 | |
| Extreme gully erosion total | 45 | |
| Severe gully erosion | 1.5 to 3m deep | 12 |
| less than 1.5m deep | 11 | |
| Severe gully erosion total | 23 | |
| Moderate gully erosion | 3 to 6m deep | 0.1 |
| 1.5 to 3m deep | 5 | |
| less than 1.5m deep | 59 | |
| Moderate gully erosion total | 64 | |
| Minor gully erosion | 1.5 to 3m deep | 10 |
| less than 1.5m deep | 53 | |
| Minor gully erosion total | 63 | |
| Streambank erosion | 1.5 to 3m deep | 3 |
| less than 1.5m deep | 3 | |
| Streambank erosion total | 6 |
| Major erosion type | Degree / type | Hectares |
|---|---|---|
| Mass movement | soil debris avalanche | 6 |
| Rill erosion | extreme rill erosion | 27 |
| severe rill erosion | 49 | |
| moderate rill erosion | 234 | |
| minor rill erosion | 299 | |
| Sheet erosion | extreme sheet erosion | 430 |
| severe sheet erosion | 3,676 | |
| moderate sheet erosion | 8,596 | |
| minor sheet erosion | 19,121 |
Source: Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources data from 1985 to 1992
Salinity
Soil salinity is already a significant problem in the Cootamundra Shire Council area with greater than 200km2 already affected (refer Figure 3) (AWR 2005). Soil salinity is concentrated along a central swath running from Bangalla in the west to Cullinga in the east, and then extending into the Harden Shire. The extent of soil salinity in expected to increase slightly up to the year 2050 with new outbreaks anticipated in the south of the Shire (refer Figure 4).
Figure 3. Extent of salinity (2000)
Source: Australian National Resource Atlas 2001
Figure 4. Extent of salinity (2050) (approx)
Source: Australian National Resource Atlas 2001
Acid soils
Soil acidity can have an impact through reducing crop yields, and affecting perennial pastures, ground water quality and inturn increasing soil erosion and salinity (Upjohn et al., 2005). In rural Australia, soil acidity is usually associated with nutrient depletion or fertiliser use by agriculture.
In Cootamundra Shire Council area, soil classed as strongly acidic covered approximately 20% of the district dispersed throughout the Shire. A further 59% of the Shire is classed as slightly acidic (refer Figure 5) (DLWC 2002a&b).
Figure 5. Soil acidity in the Cootamundra Shire Council area
Source: NSW Department of Primary Industries 2008
Causes of land degradation
Land degradation can be directly caused by human activities, such as land clearing, over use of fertiliser and changing water tables. Indirect influences, can include flooding of overgrazed or over cultivated land with little ground cover and erosion by wind and water. Drought breaking rain may also cause erosion and can make up about 90% of the total soil loss in an area in a 20–30 year cycle (DPI 2005).
Drought and vegetation condition
According to a recent study by the Bureau of Meteology and CSIRO (BoM, CSIRO 2008) the frequency and extent of exceptionally hot and dry years in NSW are likely to increase in the future. The mean projections indicate that:
- by 2010-2040, exceptionally hot years are likely to affect about 60% of the region, and occur every 1.6 years on average;
- by 2010-2040, no change is likely in the frequency or areal extent of exceptionally low rainfall years;
- by 2030, exceptionally low soil moisture years are likely to affect about 7% of the region and occur about once every 14 years on average.
As of September 2008 the Department of Primary Industry has classified 71.6% of NSW as ‘In drought’. This includes Cootamundra (refer Figure 6).
Figure 6. Drought declared areas
Source: NSW Department of Primary Industries 2008
Gundagai Rural Land Protection Board rated the Cootamundra Shire to be in drought for the last 2½ years of the reporting period with variable condition for the first 1½ years (refer Table 4) (DPI 2008). This is further illustrated in Figure 7 pasture growth in the area approached 0% for most of the year 2007 (NAMS 2008).
| Months | Seasonal Conditions |
|---|---|
| September 2004 | Drought |
| December 2004 | Drought |
| March 2005 | Drought |
| June 2005 | Satisfactory |
| September 2005 | 90% drought, 10% marginal |
| December 2005 | Drought |
| March 2006 | Marginal |
| June 2006 | Satisfactory |
| September 2006 | Satisfactory |
| December 2006 | Drought |
| March 2007 | Drought |
| June 2007 | Drought |
| September 2007 | Drought |
| December 2007 | Drought |
| March 2008 | Drought |
| June 2008 | Drought |
Figure 7. Pasture growth in the Cootamundra for the period 2004 to 2008
What is being done to improve land condition?
