Landscape:
Geology - Holocene sediments of predominantly coarse to fine quartz sand with shell fragments and occasionally silt.Topography - level to gently undulating non-tidal coastal sand flats. Local relief is < 3m. Elevation is < 3m, with slope gradients < 5%. The watertable generally occurs within 200cm of the surface. On the lakeward or seaward side of this soil landscape, the ground water may be brackish and fluctuate with the tide. In some areas drainage canals have been excavated to improve drainage.
Vegetation:
Extensively cleared open- woodland with occasional scrub, and native species including bloodwood (Eucalyptus gummifera), blackbutt (Eucalyptus piluaris), coastal banksia (Banksia integrifolia), old man banksia (Banksia serrata), wallum banksia (Banksia aemula), swamp mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta), Broad-leaf paperbark (Mellaleuca quinquenervia) and swamp oak (Casuarina glauca) occur in poorly drained areas.Soils:
Dominant Soil Materials Deep (>200cm) Silceous Sands (Uc1.22, Uc5.11) an occasional Podzols (Uc2.3) on well drained ilder beach ridges, Humus Podzols (Uc4.22, Uc4.24, Uc2.21) in poorly drained areas.Dark brown coarse sand to sandy loam with loose apedal single-grained structure and sandy fabric. It occurs as topsoil (A, horizon). Texture can increase to loam when organic matter is very high. Colour is brownish black (10YR 2/1) or dark brown (10YR 3/3), due to the presence of organic matter but can range to a dull yellowish brown (10YR 3/3).
Limitations
Permanently high water tables, localised flooding, periodic waterlogging in depressions, very low to low soil fertility, localised areas of high soil erosion hazard.
Source: Soil landscapes of Gosford-Lake Macquarie, Dept Conservation and Land Management, 1993