Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
9
and sedimentary materials including: ultramafic and mafic rocks (essentially basalts), acid lavas and
tuffs, chemical sedimentary rocks such as banded ironstone, jaspilite and chert, and clastic
sedimentary rocks comprising shale, siltstone, sandstone, greywacke and conglomerate.
Metamorphic belts are mineralized and tend to form ranges of hills, as they are harder and more
resistant than gneiss and granite ‐ the latter generally underlie plains, particularly sandplains. The
major soil type present in the Murchison region is shallow earthy loam overlying red‐brown hardpan.
The Upper Murchison subregion of Beard’s (1976) Murchison region is described as generally hilly
and undulating terrain, with shallow soils and granite exposure in the hills. The Weld Range and the
Jack Hills are the main ranges of the subregion, and are formed by resistant metamorphic rocks
(Beard, 1976). These greenstone belts exhibit banded ironstone formations (Elias, 1982). Curry et al.
(1994) describe the Murchison River catchment and surrounds as an area dominated by granite‐
greenstone terrain, while very flat plains derived from colluvium and alluvium widely separate the
hill ranges. Soils are predominantly shallow, sandy and infertile, and are underlain by red‐brown
siliceous hardpan across most of the lower areas.
The terrain of the Yalgoo subregion of Beard’s (1976) Murchison region is undulating and moderately
dissected, with small remnants of the Tertiary land surface existing as sandplains. Low ranges of hills
are created by metamorphic rocks. An inventory and condition survey of the Sandstone‐Yalgoo‐
Paynes Find Area was carried out by Payne et al. (1998). They describe the area as dominated by
granite‐greenstone terrain, with gently sloping pediments widely separating occasional ranges.
Sheetflood alluvial plains (very gently inclined) are upslope from salt lakes. Most soils are
characterized as shallow, sandy and infertile, generally with the lower areas underlain by red‐brown
siliceous hardpan.
2.3
LAND SYSTEM AND SOIL‐LANDSCAPE SYSTEM CLASSIFICATION
Soil‐landscape Systems
Rogers (1996) conducted an inventory of soil and land resources of the Geraldton agricultural region,
covering an area of approximately 20,600 km
2
. The Project Area incorporated the Shire of Mingenew
and the agricultural zones in the Shires of Chapman Valley, Greenough, Irwin, Morawa, Mullewa and
Northampton. Fifty‐one soil‐landscape systems are described, based on geology, landform and soil
characteristics in this area.
The Freehold section of the Project Area crosses 10 of the soil‐landscape systems mapped in the
Geraldton agricultural region and a summary of these soil‐landscape systems is provided in Table 2.4.
The most commonly occurring soil‐landscape systems in the Freehold section of the Project Area
were the Dartmoor (27.4%), Eradu (20.1%) and Binnu Systems (14.3%). The soil‐landscape systems
with the highest percent of the total system area contained in the Project Area were the Greenough
(11.8%), Moresby (7.5%) and Dartmoor Systems (6.7%).
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
10
Table 2.4
–
Soil‐Landscape Systems of the Project Area
Soil‐Landscape System
Description
Total
Area in
WA (ha)
Area in
Freehold
Project Area
(ha)
Percent of
Total Soil‐
landscape
System
Percent of
the Freehold
Land Area
Binnu
Gently undulating sandplain with numerous dune ridges.
384,564
5446.2
1.4
14.3
Casuarina
Level to gently undulating sandplain.
87,665
429.5
0.5
1.1
Dartmoor
Level to gently undulating plain and weakly dissected long slopes, much as a relic drainage
network.
155,265
10,410.6
6.7
27.4
Eradu
Level to gently undulating sandplain. Drainage lines absent with a few soaks.
151,660
7,633.1
5
20.1
Greenough
River beds, terraces and alluvial flats associated with Greenough, Murchison, Hutt and Chapman
River systems. Includes dissected margins of relic alluvial plains.
42,379
4,619.7
11.8
12.2
Moresby
Flat‐topped ranged and isolated mesas. Flat to gently undulating summit surfaces, moderate to
steep side slopes and gently inclined footslopes.
28,684
2,149.8
7.5
5.7
Mt Horner
Lateritic breakaways with spillway sands. Long gentle slopes broken by low gravel ridges and
broad open depressions. Few fixed drainage lines. The system slopes from western edge of
Casuarina System (gently undulating sandplain) to Tamala System (coastal limestone hills).
