Quirindi Sub-catchment

The Quirindi sub-catchment encompasses the town of Quirindi and includes the towns of Caroona and Wallabadah to cover an area of 841km2. The sub-catchment ranges in elevations from 350 - 1250m ASL.

Landscapes within the sub-catchment vary from black soil floodplains to fertile hill slopes and rugged ranges. It is drained by Quirindi Creek, and its tributaries, including Jacob and Joseph Creek.

The rich alluvial floodplains and colluvial slopes within the sub-catchment are used for dryland cropping, producing wheat, barley, corn, sorghum and sunflowers. Irrigated cropping is common on the floodplains surrounding Quirindi Creek near Caroona. The sprawling hill slopes of the Great Dividing Range, provide excellent native and exotic pastures which facilitate excellent cattle and sheep production.

Remnant vegetation on the top of the ranges includes open woodland, dry sclerophyll forest and some tracts of temperate rainforest. Some of these areas have been identified and protected for biodiversity conservation. There is a small percentage of State Forest and Nature Reserve within the Quirindi sub-catchment.

Issues include flooding, soil erosion, grazing management, biodiversity conservation, and water quality and salinity management. Other issues arise from the urban population base of Quirindi, such as water nutrient levels and gross water pollutants from town drains.