ASS Mapping in Tasmania

​​​Tasmanian Acid Sulfate Soil (ASS) Mapping  ​​

Acid Sulfate Soil predictive mapping is available for Tasmania on the LISTmap Website. ​

Three layers are available which show the landscapes with potential to contain Acid Sulfate Soil in:

1. Subaqueous Marine and Intertidal

2. Coas​tal​

3. Inland environments​
   

Field site information is also available on a seperate layer.

These separate map layers and field site information which includes associated soil core photos, laboratory results, profile description and risk assessment are also available on the LISTmap website. Simply add the ASS layers you want and click using the identify tool to retrieve additional information about the area (polygon) or field site (point).

Tasmanian Landforms and Soils Types Identified with the Potential to Contain Acid Sulfate Soils  

​​​A total of 707,000 hectares of land has been identified with potential to contain Acid Sulfate Soils.

 Areas of Tasmania with Potential to Contain Acid Sulfate Soils (PDF 3Mb)

All mapping is also available on the ​LISTmap website​.

Most land identified as having probability to contain ASS occurs mostly in the 'Low' and 'Extremely Low' categories (87%). These two probability classes are dominated by sandplains and dunes (2-10 m and > 10 m AHD), floodplains (> 4 m), areas containing Organosols, Hydrosols and inland lakes.

The areas with 'High' probability (91,509 hectares) are dominated by intertidal flats, subaqueous materials in subtidal wetlands, sandplains and dunes (< 2 m AHD), areas containing hydrosols, supratidal flats and floodplains < 2 m.

 Landscapes in High Probability ASS areas (PDF 623Kb)​

​Table 1. Are​​as Classified to have a High Probability to Contain ASS in Tasmania

Regions/Localities with the potential to contain acid sulfate soils​

Marine Subaqueous and Intertidal Areas​

• Cradle Coast NRM Region
  Macquarie Harbour, Birchs Inlet, Sea Elephant River (King Island) Welcome Inlet, Robbins Passage, Duck Bay, East and West Inlets, Sawyer Bay, Leven estuary, Forth estuary, Don estuary, Mersey estuary and Port Sorell estuary.

• NRM North Region
  Tamar River estuary (particularly the upper reaches), Bellingham, Trent Water (Bridport), North East River estuary (Flinders Island), Ansons Bay, Georges Bay and Henderson Lagoon.

• NRM South Region
  Moulting Lagoon, Swan estuary, Little Swanport estuary, Marion Bay, southern parts of Norfolk Bay, Pitwater/Orielton Lagoon, upper Derwent estuary, Ralphs Bay, South Port Lagoon, and some small shallow embayments and lagoons on Bruny Island.

Coastal Areas​

• Cradle Coast NRM Region
  Macquarie Harbour, Birches Inlet, Robbins Island Togari, Harcus Plain, Swan Bay Plain, Welcome Heath, Perkins Island, Thousand Acre Plain Black River, East Inlet, West Inlet, Fords Plain, Inglis River floodplain, coastal plains at Wynyard, estuaries of and land adjacent to the Forth, Leven and Mersey Rivers, Port Sorell. Areas of King Island include the wetland and plains of Lavinia Nature Reserve on the east coast, Manana and Yellow Rock River alluvial plains in the central north, and Sea Elephant Estuary and Colliers swamp in the south east.

• NRM North Region
  Tamar River estuary and floodplains, the north east coastal plain including land adjacent to the Pipers, Little Pipers, Little Forester and Forster Rivers, Trent Water at Bridport, Swale and Lagoon systems in the Waterhouse, Tomahawk and Ringarooma River Floodplains, Little Musselroe and Musselroe Bays, parts of Anson Bay, Georges river floodplain, Georges Bay and Medeas Cove Wildlife Sanctuary - St Helens, Dianas Basin, Hendersons Lagoon, Scammander River Floodplains, Chain of Lagoons and the Douglas River Floodplains.

• NRM South Region
  Apsley Marshes and Moulting Lagoon on the central east coast, Swan River floodplain and estuary, Dolphin Sands adjacent to Moulting Lagoon, Maclaines Creek floodplain and Spring Bay Estuary at Triabunna, Earlham Lagoon south of Rheban, Maria Island isthmus, Bream Creek, Swan Lagoon- Forestier Peninsula, Burdens Marshes -Tasman Peninsula. Orielton Lagoon, Pittwater, Lauderdale, South Arm Neck, Bruny Island isthmus and the Huon River estuary and floodplain in the South. New River Lagoon, Melaleuca Lagoon, Port Davey and Horseshoe inlet on the West Coast.

Inland ​Areas

• Cradle Coast NRM Region
  Western areas- Rookery plain, Moores valley, Conder, Sorell, Upper Birchs River floodplains, Raynes flat (Zeehan) Micklethwaites Marsh. North Western areas - Montague and Welcome Swamps, Welcome, Montague and Duck River floodplain and surrounding sandy plain, King Island - Egg Lagoon and Bungaree Creek area.

• NRM North Region
  Floodplains surrounding Lobster Rivulet , the Mersey River, the South Esk River, and the Macquarie River. Floodplains in the Fingal Valley, including those surrounding the Break O'day and Supply Rivers. Fourteen Mile Plains, Brid River floodplains, Sandplains and dunes in the Waterhouse, Tomahawk, Rushy Lagoon and Icena areas. Inland water bodies including Lake Leake and Tooms Lake.

• NRM South Region
  A large number of inland waterbodies are identified in the Central Highlands and South West. Marshes together with the surrounding wet areas. The areas surrounding Lake Augusta, Derwent Bridge, Gelignite Creek and within the Coal and Prosser River floodplain.