29,451
394.9
1.3
1
Northampton
Narrow valleys with gently undulating to rolling rises and low hills with an integrated drainage
pattern. Rock outcrop common on hillcrests with long gentle slopes and alluvial terraces
associated with local rivers. Forms much of drainage basin of Chapman, Bowes, Oakajee and
Buller Rivers.
94,448
4,796.4
5.1
12.6
Sugarloaf
Undulating to rolling rises with narrow valleys and an integrated drainage pattern, drained by
the Chapman and Greenough Rivers. Rock outcrop is common on hillcrests and rises.
66,801
2,087.6
3.1
5.5
Tamala
Series of low hills parallel to the coast immediately behind the Quindalup System. Well drained
calcareous black sands, neutral reddish brown sands and neutral yellow sands.
194,850
0.2
<0.001
<0.001
Source: Rogers (1996)
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
11
Land Systems
Land systems are described using the biophysical characteristics of geology, landforms, vegetation
and soils (Curry et al., 1994; Payne et al., 1998).
Curry et al. (1994) undertook a regional inventory of the Murchison River catchment and surrounds
to document the land systems present and the condition of each. The Project Area covered
88,360 km
2
, extending between Meekatharra and Mount Magnet in the east, to the catchments of
the Greenough and Wooramel Rivers in the west. Payne et al. (1998) carried out a regional inventory
of the Sandstone‐Yalgoo‐Paynes Find area to document the land systems present and the condition
of each. The Project Area covered approximately 94,700 km
2
.
The Pastoral section of the Project Area crosses 30 of the land systems mapped by Curry et al. (1994)
and Payne et al. (1998), these land systems are described in Table 2.5.
The most commonly occurring land systems in the Pastoral section of the Project Area were the
Yanganoo (19.8%), Tindalarra (16.3%) and Challenge (9.6%). The land systems with the highest
percent of the total land system in the Project Area were Yarrameedie (10.3%), Weld (9.7%) and
Millex (6.0%).
The soil‐landscape and land systems have been mapped together and an overview map is provided
as Figure 2.4. The soil‐landscapes are mapped as Figure 2.5 and the land systems are mapped as
Figure 2.6 to Figure 2.8.
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
12
Table 2.5 – Land Systems of the Project Area
Land System
Description
Total
Area in
WA
(km
2
)
Area in
Pastoral
Land Area
(km
2
)
Percent of
Total Land
System
Percent of
the Pastoral
Land Area
Belele
Hardpan wash plains interspersed by low sandy (wanderrie) banks supporting tall shrublands of
mulga with understorey shrubs on the hardpan plains and non‐saline shrubs with perennial
grasses on the banks.
578,300
4,352.4
0.8
2.4
Beringarra
Major riverine plains with active lower floodplains flanking channelled watercourses; supports
mostly halophytic shrublands and mixed acacia shrublands and low woodlands with minor
perennial grasses; severely degraded and eroded in many areas.
262,436
1,422.4
0.5
0.8
Challenge
Gently sloping gritty and sandy‐surfaced plains with granite outcrops and minor breakaways,
supporting mulga and some halophytic shrublands.
1,010,000
17,210.6
1.7
9.6
Cunyu
Calcreted drainage zones on hardpan; alluvial plains with raised calcrete platforms dissected by
major flow zones and channels, supporting variable mostly non‐halophytic shrublands and
calcareous shrubby grasslands.
329,933
1,545.1
0.5
0.9
Ero
Tributary floodplains with shallow, erodible duplex soils on red‐brown hardpan, more or less
saline and supporting halophytic and non‐halophytic shrublands; grazed preferentially and widely
degraded and eroded.
215,007
3,907.4
1.8
2.2
Flood
Hardpan wash plains with long, interconnected wanderrie banks supporting mulga and wanderrie
shrublands; mainly in catchment of Wooramel River and further north.
159,251
2,998.7
1.9
1.7
Gabanintha
Ridges, hills and footslopes of various metamorphosed volcanic rocks (greenstones), supporting
sparse acacia and other mainly non‐halophytic shrublands.
251,455
2,688.3
1.1
1.5
Joseph
Undulating yellow sandplain system supporting dense mixed shrubland with patchy mallees.
