acid sulfate soils manual nsw

The expansion of drainage has been driven by two major factors ie the desire of the community to convert wet swampy lands into more productive agricultural land and to mitigate the adverse effects of major floods on property. Floodplain drainage has increased the rate that both surface waters and ground waters enter coastal estuaries. Enhance drainage rates has increased the degree of aeration of sulfidic marine sediments that underlie large areas of coastal floodplains. These changes have increased the oxidation and mobility of stored acidity causing adverse impacts on estuarine ecology, infrastructure and agriculture. Reports of alum affected land were made in newspaper and government reports in the 1920s. Soil scientist Pat Walker recognised the presence of 'catclays' in northern NSW at Grafton in1960 and Kempsey in 1963 (Walker, 1960; Walker, 1963). However this warning was not recognised by the broader community possibly until the late 1980’s. There was also little follow on research into acid sulfate soils until the late 1980’s. Although the presence of acid sulfate soils were recognised by a few, these soils were not managed by many. Community capacity building is a self-help strategy for addressing a recognised community problem. It assumes the community has assets and strengths which can be mobilised and that those most affected need to be engaged in problem solving and developing solutions. Some of the underlying principles of community capacity building programs are listed in Table 1. These may prove ineffective if conflicting groups maintain ideological positions rather than participate in partnerships to pursue agreed solutions. Soil scientists may comprise just one of the community resources that are required to be activated to address a community problem. This event initiated a process of community capacity building which has resulted in significant changes in how ASS are managed.

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Wollongbar, N.S.W: NSW Acid Sulfate Soils Management Advisory Committee To learn more about how to request items watch this short online video. We will contact you if necessary. Please also be aware that you may see certain words or descriptions in this catalogue which reflect the author’s attitude or that of the period in which the item was created and may now be considered offensive. Works by which the watertable is likely to be lowered. Works by which the watertable is likely to be lowered more than 1 metre belowWorks by which the watertable is likely to be lowered more than 2 metres belowSoils Map, and (d) the works are not carried out on land in Zone E2Guidelines for Acid Sulfate Soils (2005), and (b) is endorsed by the Sugar. Milling Co-operative as being appropriate for the land. Sugar Milling Co-operative and a grower member of that co-operative for the. Co-operative Limited or its successor. Note: The NSW Sugar Industry Best. Practice Guidelines for Acid Sulfate Soils (2005) is available on the. Department of Planning and Infrastructure's website. FREE browser upgrades are available for the latest versions of Firefox, Chrome, Safari or Internet Explorer. The general principles of community capacity building programs are outlined in relation to NSW’s acid sulfate soil management strategy. Soil scientists were just one group among many that needed to be involved in the development and evaluation of new management practices. The coordination of local government and community projects with research and extension through the state and federal programs has provided a sound basis for on-going management of the soils. However, there is a need for long term commitment by all levels of government to sustain the community’s capacity to manage acid sulfate soil landscapes.

Soil scientists associated with ASS have had to participate in communication forums to developers, farmers, local government managers and councillors, excavators, fishers, schools, politicians, agency managers, consultants, extension officers, lawyers, judges as well as other scientists. Pat Walker gave a clear warning of the hazards in the early 1960’s. It may be that the community in the late 1980’s was farm more environmentally aware than in the 1960’s, particularly in Northern NSW. This awareness may have added to the sense of community outrage after the 1987 fish kill. The community in the 1980’s may have also been more prepared to accept that existing management practices needed to change than previous generations who were more orientated to expanding development. Most scientist then publish their findings, mainly in peer reviewed journals or reports before moving on to new projects. However, as the ASS experience demonstrates, to change how the community manages an issue requires not only scientific understanding but that this understanding is developed with involvement of active community groups, including industry and catchment groups and individual landholders. It is these groups who change how they operate with support from scientists and facilitators. This is particularly important for ASS management because the scale of the ASS problem is large and the risks are persistent. There is a need to educate the successive generations of new landholders, developers and managers about this issue. This requires long-term carriage of ASS capacity building strategies and development of sustainable incentive schemes. Since ASSMAC ceased operation in 2003, ASS issues have been identified in regional catchment management plans for on-going management.

