INTRODUCTION To manage an expected increase in land area affected by dryland salinity and flooding in the upper South East of South Australia, an extensive system of drains has been constructed to intercept both saline ground water and fresher surface waters. Saline water is to be delivered to temporary storage in Morella Basin and nearby areas such as Tilley Swamp, or discharged to the Coorong. Fresher surface waters are expected to be directed to wetlands to improve environmental condition. Tilley Swamp is an interdune area running parallel to and just inland to the east of the Coorong. It trends approximately NNW-SSE and is approximately 40 km long and 4 km wide. A natural drainage course runs along the western side of the interdune. A drain that is about 2.5 to 3 m deep was constructed towards the eastern side of the interdune flat. It intercepts ground water and conveys saline waters from the extensive southern part of the network across the length of Tilley Swamp to Morella Basin. Vegetation of the area includes extensive areas of Melaleuca halmaturorum (coastal paperbark), pasture species, and Gahnia spp. (cutting grass) with samphire species in permanent saline areas along the natural drainage course.
[1]
D. Fanning.
Acid Sulfate Soils
,
2005
.
[2]
R. Fitzpatrick.
Changes in soil and water characteristics of natural, drained and re-flooded soils in the Mesopotamian marshlands: Implications for land management planning
,
2004
.
[3]
R. Bush,et al.
Acid sulfate soil drain ooze: distribution, behaviour and implications for acidification and deoxygenation of waterways
,
2002
.
[4]
A. Belperio,et al.
Whole-rock aminostratigraphy of the Coorong Coastal Plain, South Australia: towards a 1 million year record of sea-level highstands
,
2001,
Journal of the Geological Society.
[5]
R. Isbell.
Australian Soil Classification
,
1996
.
[6]
J. Casas,et al.
Mineralogical composition of salt efflorescences in a typic salorthid, Spain
,
1982
.
[7]
P. M. Driessen,et al.
MINERALOGY AND MORPHOLOGY OF SALT EFFLORESCENCES ON SALINE SOILS IN THE GREAT KONYA BASIN, TURKEY
,
1973
.