Soil Water Infiltration Rate

AUS-AIF-LVG-SWI General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

5 mm/hr

Thresholds: Lower: —, Upper: 5

Direction: Lower is desirable ↓

Form: MaximumOnly

Scoring Curve

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context.

Evidence & Context

a steady-state infiltration rate of less than 5 mm/hr can be considered a functionally critical threshold, representing a state of hydrological failure.

Metric Definition:

Soil Water Infiltration Rate

Benchmark Definition:

Critical infiltration rate below which hydrological function is impaired, indicating severe degradation and hydrological dysfunction.

Justification:

Represents a state of hydrological failure characterized by surface sealing, high runoff, and active erosion.

Sources (1)

Preview of The effect of soil and pasture attributes on ... - CSIRO Publishing

The effect of soil and pasture attributes on ... - CSIRO Publishing Journal

Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health Technical Reference 1734-6 version 5 - Bureau of Land Management, accessed July 18, 2025,

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Supporting Sources (19)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of A framework relating soil surface condition to infiltration and sediment and nutrient mobilization in grazed rangelands of northeastern Queensland, Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate

A framework relating soil surface condition to infiltration and sediment and nutrient mobilization in grazed rangelands of northeastern Queensland, Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Contextual Support Journal

A framework relating soil surface condition to infiltration and sediment and nutrient mobilization in grazed rangelands of northeastern Queensland, Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 18, 2025,

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A Health Check for our Agricultural Soils - Enviro Data SA, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Managing soils during and after drought in cropping systems - Fact sheet - Soil CRC

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Beeftalk - FutureBeef, accessed July 18, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Beeftalk - FutureBeef, accessed July 18, 2025,

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Preview of Can extension programs improve grazing management in rangelands: a case study in Australia's Great Barrier Reef catchments - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 10, 2025,

Can extension programs improve grazing management in rangelands: a case study in Australia's Great Barrier Reef catchments - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 10, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Can extension programs improve grazing management in rangelands: a case study in Australia's Great Barrier Reef catchments - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 18, 2025,

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Preview of Can simple, on-ground vegetation and soil measures reliably indicate the health of rangelands? An application in Australia's semi-arid woodlands - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 30, 2025

Can simple, on-ground vegetation and soil measures reliably indicate the health of rangelands? An application in Australia's semi-arid woodlands - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 30, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

on-ground vegetation and soil measures reliably indicate the health of rangelands? An application in Australia's semi-arid woodlands - CSIRO Publishing

View Source

Criterion I: Soil and water conservation on rangelands [Chapter 2] - Forest Service, accessed July 18, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Criterion I: Soil and water conservation on rangelands [Chapter 2] - Forest Service, accessed July 18, 2025,

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Preview of Do regenerative grazing management practices improve vegetation and soil health in grazed rangelands? Preliminary insights from a space-for-time study in the Great Barrier Reef catchments, Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Do regenerative grazing management practices improve vegetation and soil health in grazed rangelands? Preliminary insights from a space-for-time study in the Great Barrier Reef catchments, Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support

Ludwig, J.A., Bastin, G.N., Chewings, V.H., Eager, R.W., and Liedloff, A.C. (2005). Clearing savannas for use as rangelands in Queensland: Altered landscapes and water-erosion processes. Rangeland Journal, 27(2), 135-149.

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Preview of Effects of soil degradation on infiltration rates in grazed semiarid rangelands of northeastern Patagonia, Argentina - project bedrock

Effects of soil degradation on infiltration rates in grazed semiarid rangelands of northeastern Patagonia, Argentina - project bedrock

Contextual Support Journal

Effects of Grazing on Water Erosion, Compaction and Infiltration on Grasslands - MDPI

View Source

Grazing support programs | Environment, land and water - Queensland Government, accessed August 8, 2025

Direct Evidence Government

Response of Grazing Land Soil Health to Management Strategies: A Summary Review, accessed July 17, 2025,

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Impacts of Different Tillage Practices on Soil Water Infiltration for Sustainable Agriculture, accessed July 7, 2025

Direct Evidence

Understanding the surface hydrology of the Lake Eyre Basin: Part 10Rainfall | Request PDF, accessed July 21, 2025

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Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Infiltration Infiltration Management - USDA, accessed July 18, 2025,

Contextual Support

Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Infiltration Infiltration Management - USDA, accessed July 18, 2025,

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Managing environmental flows in an agricultural landscape: the Lower Gwydir floodplain - DCCEEW, accessed July 18, 2025,

Contextual Support

Vegetation mapping of the Barwon-Darling and Condamine ...

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National Guidance on Acid Sulfate Soils - Water Quality Australia

Contextual Support Journal

Managing soils - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

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Rangeland Soil Quality: Infiltration - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Infiltration.pdf - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed August 11, 2025

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Response of Grazing Land Soil Health to Management Strategies: A Summary Review, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Response of Grazing Land Soil Health to Management Strategies: A Summary Review

View Source

Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Spatial distribution of soil microbial activity and soil properties ..., accessed August 13, 2025,

View Source

Soil water measurement and management on Vertisols in Queensland, Australia, accessed July 18, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Tillage and Residue Effects on Infiltration and Sediment Losses on Vertisols - USDA ARS, accessed July 18, 2025,

View Source

The effect of soil and pasture attributes on rangeland infiltration rates in northern Australia, accessed July 18, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

(PDF) Deep drainage rates of Grey Vertosols depend on land use in semi-arid subtropical regions of Queensland, Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 18, 2025,

View Source

The Impacts of Grazing 1 NEFA BACKGROUND PAPER - Cloudfront.net, accessed August 6, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

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Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Inland Floodplains & Ephemeral River Systems
Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
Assessment Conservation Target
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 21 Mar 2026

Notes

Corresponds to 'D' condition land with severe degradation and hydrological dysfunction.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AIF-LVG-SWI family.