The ASSMAC’s strategy to manage ASS employed community capacity building principles in the way it operated. The strategy included the activities shown in Table 2. Local action groups now operate in all major river floodplains. They have depended on State and Federal funding to implement planning and works projects. Most of these projects attempted to reduce adverse downstream impacts of acidic drainage by a combination of This has been achieved by reducing drain depth and length, raising drain water levels to reduce the hydraulic gradient towards the drain using weirs and floodgate opening. Floodgate opening also enables fish to passage to avoid acidity. Floodgate opening techniques include automatic tidal gates, manual and automatic sluice gates, and winch gates. Soil scientists contributed as team members through a wide variety of activities including long-term cooperative research with leading farmers; soil mapping; changing development controls and regulations; developing soil testing methods; producing management plans for existing development, new developments and for remediation projects; and participating in awareness, extension and training activities, and representation on ASSMAC. The main role of the soil scientists was to Soil scientist have also contributed to the development of several ASS guidelines eg Acid Sulfate Soils Manual (Stone et al., 1998, currently under revision) ASS laboratory analysis guidelines (Department Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, 2004), drainage systems management guidelines (Johnston et al. 2003), and industry best management practice guidelines (eg Sugar, Dairy, Tea Tree). This requires development of a communication strategy to provide targeted messages to different groups, and selection of communication styles and language most suitable for that group.

Soil Use and Management, in press. Learn more. In Queensland, the following guidelines should be used for acid sulfate soil investigations, risk assessments and management. Sampling guidelines The latest sampling guidelines are the National acid sulfate soil sampling and identification methods manual (PDF, 3.55MB). These have superseded the 1998 Queensland Sampling Guidelines. The national manual describes laboratory methods which can be used to conclusively identify the presence or absence of acid sulfate soils, to quantitatively assess the associated hazards, and includes a section on interpretation of laboratory results. The 2004 Queensland Laboratory Methods Guidelines and Australian Standard AS4969 also include the option of analysing soil using the Suspension Peroxide Oxidation Combined Acidity and Sulfate (SPOCAS) method, which can provide additional information to aid with interpretation of results. If choosing SPOCAS analysis, the methods to calculate net acidity and liming rates must be consistent with the definitions contained within the National Guidance Material. To find out more, read our privacy policy and cookie policy. Apart from 'Strictly necessary cookies', you can change other cookie settings if present, at any time by clicking the 'Cookie Settings' link in the footer of the page. The website cannot function properly without these cookies. This cannot be turned off. Who needs to be involved. The scope of water quality management strategy Vision How do you develop draft water quality objectives. How do you develop guidelines. How do you determine draft Environmental Values. What environmental values already exist. What are your environmental management goals. What are water quality guidelines. What are environmental values. Where can you find guidelines for environmental values. Planning What are your alternative management strategies. How do you combine these assessments to make decisions. What are the impacts of each management strategy.

Whilst local government has an important role in regulating developments on ASS and modifying the operation major drainage systems, government agencies remain the appropriate vehicle to sustain coordination and facilitation of the wider community capacity building process and to conduct further research. Awareness raising, participatory learning programs, training and education programs are all essential elements of a self-sustaining community capacity building strategy. NatCAAS, ASSMAC, QASSMAC, QASSIT, SCU. Guidelines for managing floodgates and drainage systems on coastal floodplains. NSW Agriculture. Wollongbar Agricultural Institute. CSIRO Soils and Landuse series no 44. Oxidation of sulfidic sediments leads to increases in acidity and mobilisation of trace metals, resulting in an increase in the concentrations of conducting ions in sediment and pore water. The distribution of these sediments on floodplains is highly heterogeneous. Accurately identifying the distribution of CASS is essential for developing targeted management strategies. One approach is the use of digital soil mapping (DSM) using ancillary information. Proximal sensing instruments such as an EM38 can provide data on the spatial distribution of soil salinity, which is associated with CASS, and can be complemented by digital elevation models (DEM). We used EM38 measurements of the apparent soil electrical conductivity (EC a ) in the horizontal and vertical modes in combination with a high resolution DEM to delineate the spatial distribution of CASS. We used a fuzzy k -means algorithm to cluster the data. The fuzziness exponent, number of classes ( k ) and distance metric (i.e. Euclidean, Mahalanobis and diagonal) were varied to determine a set of parameters to identify CASS. The DSM approach is amenable for evaluation on a larger scale and in order to refine CASS boundaries previously mapped using the traditional approach or to identify CASS areas that remain unmapped.

