Re, "I love how they had to include climate change as a reason for the increase in salinity."
Maybe they did because it is!
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I can't see the words " climate change " in this Government report !!
Salinity
From, mdba.gov.au
Salt is a common feature of the Murray–Darling Basin landscapes and rivers. The salt is derived from ancient ocean sediments, through the weathering of rocks and has been deposited by rainfall over millions of years.
The amount of salt in the Murray–Darling Basin is not increasing, however, naturally occurring salt is being 'mobilised' and concentrated in certain parts of the landscape. Whilst salt mobilisation happens naturally, it is often exacerbated by human activities such as irrigation development and land clearing. The Murray–Darling Basin's flat terrain, low rainfall and high evaporation rates contribute to increased salt concentration across the landscape. The only way for salt to leave the landscape is via water, flowing through the river system to be flushed out to sea, or via Salt Interception Schemes where some of the salt is used for industrial or domestic purposes.
Factors Contributing to Salinity There are many factors contributing to the problem of salinity.
Since European settlement, dryland and irrigation farming practices have increased the movement of salt in the landscape. The clearing of deep-rooted native vegetation, its replacement with shallow-rooted crops and pastures, and diversion of water from rivers to irrigate farmland have increased the amount of water entering the groundwater system. Rising groundwater brings salt to the land surface, affecting native vegetation, agricultural crops and pastures, rivers and streams.
In parts of the Murray–Darling Basin, saline groundwater naturally flows into rivers. When the saline groundwater systems are recharged by wet years, larger quantities of salt are mobilised and flow into the creeks and rivers.