464,045
808.9
0.2
0.5
Jundee
Hardpan wash plains with variable dark gravely mantling and weakly groved vegetation; minor
sandy banks; supports scattered mulga shrublands.
660,224
4,363.0
0.7
2.4
Kalli
Elevated, gently undulating red sandplains edged by stripped surfaces on laterite and granite; tall
acacia shrublands and understorey of wanderrie grasses (and spinifex locally); replaced by more
extensive areas of Bullimore land system to the south‐east and Sandplain land system to the
west.
1,115,901
16,124.0
1.4
9.0
Koonmarra
Quartz‐strewn stony plains and low rises with outcropping granite, gneiss and schists; supports
scattered mulga and other mainly non‐saline shrubs.
569,874
11,996.7
2.1
6.7
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
13
Land System
Description
Total
Area in
WA
(km
2
)
Area in
Pastoral
Land Area
(km
2
)
Percent of
Total Land
System
Percent of
the Pastoral
Land Area
Mileura
Saline and non‐saline calcreted river plains, with clayey flood plains interrupted by raised calcrete
platforms supporting diverse and very variable tall shrublands, mixed halophytic shrublands and
shrubby grasslands.
261,223
1,454.5
0.6
0.8
Millex
Plains on granite, with irregularly distributed low sandy banks and saline alluvial plains lightly
strewn with quartz mantles; supports mulga shrublands and low halophytic shrublands.
47,825
2,867.5
6.0
1.6
Millrose
Level or very gently undulating stony plains on hardpan and granite with irregularly distributed
sandy wanderrie banks, supporting mostly scattered mulga shrublands with minor wanderrie
grasses.
109,648
1,317.4
1.2
0.7
Mindura
Low hills, ridges and outcrops of granite, gneiss and quartz above convex, quartz‐strewn
interfluves and lower plains supporting sparse acacia shrublands.
440,593
3,156.0
0.7
1.8
Mulline
Greenstone hills supporting Acacia shrublands and Eucalypt woodlands.
19,688
89.0
0.5
0.0
Nerramyne
Undulating plains of sandy‐surfaced laterite and weathered granite with low remnant plateaux,
breakaways and rises supporting acacia shrublands.
250,958
5,751.9
2.3
3.2
Norie
Granite hills with exfoliating domes and extensive tor fields, supporting acacia shrublands.
211,177
2,392.7
1.1
1.3
Pindar
Loamy plains surrounded by sandplain supporting York gum woodlands.
151,876
646.3
0.4
0.4
Sherwood
Extensive, gently sloping stony and sandy plains on granite and gneiss below saline footslopes of
laterised breakaways and outcrops of weathered rock; mainly supports scattered mulga
shrublands with understorey non‐halophytic and halophytic shrubs.
1,579,691
9,636.0
0.6
5.4
Tallering
Prominent ridges of banded ironstone, dolerite and sedimentary rocks sporting bowgada and
other Acacia shrublands.
32,949
1,045.3
3.2
0.6
Tindalarra
Very gently inclined hardpan wash plains with narrow drainage lines and fairly saline narrow
tributary drainage floors; supports tall mixed acacia shrublands with patchy wanderrie banks and
narrow tracts of snakewood and bluebush; a major wash system in the Greenough River
catchment.
713,173
29,231.3
4.1
16.3
Violet
Gently undulating gravely plains on greenstone, laterite and hardpan, with low stony rises and
minor saline plains; supports mulga and bowgada‐dominate shrublands, with dense mulga groves
and patchy halophytic shrublands.
584,096
1,981.2
0.3
1.1
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
14
Land System
Description
Total
Area in
WA
(km
2
)
Area in
Pastoral
Land Area
(km
2
)
Percent of
Total Land
System
Percent of
the Pastoral
Land Area
Waguin
Sandplains and stripped granite or laterite surfaces with low fringing breakaways and lower
plains; supports bowgada shrublands with sparse wanderrie grasses, mulga shrublands and minor
mixed halophytes.
317,146
586.3
0.2
0.3
Weld
Rugged ranges and ridges of mainly Archaean metamorphosed sedimentary rocks; supports
acacia shrublands; major system of the Weld Range and Jack Hills.
37,235
3,603.5
9.7
2.0
Wiluna
Low greenstone hills with occasional lateritic breakaways and broad stony slopes, lower saline
stony plains and broad drainage tracts; supports sparse mulga shrublands with patches of
halophytic shrubs.
