From what I’ve read, they ringbarked a significant area of forests over the catchment early in th 20th century. The salinity levels have stabilised and improved over time.
The suggestions of clearing regrowth around dams isn’t the old “scorched earth policy” as I would like to think that environmental impacts are considered.
I’ll keep looking for the report made to the Richard Court government, it had some good figures in relation to this issue but I’m struggling to find it again among all the claims of “Land clearing is bad” stories.
