Land Use Planning
Changes in land use can have a dramatic impact on seepage flux with outcomes for both water quantity and quality. Knowledge of stream-aquifer interactions is part of the process of using land use planning and policy to meet catchment targets. Some key examples are:
- salinity mitigation, the aim of which is to limit or reduce groundwater recharge, hydraulic gradients to streams and discharge of saline groundwater. In conjunction with land use policies, its intention is to protect native vegetation remnants (particularly over groundwater recharge areas) , prohibit or limit land clearing, promote revegetation on private lands, joint venturing of agroforestry, promotion and incentives for the use of deep-rooted perennial pastures or crops, advocating good management practice for grazing and cropping, or to set appropriate guidelines for irrigation development; and
- water quality protection, aims to minimise the potential for the movement of contaminants into waterways via shallow groundwater movement. This is achieved in tandem with land use policies relating to siting of industrial areas and waste disposal sites, guidelines for the design and installation of septic tanks and best management practice for the use of agrichemicals such as pesticides or fertiliser application.