Marra Creek Waterponding Program: Rehabilitating scalded rangelands
Marra Creek Waterponding Program: Rehabilitating scalded rangelands Conference Paper
16th Australian Rangeland Society Biennial Conference
- Author(s): Thompson, R.
- Published: 2010
- Publisher: Australian Rangeland Society
Abstract: A four-year program to restore scalded and bare soils in western NSW, Australia, during the 1980s has left a remarkable legacy that has since rehabilitated 30,000 hectares of severely degraded land for environmental and production outcomes. In the Marra Creek District (western NSW) around 100,000 hectares had become bare and scalded due to grazing pressure, drought, wind and water erosion. About 30,000 hectares have been rehabilitated through waterponding. Locally, the successes of the original 18 landholders saw many others in the area adopt the technique. This is largely due to the socio-economic benefits including increased wool cut, lambing percentages and farm productivity. But there are other indirect benefits of strengthened communities and a sense that land managers can pass their properties onto future generations in a better condition than it was when they received it. The original mapping of scalded country estimates that 70,000 hectares remain to be rehabilitated in the region. With strong public acceptance and support, the program is well placed to meet this challenge.