Hut Gully Sub-catchment

Hut Gully sub-catchment is located within the Liverpool Plains approximately 40 km south of Gunnedah. It covers an area of 323km2 with elevations ranging from 685m on Tamarang Mountain to 300m within Goran Lake.

Landscapes with the Hut Gully sub-catchment range from floodplains and low slopes derived from both basaltic alluvium and sedimentary materials. The foot slopes and hill slopes of Coolanbilla Mountain and Trinkey Forest are derived from sedimentary materials whereas the hill slopes of Tamarang Mountain are basalt derived.

The sub-catchment is drained by Hut Gully, Lever Gully and Red Bobs Gully all of which drain into Lake Goran.

The basalt derived floodplains are mainly used for both summer (sorghum, sunflowers and corn) and winter (wheat, barley and canola) crops. The alluvial low slopes are also used for dryland cropping, with some cropping on the soils derived from sandstone. The cleared undulating hill slopes are used for light grazing with many areas pasture improved. The cleared steeper slopes are used for light grazing with some areas within the Trinkey State Forest used predominantly for timber production.

Vegetation types range from woodland and open-woodland comprising mainly of ironbark, box and cypress pine.

The issues within the sub-catchment include poor water holding capacity, shallow soils of low fertility, flooding, soil erosion, locally high watertables and salinity hazard, and gully erosion on the lower slopes.