Chapter 3
I Background
II Early European Settlements
III Assessment Of Available Water Resources
IV Water Supplies For Goldmining Development
V Irrigation Development
VI Farm And Stock Water Supplies
VII Urban Water Supplies
VIII Wastewater Management And Treatment
IX Water Quality Management
i Eppalock reservoir catchment project
ii Ord River catchment regeneration project
iii Salinity reduction
X Limnological And Water Quality Research
XI New Techniques In Water Resource Planning And Management
XII Legislation
XIII Conclusion
XIV List Of Abbreviations
XV Acknowledgements
XVI Plantations-high Productivity Resources
References
Index
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Ord River catchment regeneration project
The vast Ord River Dam in North Western Australia has a catchment of 46,100 km2, of which about 3,750 km2 were subject to varying degrees of erosion. The underlying cause of this erosion was the removal of surface plant cover by continuous uncontrolled grazing, under marginal rainfall conditions and on susceptible soils. Up to 30 cm of soil had been removed in many parts of the catchment when it was first surveyed. This severe erosion posed a potential siltation threat to the future of the Ord River Dam. Accordingly, the Western Australian Government commenced the Ord River Catchment Regeneration Project in 1960 to halt the erosion and bring valuable grazing land back into production.The approach to the problem combined progressive fencing, grazing control and large-scale pasture establishment. Several unique cultivation implements were developed for the pasture establishment and a locally designed hose level was produced for large-scale contouring operations. Some 80,000 km of furrows were constructed in the project over its first eight years. Recent inspection indicates that the project has been highly successful.
Organisations in Australian Science at Work - Ord River Catchment Regeneration Project, W.A.
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Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering |  |
© 1988 Print Edition page 183, Online Edition 2000
Published by Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, using the Web Academic Resource Publisher
http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/189.html