7.2.4.Sodicity

Soil sodicity is a cousin of soil salinity. The two are often confused, probably because both involve sodium. Compared to salinity, sodicity is actually a more widespread form of land degradation. It affects nearly a third of all soils in Australia causing poor water infiltration, surface crusting, erosion and waterlogging.
Runoff from sodic soils carries clay particles into waterways, causing water turbidity or cloudiness. This in turn causes environmental problems in rivers and wetlands.
Sodic soil runoff also carries high levels of nitrogen and phosphate into waterways, contributing to algal blooms.