Under the 1987 Eurobodalla Rural LEP, the subject land is zoned 1(c) Rural Small Holdings Zone, for which key objectives are: to provide opportunities for small scale agricultural activity, to provide residential opportunities while retaining the scenic quality and overall character of the land and the environmental quality of any adjoining waterways, wetlands, rainforest or other environmentally sensitive areas, iii) to ensure that environmental impacts of development and the impact of development on land or activity in surrounding zones are fully considered in advance of any significant development, 2) Clause 17 (2)d of the 1987 Eurobodalla Rural LEP requires: Before determining a development application for the subdivision of land to which this clause applies, the Council shall examine the risk of flooding 3) Eurobodalla Council’s current Acid Sulphate Soil (ASS) policy (approved on the 23rd April 2013) references the NSW Acid Sulphate Soil Manual as its principal methodology. Specific questions for each issue are listed separately to assist preparation of responses to each enquiry. Question 1 - Acid Sulphate Soils Given that Council’s own policy, and the NSW Acid Sulphate Soil Manual, requires an ASS Management Plan to be prepared and considered before development consent can be granted, why has no study been prepared and submitted for consideration as part of the documents referenced in Council’s consent? (Note: the only reference in the development consent to ASS is for an assessment and management plan to be submitted prior to a construction certificate being considered. This is too late in the planning cycle to satisfy requirements of Council’s own policy and the mandated NSW Government ASS Manual).

Question 2 - Flooding Given that Clause 17(2)d of the 1987 Eurobodalla Rural LEP requires Council to consider flooding before determining a development application, why is there no flood assessment included in the studies referenced in Council’s development consent? (Note: the only reference in the development consent to flooding is for building material documentation to be submitted prior to a construction certificate being considered. This is too late in the planning cycle to satisfy 1987 LEP legislative requirements). Question 3 - Heritage Assessment Given that Clause 28(A) of the 1987 Eurobodalla Rural LEP requires Council to both consider a heritage impact statement and consult with local Aboriginal communities before granting consent, why is there no relevant study or consultation included in the studies referenced in Council’s development consent. It also aims to ensure that environmental impacts of development and the impact of development on land or activity in surrounding zones are fully considered in advance of any significant development. In view of these requirements, can Council advise: What small scale agricultural activities did Council assume the subject block would be used for?; In what way is the proposed dwelling integral to these projected activities?; and How the envisaged agricultural activities would impact the significant populations of threatened flora and fauna and intact native vegetation on the subject land. Question 5 - Landuse Planning Council’s DA Tracker has been offline for more than 3 months, and Council’s GIS facility is currently also offline. Can Council give an undertaking and make sure that both of these facilities are restored to full functionality and transparency with respect to planning matters as a matter of urgency. Thank you for your attention. I look forward to Council’s responses to the questions outlined above.

Implementation How do you implement your water quality management strategy. What and why are you monitoring. Review the water quality management strategy Users’ guide for estuarine, coastal and marine indicators for regional NRM monitoring Coastal stressors Coastal stressors What are stressors.Between 18,000 and 6,500 years ago, sea level rose from 120 m lower than today to approximately its present position. Extensive, very shallow coastal waterways formed as the sea reached approximately its present level. During the last 6,500 years these shallow coastal waters have been infilled with coastal sediments, forming coastal plains that today extend up to tens of kilometres inland from the coast (Figure 1). Pyrite is the end product in a chain of reactions that require anoxic conditions, and sources of sulfur, iron and organic material. The first step is promoted by sulfate-reducing bacteria and involves the reduction of sulfate from seawater to form hydrogen sulfide gas. This reduced form of sulfur can then react with the available iron to form pyrite (Photo 1 and Figure 2). As a consequence of these conditions prevailing in the Holocene period, many of our low-lying coastal plains now form tracts of ASS. Sulfide-rich sediments continue to form today in tidal flats, salt marshes, mangroves and other coastal wetlands. Australia has roughly 50,000 km2 of ASS containing in excess of a billion tonnes of iron sulfides 3. However, acidified coastal wetlands may provide predator-free habitat for species of mosquito that transmit arboviruses (e.g. Ross River Fever) 5. Acid dust mobilised during ploughing and construction activities may also cause dermatitis and eye irritation 5. However, the disturbance of ASS for agriculture, urban development, flood mitigation or other land uses can expose iron sulfides to air, causing them to oxidise and produce sulfuric acid. Coastal waterways with rivers in acid hazard zones are most at risk of being polluted by acid sulfate drainage.

