recently been labelled as the driving factor of increasing
salinity and recognised as a signifi cant factor
of loss of wetland area in the region. The majority
of wetlands in the USE depend on groundwater to
fi ll and during the drawdown of salty groundwater
fl ow, salts are concentrated and deposited in the
wetland sediment (Goodman et al. 2010b). Historically,
fl ooding through surface run-off generally
occurred during winter, followed by a dry period
of the summer. However, prolonged dry period and
fl ow regulation have caused the increasing salinity
of the wetlands fl ow has been regulated (Goodman
et al. 2010b). The wetlands in the region have been
isolated from its origin source by constructed drains
resulting in reduced freshwater fl ows to the wetland
and as the result many of the remaining wetlands
in the USE of South Australia are threatened by
increasing salinity (USEDS&FMP 2007).