Survey and Reclamation of Saline/Alkaline Scalds in the Uralla/Walcha district of Northern New South Wales

Abstract

This research project was initiated by the Harhnam and Bozo landcare groups in response to concerns expressed by landholders on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales about the apparent increase in saline/alkaline scalds in the early 1990s. The aim was to investigate the extent and severity of bare scalds with a view to testing different methods of making them productive again. The project was initiated in 1992 and funded under the National Landcare Program (NLP) program, formerly the National Soil Conservation Program (NSCP). The project concentrated on the districts of Uralla, Wollun and Walcha, an area of approximately 30000 hectares. Two surveys (landholder and field surveys) were carried out initially to gauge the extent of the problem within the study area. A total of 82 saline/alkaline sites were located from the landholder survey, and more detailed information collected from 50 of these in field surveys. The surveys indicated a wide variety of characteristics among the scalds and the general pattern appeared different from the pattern of salinity described for Western Australia and Victoria. Twenty experimental sites were then chosen based on similar site characteristics such as position in the landscape, slope, site characteristics and vegetation and five replications of a control and 4 treatments consisting of ponding, reverse interception drains and the application of gypsum and epsomite were set up. The gypsum and epsomite were applied inside steel rings at the same sites ... This study provides some basic information to assist landholders in the choice of specific treatments for saline/alkaline scalds. Each scald requires its own evaluation of the problems at that site and the best treatment to adopt should be based on the individual scald.