Monosulfidic black oozes (MBOs) in particular can cause rapid and severe anoxic and hypoxic events 7; Acid tolerant water plant species belong mainly to the genera Nymphaea and Eleocharis 10. Species from this genera can complete lifecycles at pH levels less than 3 without any apparent negative impact. The introduced Cape waterlily (Nymphaea caerulea spp zanzibarensis) grows profusely at pH less than 3 in clarified aluminium-rich waters.The native waterlily (Nymphaea gigantea) is also acid tolerant but less competitive and prolific. Native spike rushes (Eleocharis spp) are also acid tolerant and occur along much of coastal Australia where ASS have been disturbed 10; The introduced and noxious mosquito fish (Gambusia holbrooki) has acid tolerant populations in the Richmond River, NSW 10; and The blue-green colour and clarity is an indicator of the presence of aluminium. The high levels of aluminium cause suspended particles in the water to clump together and drop to the bottom, resulting in clear water. The acidity of water like this is often too high ( pH less than 4) to support diverse aquatic life. Note also the iron staining on the banks of the pond.Unfortunately many pages may not be where they used to be because this is such a major upgrade. If you can’t find something, please use the search box or feel free to contact us. Unfortunately many pages may not be where they used to be because this is such a major upgrade. If you can’t find something, please use the search box or feel free to contact us. Background First some brief background information extracted from Council’s own documents and relevant legislation: 1) The application was determined based on provisions of the 1987 Eurobodalla Rural LEP and associated DCP 156, since it was identified as a Deferred Matter under the 2012 LEP.

Those who provide their REAL NAME (first name AND Surname) and a verifiable email address (it won't be published) are invited to comment below. (yes it is a pain but please comply - it would be a shame to see your comment deleted) Those contributors KNOWN to us and verified may continue to use their First Name for ease. The primary need for all of this is due to traceability should a legal action arise. If you need anonymity email us via our normal or encrypted email accounts Please note that if you are looking for a previous comment that is no longer visible please contact us. This period showed the strongest supporting field evidence for tidal buffering via modified floodgates. After installing vertical lifting, two-way floodgates average drain water pH increased to 5.89 and aluminum and iron concentrations decreased by more than 30%. A large rainfall (131.8 mm) during the post-modification period caused acidic groundwater flushing, however, in comparison to the pre-modification period, recovery time and average pH were markedly improved. Preliminary investigations of groundwater salinity in response to tidal intrusion has shown that electrical conductivity fluctuates with rainfall and it is predominately limited to 10 m perpendicular to the drain. Subscription will auto renew annually. Taxes to be calculated in checkout. PhD Thesis, University of Wollongong, NSW Australia. In Diseases in Asian Aquaculture II. Shariff, M., Arthur, J. R. and Subasinghe, R. P. (eds), Fish Health Section, Asian Fisheries Society, Manilla, pp. 291-298. Honours thesis for Bachelor of Engineering, Department of Civil and Mining Engineering, University of Wollongong, Australia. Department of Land and Water Conservation, Sydney. Inkata Press. Melbourne, Australia. Sedimentary Geology, 26, 1-19. Information booklet published through Natural Heritage Trust. Sydney, Australia. Wetlands (Australia), 13, 49-64.

Honours thesis for Master of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, University of Wollongong, Australia. Honours thesis for Bachelor of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, University of Wollongong, Australia. In Proceedings of 2nd National Conference on Acid Sulfate Soils, Coffs Harbour, 5-6 September 1996, Smith, R. J. and Smith, H. J. (eds), pp. 221-224. White, I., Melville, M., Sammut, J. and Wilson, B. (1997) Reducing acidic discharges from coastal wetlands in eastern Australia. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 5, 55-72. In Proceedings of Seminar on Environmental and Development in Vietnam, 6-7 December, Canberra. Wilson, B. P. (1995) Soil and Hydrological relations to drainage from sugarcane on acid sulphate soils. PhD Thesis, University of New South Wales, Sydney. Subscription will auto renew annually. Taxes to be calculated in checkout. Risks as perceived by the owner or operator (the industry), the general public, and the regulator need to reflect the actual risk, but in real life this goal is elusive. This article provides five examples on how environmental risks were assessed in the quest for sustainable sugarcane production systems in a region where around 80% of the industry's production occurs in river basins that drain to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area of northeast Australia. Auditing and benchmarking, incorporating a range of chemical measurements, were features of these studies that covered heavy metals, organic waste recycling, acid sulfate soils (ASS), pesticides (particularly herbicides), and sugar juice lost during mechanical cane harvesting. It has been established that sugar juice can induce a significant 5?day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ) if allowed to drain to adjacent waterways, stripping these of dissolved oxygen (DO). That is, it poses an occasional environmental risk. Evidence is also presented to suggest the actual environmental risk from pesticides may be lower than perceived.

