Information
Level 2 Detail of experimental conditions (what might be found in a journal paper or project brief in Hydstra)
Description of study
What?
Runoff and soil movement were monitored on five catchments which are separated by broad-base contour banks with a 0.3% channel slope.
When and Where?
The study was established in 1978 and ended in 1984. The site was located at Greenwood, (near Acland), 25 km north-west of Toowoomba, and 470 m above sea level and has a westerly aspect. Runoff from this site flows along ephemeral streams until reaching the flood plains of the Condamine River. The site was selected to represent one of the major soils used for grain production on the Darling Downs. The soil type at Greenwood, a grey clay, Ug 5.16, derived from Walloon sandstone, is a Udic Chromustert and belongs to the Moola clay soil association (Mullins, personal communication). The profile exhibits a distinct linear gilgai between 10 and 30 cm and shows enhanced concentration of salt at approximately 45 cm. The soil is of finer surface structure and less strongly self-mulching than the black earth. The soil is associated with brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) and belah (Casuarina cristata) vegetation.
How?
From 1978-84, four catchments were devoted to winter crop (wheat) with intervening summer fallow and a fifth to summer crop, at each site.
Samples of runoff were collected at the weir or flume for determination of suspended sediment. Samples were collected by a rising stage sediment sampler. Rills were measured by field survey immediately after each erosion event.
The volume of soil deposited in the contour channels was determined after each major erosion event. The depth and area of each fan was determined by walking through the wet fans and measuring depth of loose soil.
Project administration
Site identifier code: SMPA
Principal investigator: Freebairn D.
Principal data manager: -N/A
Principal organizations: Department of Natural Resources, Department of Primary Industries
Data custodian: Department of Natural Resources
Key co-operators: N/A
Data access policy: Research has been published but base data is not archived
Planned pathway for data: completed study, no evidence of formal database records.
Data warehousing: for ongoing studies –N/A
Planned data upload frequency: for ongoing studies –N/A
Key references and sources of this data synthesis
These data summaries have been extracted from
- Freebairn DM and Wockner GH. (1986). A study of soil erosion on Vertisols of the Eastern Darling Downs, Queensland. I Effects of surface conditions on soil movement within contour bay catchments. Australian Journal of Soil Research 24:135-58.
- Freebairn DM. Surface Management Project – Greenwood Hydstra Brief, project code SMPA.
- Freebairn DM and Cutajar J. (2012). HowLeaky Assessment.