Mooki Plains Sub-catchment

Mooki Plains sub-catchment is located within the Liverpool Plains 40km east of Gunnedah and extends from Pine Ridge through Breeza to Carroll. It is a long narrow sub-catchment which follows the Mooki River. It covers an area of 571km2 and has elevations ranging from 574m on top of the Kickerbell Hills to 260m ASL near Gunnedah. The villages of Pine Ridge, Caroona and Breeza are located within this sub-catchment with Carroll and Gunnedah located just north of the sub-catchment.

The sub-catchment is drained predominantly by the Mooki River with a number of smaller creeks and tributaries entering the Mooki River including Currabubula, Werries, Warrah and Quirindi Creeks, and Native Dog Gully.

Landscapes within the Mooki Plains sub-catchment range from alluvial black earth floodplains and foot slopes to stony Red Clay hill slopes. The Breeza and Pullaming floodplains are located within this sub-catchment.

The alluvial floodplains are used extensively for dryland and irrigated cropping, both summer (cotton, sorghum, sunflowers and corn) and winter (wheat, barley and canola) crops. The areas along the Mooki River are highly developed for irrigation. The alluvial foot slopes are also used for dryland cropping, while the steeper slopes are used for cattle grazing.

Vegetation types along the Mooki River include dense grasslands with isolated trees and clumps of trees growing close to the river. Away from the river the area is mostly cleared with some isolated remnants of dense grasslands dominated by plains grass, Myalls and River Red Gums.

The NRM issues within the sub-catchment include flooding, water erosion, salinity management, riparian health, soil degradation and low levels of biodiversity.