258,978
813.8
0.3
0.5
Yandil
Flat hardpan wash plains, extensively uniform and carrying light to moderate mantles of small
pebbles and gravels; occasional wanderrie banks and groves; supports mulga shrublands, but
widely degraded.
494,525
3,054.9
0.6
1.7
Yanganoo
Almost flat hardpan wash plains, with or without small wanderrie banks and showing variable
development of weak groving; supports mulga shrublands; the most extensive system in Project
Area.
2,019,907
35,445.7
1.8
19.8
Yarrameedie
Undulating stony interfluves, drainage floors and pediment (foothill) plains below major ranges of
crystalline rocks (mainly Weld land system) supporting sparse mulga shrublands.
68,324
7,045.3
10.3
3.9
Yewin
Mainly flat saline floodplains on the Greenough and Sandford Rivers supporting halophytic
shrublands dominated by samphire, saltbush, snakewood and spiny snakewood.
45,709
1,692.3
3.7
0.9
Source: Curry et al. (1994) and Payne et al. (1998)
4
1
2
3
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
6800
000
6900
000
7000
000
7100
000
Legend
Proposed Rail Alignment
Proposed Project Area
Detailed Maps
Land Systems and Soil-landscape
Systems of the
Project Area
(Overview)
Coordinate System
Name: GDA 1994 MGA Zone 50
Projection: Transverse Mercator
Datum: GDA 1994
A3
Figure: 2.4
Project ID: 1131
Drawn: AH
Date: 26/08/09
K
0
50
100
Kilometres
1:1,500,000
Absolute Scale -
Unique Map ID: A038
$
Binnu
Eradu
Northampton
Sugarloaf
Dartmoor
Casuarina
Mt Horner
Tamala
Moresby
Greenough
Geraldton
240000
260000
280000
300000
320000
340000
68
2
0
0
0
0
6
840000
6
860000
6
880000
Soil Landscape Systems
of the Project Area
(Map 1)
Coordinate System
Name: GDA 1994 MGA Zone 50
Projection: Transverse Mercator
Datum: GDA 1994
A3
Figure: 2.5
Project ID: 1131
Drawn: AH
Date: 13/08/2009
K
0
7.5
15
Kilometres
1:300,000
Absolute Scale -
Unique Map ID: A037
240000
260000
280000
300000
320000
340000
68
2
0
0
0
0
6
840000
6
860000
6
880000
Legend
Proposed Rail Alignment
Proposed Rail Corridor
Soil Landscape Systems
Binnu
Casuarina
Dartmoor
Eradu
Greenough
Moresby
Mt Horner
Mullewa
Nangerwalla
Northampton
Ogilvie
Quindalup
Sugarloaf
Tamala
Urina
Yallabatharra
Challenge
Breberle
Tindalarra
Norie
Yewin
Joseph
Norie
Challenge
Kalli
Kalli
Yanganoo
Waguin
Tallering
Mulline
Gabanintha
Violet
Tindalarra
Narramyne
Pindar
Challenge
Tindalarra
Mulline
350000
375000
400000
425000
450000
6
900000
6
925000
Legend
Agamemnon
Austin
Bandy
Bayou
Beasley
Belele Land
Beringarra
Boulder
Breberle
Bunny
Carnegie
Challenge
Cole
Coolabulla
Cunyu
Durlacher
Ero
Euchre
Eurardy
Farmer
Flood
Frederick
Gabanintha
Highway
Horseshoe
Joseph
Jundee
Kalli
Koonmarra
Mileura
Millex
Millrose
Mindura
Mulline
Narryer
Nerramyne
Nerren
Norie
Peak Hill
Phillips
Pindar
Roderickm
Sherwood
Tallering
Thomas
Tindalarra
Trillbar
Violet
Waguin
Watson
Weld
Wiluna
Wolarry
Woodline
Yagahong
Yandil
Yanganoo
Yarrameedie
Yewin
Proposed Rail Route
Project Area
Land Systems of the
Project Area
Coordinate System
Name: GDA 1994 MGA Zone 50
Projection: Transverse Mercator
Datum: GDA 1994
A3
Figure:
2.6
Project ID: 1131
Drawn: AH
Date:
07/08/09
K
0
7
14
Kilometres
1:300,000
Absolute Scale -
Unique Map ID: A036
|