Cootamundra Shire Council plays an active part in Landcare for the region and has regular contact with the Murrumbidge CMA to develop and implement a land improvement program.
About the data
For the current reporting period there has been a lack of new soil data due to the relatively long intervals between studies. Given the relevancy of the information in the 2000-2004 report, some sections have been retained for this report. Where material has been used from the Supplementary Report reference has been given to the report and original source.
References
Australian National Resource Atlas Mapmaker facility http://www.anra.gov.au/mapmaker/mapservlet?app=anra
Australian Water Resources (2000) National Land and Water Audit.www.nlwra.gov.au/
Australian National Resource Atlas Mapmaker facility http://www.anra.gov.au/mapmaker/mapservlet?app=anra
Australian Water Resources (2005) Land Salinity Maps.www.nlwra.gov.au/
Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO (2008) An Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on the Nature and Frequency of Exceptional Climatic Event.
Commonwealth of Australia (2005) National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality and Natural Heritage Trust Regional Programs Report 2003–04, Departments of the Environment and Heritage and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, viewed 18 April 2005, http://www.nrm.gov.au/publications/regional-report/03-04/.
Cootamundra Shire Council Annual Report 2006/2007http://www.cooma.nsw.gov.au/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_
download&gid=84&Itemid=
CRCCH—see Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology
Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, NSW (2004a) 2003/04 Combined NSW Catchment Management Authorities Annual Report, Volume 1: CMA Activities and Achievements, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, Sydney.
Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, NSW (2005) Meeting the Challenge: NSW Salinity Strategy Premier's Annual Report 2003–04. NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, viewed 12 May 2006, http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/salinity/pdf/2003_2004_salinity_annual_report.pdf
Department of Land and Water Conservation (NSW) (1999) Groundwater Quality Protection Policy, Department of land and Water Conservation, Sydney, on line at http://www.dnr.nsw.gov.au/water/pdf/nsw_state_groundwater_quality_policy.pdf.
Department of Land and Water Conservation, NSW (2000) Taking on the Challenge: The NSW Salinity Strategy, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, viewed 4 May 2006, http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/salinity/government/govt-docs.htm.
Department of Land and Water Conservation, NSW (2002) Soil Acidification Hazard Mapping , produced for the 2003 NSW State of the Environment Report, Department of Land and Water Conservation, Parramatta.
Department of Primary Industries, NSW (2005) Soil Management Following Drought, Agnote DPI 355, Third Edition, Department of Primary Industries, viewed 18 April 2006, http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/pasture-crops-recovery/dpi355.htm.
Department of Primary Industries, NSW (2006) Drought maps—areas of NSW suffering drought conditions, Department of Primary Industries, viewed 8 May 2006, http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/drt-area?picQuant=100.
Department of Primary Industries, NSW (2008) Drought maps and drought assistance eligibility status of RLPBs http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/emergency/drought/situation/drought-maps
DIPNR—see Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, NSW
DLWC—see Department of Land and Water Conservation, NSW
DPI—see Department of Primary Industries, NSW
Edwards, K and Zierholz, C (2001) Soil Formation and Erosion Rates, in PEV Charman and BW Murphy (eds) Soils: Their Properties and Management, 2nd Edition, pp 39–58, Oxford University Press, Oxford, cited in Lu, H, Prosser, IP, Monn, CJ, Gallant, JC, Priestley, G and Stevenson, JG (2003) Predicting sheetwash and rill erosion over the Australian continent, Australian Journal of Soil Research Vol. 41, 1037–1062, viewed 3 May 2006, http://palaeoworks.anu.edu.au/pubs/AustJSS03.pdf.
Hughes, AO and Prosser, IP (2003) Gully and Riverbank Erosion Mapping for the Murray-Darling Basin, Technical Report 3/03, March 2003, CSIRO Land and Water, Canberra, viewed 26 April 2006, http://www.clw.csiro.au/publications/technical2003/tr3-03.pdf.
National Agricultural Monitoring System (Namms) (2008), Simulated Pasture Growth for the Cootamundra, http://www.nams.gov.au/
Upjohn, B., Fenton, G. and Conyers, M. (2005) Soil Acidity and Liming Agfact AC.19 3rd Edition. NSW Department of Primary Industries, viewed 17 July 2006, http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/soil-acid/2991-soil-acidity-and-liming-.pdf
