Geographic Characteristics of sub regions in the MDB

Sub Regions in the MDB

Key Skills and knowledge Definition of a region Identification and classification of selected regions

The upper Darling Majority of Australia's Cotton Industry 91% located along tributaries of the upper darling Balonne River Upper Darling

The Lower Darling Arid 6 million Hectares Native Vegetation (Mallee, salt bush, red gum) Mungo National Park, Walls of china, Willandra lakes World Heritage Area provide records of Indigenous life

The Lower Darling cont.. Mungo National Park Wine grapes Menindee lakes store water for irrigation and for Broken hill Pleistocene human footprints – Willandra Lakes

Lower Darling Cont… Produce Includes Wheat Cotton Vegetables Wool Meat Wine grapes Stone fruits Apples

The upper Murray The Murray begins its 2375 km journey three springs south of Mt Kosciusko

Upper Murray cont… The Hume Dam This sub region makes up less than 2% of the Murray Darling catchment But contributes 37% of the rivers total flow Hume and Dartmouth Dams control flow and generate hydro electricity

The Riverine Plains Flat Sediment eroded from the Great dividing Range and deposited Cadell tilt block changed the course of the rivers and helped produce Australia's largest red gum forest (Barmah)

Riverine plains cont… Barmah Forest Barmah forest occupies hectares Shepparton and Cobram orchards produce 80% of Australia's canning fruit Rice is grown in Deniliquin and Wakool regions

The Mallee zone and the Riverland / Sunraysia region Murrumbidgee and Darling rivers join the Murray Semi Arid region Sandy soils, dunes, slat lakes, shrubs, sparse distribution of trees

The Mallee, Riverland, Sunraysia region cont……. Confluence of Murrumbidgee and darling rivers Ancient sea deposited large amounts of salt, present in soil and ground water Extensive Irrigation allows: Grapes Citrus fruits Stone fruit Flowers Vegetables

The Murray Gorge River has cut through Hard limestone The Valley is km wide 30 – 40 meters deep Vertical cliffs and elongated wetlands border

The Murray Gorge cont… The gorge is approximately 280 km long The regional water table and river intersect Salty water enters the river through aquifers exposed in the cliff face The river turns sharply at Morgan

The lower Murray, the lower lakes and the Coorong Wetlands have been drained and reclaimed for pasture and dairying At Goolwa, barrages prevent salt water from extending upstream

The lower Murray, the lower lakes and the Coorong cont…. The barrages also keep water levels high enough for irrigation The river enters the lower lakes and finally the southern ocean Mouth of the Murray and the Coorong

The Coorong Some water flows into the Coorong The Coorong is a 140 km lagoon behind the coastal dunes