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General There are two kinds of salinity – dryland and irrigation salinity. Both involve water management and the need to maintain the right balance or equilibrium. Salinity (dry land) - Dryland salinity occurs when salt stored in the soil profile over thousands of years is brought to the surface or close to the surface by rising groundwater levels. Dryland salinity is classified as either primary or secondary. Primary salting occurs naturally while secondary salting is induced by human activities such as agriculture. The ultimate outcome of dryland salinity is the discharge of saline water to streams and soils, commonly occurring when saline groundwater rises to within two metres of the ground surface. Salinity (irrigation) - Irrigation salinity resembles dryland salinity, except that groundwater accession is induced through irrigation water rather than rainfall alone. Irrigation salinity refers to an accumulation of salt in the plant root zone or on the soil surface, commonly as a result of saline groundwater rising within two metres of the ground surface. Salt sources are consistent with those that occur in the process of dryland salinity and include cyclic salts, salts derived from old marine sediments or from the weathering and breakdown of rocks in soil formation. Farm and catchment planning can be performed more efficiently if accurate information about which areas are salt-affected, where salinity is spreading or emerging, and which areas are at risk from salinity in the future is available. Salt is increasing in the Australian environment. However, it is not known how this will change aquatic ecosystems. Of particular importance are wetlands and their role in moderating biological services (e.g. water quality) and biodiversity. The National Salinity Audit identified dryland salinity as the major cause of increasing aquatic salinity particularly in wetlands. See: The Federal Government National Action Plan for Salinity
and Water Quality Salinity in NSW - DLWC Salinity (Urban) - for information on this topic
see the salinity code of practice for Western Sydney. Protocols How to test water salinity General Salinity monitoring and management DLWC Electrical Conductivity Monitoring Program South Australian River Monitoring Costs Multi probe $7,000 to $20,000 Case studies Australian National Resources Atlas Murray Darling Basin Commission NSW Murray Catchment Salinity Report Organisation contacts DIPNR Sydney offices: 20 Lee St (Transport and Infrastructure Planning) 10 Valentine Ave (Natural Resource Management) Level 8, Signature Tower (Transport and Infrastructure Planning) Regional and Rural Offices: Community Organisations Advanced references CSIRO |
Internal Links Algal Species Density and Diversity Fish Monitoring for Water Quality Physical and Chemical Monitoring Real Time Water Quality Monitoring |
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