Water Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-TGP-AGR-WEC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

400 µS/cm

Direction: Lower is desirable ↓

Form: MinimumOnly

Scoring Curve

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context. The scoring engine uses 3 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 2 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

Evidence suggests that using water with an EC below approximately 400 µS/cm can lead to the stripping of essential cations from soil aggregates, causing soil structural degradation, surface sealing, and reduced water infiltration.

Metric Definition:

Electrical Conductivity (EC) level in irrigation water below which soil structural degradation occurs due to cation stripping.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the minimum electrical conductivity in irrigation water necessary to maintain soil structural integrity in temperate grassy woodland agricultural systems.

Justification:

Agronomic science and guidelines warn of soil structural decline below this EC level due to ion leaching and soil particle dispersion.

Sources (1)

Salinity - Murray–Darling Basin Authority, accessed August 11, 2025, Government

Salinity | Murray–Darling Basin Authority

View Source

Supporting Sources (1)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Effects of increasing salinity on freshwater ecosystems in Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 28, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

Effects of increasing salinity on freshwater ecosystems in Australia - CSIRO Publishing

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Temperate Grassy Woodlands & Plains
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Agricultural Biodiversity Target
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 9 Jun 2026

Notes

No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. This threshold is specific to irrigated agricultural systems and reflects the need to balance water purity with soil health.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TGP-AGR-WEC family.