The Curse of SalinityMany years ago this broad shallow tributary to the Irwin River would have seemed a sensible place to have sunk a
well. Looking at the decrepit old
water point over the road now makes one realise how things change over time! Certainly, the "old timers" could not have guessed what was to happen after they so thoroughly cleared this landscape.
The removal of so much natife vegetation allowed underground
water tables to rise, bringing with them the salt that has crucified this watercourse and so many like it. But local farmers are fighting back, and a major oil mallee project nearby is a great example of this. Oil mallees are native to the area and are mildly salt-tolerant (though they do not grow
well on land that is already significantly salt-impacted).
In this case seedlings were planted in blocks on lower-lying discharge areas, and on contours. They have grown best on better soils where they were planted to prevent valley floors going salty (as this one had already done). While many oil mallees are now planted for biomass production and carbon sequestration, their role in lowering
water tables - and limiting salinity issues - has been proven right here in this catchment area.