GENERAL INFORMATION
Features: The Liverpool Plains is the only focus catchment where cropping is the major land use, and is by far the most fertile and productive. In response to the quite recent emergence of dryland salinity as a major threat to production in the plains, a very active community group has developed in the form of the Liverpool Plains Land Management Committee. It is one of the more active of the focus catchment stakeholder groups, and has played the major role in coordinating government agencies and research organisations in developing the R,D&E associated with the catchment program.
Area: 1.2 Million ha
Climate: Rainfall ~ 604mm - 684mm (60% summer rainfall) Evaporation ~ 1962mm/yr.
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Main Landuse: 1,600 farming enterprises. 50% of catchment cropped with a combination of winter - wheat, barley, chickpeas and fababeans - and summer crops - sorghum, sunflowers, soybeans, maize and cotton. Remainder of catchment used for grazing with 3 million beef cattle (80,000 in feedlots) and 500,000 sheep. Coal mining.
Salinity Issues:
Dryland Salinity: 15% at risk (water tables < 5m) with 50,000 ha at high risk (water tables < 2m)
Other Issues: Erosion, eutrophication, remnant vegetation decline, floodplain management.
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