Environmental problems caused by strong acid drainage from ASS were addressed by participative research, ultimately delivering sugar industry self?regulation in New South Wales (NSW) of drain management on affected cane farms. Strategies now offered to make organic waste recycling more sustainable from a heavy metal loading perspective include recommendations to use lower application rates, to redistribute filter muds across all cane lands rather than only to those in close proximity to sugar mills, and to avoid repeated applications to the same paddocks. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. It provides a definition of acid sulfate soils and describes the impacts, treatment and management, and testing of these soils. The procedures for testing and classifying these soils are provided in the Keys to Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff, 2014a), Soil Survey Field and Laboratory Methods Manual (Soil Survey Staff, 2014b), and Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils (Schoeneberger et al., 2012). If sulfide-bearing subaqueous soils are dredged and placed in a subaerial environment, sulfides will oxidize, creating sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid will drastically lower soil pH (to less than 4) and result in acid sulfate soil formation (Fanning and Fanning, 1989). Soils with the potential to become acid sulfate soils pose no threat unless exposed to atmospheric oxygen. Potential acid sulfate soils (PASS) refer to waterlogged, anaerobic soils that contain high levels of sulfidic materials. Their field pH is generally 4 or greater (SACPB, 2003). Actual acid sulfate soils have a sulfuric horizon and are highly acidic due to aeration of soil materials rich in sulfides.

Acid sulfate soils are considered postactive when weathering and pedogenesis have reached the stage at which sulfide minerals are no longer present near the surface and pH has risen above 4 (Fanning, 2012). This process occurs most frequently in marine or estuarine soil environments where large quantities of sulfate sulfur are available from seawater (for chemical reduction to sulfide) and where iron is available in the form of iron oxides or oxyhydroxides in the soil. In these settings, sulfate, the second most common anion in seawater, is reduced to sulfide through the metabolism of sulfate-reducing bacteria in the subsurface anaerobic soil (Jorgensen, 1977; Day et al., 1989). Sulfate-reducing bacteria are found in five phylogenetic lineages, with most isolated strains being organotrophic mesophilic Deltaproteobacteria (Enning and Garrelfs, 2014). In soils under oxygen-depleted conditions, iron combines with sulfur from sulfate to form iron sulfides, in particular pyrite. The sulfide subsequently becomes trapped in sediment by binding with metal ions such as Fe (Jorgensen, 1977).Soil materials rich in organic materials and iron monosulfides are called monosulfidic black ooze (MBO) (Fyfe et al., 2006). MBOs are black, often oily in appearance, and greatly enriched in monosulfides high in organic matter. They can form thick accumulations within landscapes of acid sulfate soils. Signs of acid sulfate soil include visual indicators such as orange-brown water and soil, oil-like slicks and subsurface MBOs, the presence of salinity or salt crusts, and vegetation dieback or shifts to acid-tolerant species (DSEWPC, 2012). Anthropogenic structures, such as dams, irrigation, and earthwork construction, or anthropogenic activities, such as water control, dredging, mining, and land-clearing, can lower the water table.

Acid sulfate soils form in these areas due to the development of waterlogged and oxygen-free conditions, combined with new sources of sulfates (from either saline ground water or contributions from marine sedimentary rock deposits) and the presence of organic matter and metals such as iron. If deposited near water, acid sulfate soils can create runoff into aquatic systems that is high in aluminum, iron, manganese, copper, and lead, all of which become more soluble at a low pH (Demas et al., 2004). Pulses of acidic, metal-laden water entering estuarine and coastal environments can cause massive kills of fish, crustaceans, shellfish, and other organisms. Moreover, exposure to acidic water can damage fish skin and lead to infection by fungus. Research suggests a strong association between acidity, aluminum, and gill damage in fish (NWPASS, 2000). Harmful algal blooms can also be triggered by acidic water containing dissolved iron and silica (SACPB, 2003). In such cases, plant communities decrease in diversity and become dominated by acid-tolerant plants, or soils become unvegetated. Soils have been shown to shrink as much as 50 percent or more, by volume, particularly if peat topsoil is oxidized or areas are drained (SACPB, 2003). This causes subsidence in drained areas. Extended saltwater inundation into freshwater areas enhances sulfate reduction, the primary cause of subsidence and soil mineralization (Hackney and Williams, 2012). Mineralization of peat releases carbon dioxide and methane as well as other elements and results in subsidence. Methyl mercury, which is an environmental concern, can be released during the mineralization process. Sulfate-reducing bacteria methylate mercury when sulfate is present, even at very low levels. Methyl mercury is soluble and bioaccumulates, possibly resulting in high levels of mercury in food (Atkeson and Axelrad, 2004).