Soil of Cooper’s Creek Floodplain Area
Have you ever wondered what the channel country floodplain soils are made from?
Heavily cracked clays dominate the present Cooper floodplain. These clay dominant soils exhibit shrinkage in dry weather, and we observe this as cracks. However, after rainfall or flooding, the swelling of the surface clays closes the cracks and forms a highly effective moisture seal that prevents further floodplain infiltration.
Cooper’s Creek (and the Diamantina and Georgina Rivers) predominantly transport a clay-rich mud load made up of 4–20% sand; 25–60% silt and 35–65% clay. This mud is commonly sand sized pellets but also contains a high suspended sediment concentration. The dust storms which have descended upon Eastern Australia in recent days are this very sediment being transported by air across our vast countryside. The Western Rivers Carer experienced the first dust storm on the ground, however was fortunate to be in a plane flying to Alice Springs and happened to fly over and above the second dust storm. And for all those people cleaning up after the dust storms and wondering what advantages there might be…………….think seafood! Much of this dust will drop into the Pacific Ocean and add rich nutrients to the water…………..which shall result in tasty and abundant food sources for our marine animals.
Grazing does not impact adversely on the heavy, cracking, self mulching clays of the floodplain. Cooper’s Creek country after flooding produces superb natural cattle fattening pastures……. can you just taste that organic beef direct from the Channel Country?
Have you ever wondered what the channel country floodplain soils are made from?
Heavily cracked clays dominate the present Cooper floodplain. These clay dominant soils exhibit shrinkage in dry weather, and we observe this as cracks. However, after rainfall or flooding, the swelling of the surface clays closes the cracks and forms a highly effective moisture seal that prevents further floodplain infiltration.
Cooper’s Creek (and the Diamantina and Georgina Rivers) predominantly transport a clay-rich mud load made up of 4–20% sand; 25–60% silt and 35–65% clay. This mud is commonly sand sized pellets but also contains a high suspended sediment concentration. The dust storms which have descended upon Eastern Australia in recent days are this very sediment being transported by air across our vast countryside. The Western Rivers Carer experienced the first dust storm on the ground, however was fortunate to be in a plane flying to Alice Springs and happened to fly over and above the second dust storm. And for all those people cleaning up after the dust storms and wondering what advantages there might be…………….think seafood! Much of this dust will drop into the Pacific Ocean and add rich nutrients to the water…………..which shall result in tasty and abundant food sources for our marine animals.
Grazing does not impact adversely on the heavy, cracking, self mulching clays of the floodplain. Cooper’s Creek country after flooding produces superb natural cattle fattening pastures……. can you just taste that organic beef direct from the Channel Country?
No comments:
Post a Comment