DARLING RIVERINE PLAINS BIOREGION Background Report

More documents

Recommendations

Info

16/08/02 Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion Background Report Pungbougal lagoon, Great Artesian Basin springs, and the Culgoa River floodplain are recognised as wetlands of importance in Australia (Environment Australia 2001d). The wetlands and rivers of the DRP also feed two river Ramsar sites downstream in South Australia; ie Riverland Ramsar site adjacent to the Murray River and Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Ramsar site at the mouth of the Murray River (Ellis, M., NPWS, pers. com. Dec. 2001). Other wetlands occur throughout the bioregion including some 200 defined within the Walgett to Bourke section of the Darling-Barwon River alone (DLWC 1999). The significance of these smaller wetlands has not been fully assessed but they are critical for the movement of waterbirds between larger habitats. Much of the bioregion is characterised by smaller temporary to permanent wetlands, often known as cowals. Table 2.2 Wetlands identified within each catchment of the DRP (Source: Kingsford et al. 1999) Catchment Wetland type Number of Wetland wetlands area (ha) Named wetlands within DRP % within NPWS estate Castlereagh Floodplain wetlands 35 16 451 Broadsheet Lagoon Reservoir 105 33 879 Yarraman Lagoon, Merrah Dam Castlereagh totals 140 50 330 0 Gwydir Floodplain wetlands 261 55 592 Collytootela Lagoon Reservoir 172 11 501 Bluebush Swamp Gwydir totals 433 67 093 0 Macintyre Floodplain wetlands 62 91 868 Gooroo Lagoon, Poopoopirby Lagoon Freshwater lake 1 7 Reservoir 54 2 468 Macintyre totals 117 94 343 0 Macquarie Floodplain wetlands 817 53 260 The Big Waterhole, The Big Lagoon, 29% Paddys Cowal, Moonachie Cowal, Meryon Cowal, Gewah Cowal, Dragon Cowal, Dead Gum Lake, Bay of Biscay Swamp Freshwater lake 35 1 492 0 Reservoir 98 2 175 Sandy Creek, Meringo Cowal, Ewenmar 0 Creek, Euloon Cowal, Boothaguy Creek Macquarie totals 950 56 927 7% Namoi Floodplain wetlands 82 39 710 Reservoir 102 1 866 Namoi totals 184 41 576 0 Western Floodplain wetlands 2 902 134 834 Yambie Lagoon, Well Lake, Saltbush 19% Waterhole, Nartooka Lake, Louth Freshwater lake 52 87 755 Waterhole, Kangaroo Lake, Jims Lake, Four Mile Lake, Dead Horse Lake, Copi Hollow Lake Are, Collins Lake, Paradise Tank, 4% Travellers Lake, Wintlow Lake, Lake Bintullia, Lake Eurobilli, Malta Lake, Coonimby Lake, Lake Speculation, Pollioillaluke Lake, Cawndilla Creek, Angledool Lake, Packers Lake, Bijijie Lake, Jinki Lake, Emu Lake, Balaka Lake, Nettlegoe Lake, Tandure Lake, Lake Woytchugga, Gunyulka Lake, Coocoran Lake, Wongalara Lake, Pamamaroo Lake, Narran Lake, Lake Cawndilla, Poopelloe Lake, Lake Menindee Reservoir 32 582 0% Western totals 2 986 223 170 13% DRP TOTALS 4 810 533 439 8% 44
16/08/02 Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion Background Report Catchments There are six major river catchments within the DRP (Map 19, Table 2.3). The Western and Macquarie River catchments together cover 67% of the DRP and contain most of the wetlands. Table 2.3 River catchments intersecting the DRP Catchment Area within % total % DRP DRP (ha) catchment area Western including Barwon, Birrie, Bokhara, Culgoa, 3 472 620 Darling, Little Weir, Moonie, Narran, Paroo and Warrego Rivers 12% 38% Macquarie River including Barwon, Bogan, Darling, and 2 710 519 Little Bogan Rivers 36% 29% Gwydir River including Barwon, and Mehi Rivers 910 366 34% 10% Castlereagh River 853 068 49% 9% Namoi River 779 814 19% 8% Macintyre River including Barwon, Boomi, Doondoona, and Dumaresq Rivers. 522 455 22% 6% Western Catchment The Condamine-Culgoa River system in south-central Queensland feeds the Culgoa and Bokhara Rivers of the western catchment. Beardmore Dam at St George regulates these rivers and an increase in water diversion for cotton irrigation has substantially reduced the river flow from Queensland into New South Wales. These rivers are mostly fed by summer floods from cyclonic depressions and are strongly seasonal. The Narran River is also part of this system but it does not feed into the Darling system, terminating instead at Narran Lake and associated wetlands. It is unregulated with minimal water extraction occurring. It also receives flows from the Balonne River during periods of high flow, although the Balonne is regulated by Beardmore Dam and water is also extracted to on-farm water storages, affecting the flows into the Narran system. The Narran Lakes are a large terminal lake system at the end of the Condamine - Balonne River system (Map 20). The Narran River has a small shallow main channel with a contiguous floodplain and several lakes lie along the floodplain. During a large flood event the Narran branches to fill Clear Lake while simultaneously flowing to and filling Narran Lake. Once Clear Lake has filled it overflows to fill Back Lake and the Long Arm and more water flows into Narran Lake (Ramsar 2000). Flooding mostly occurs in summer and autumn, but floods have been recorded in winter and spring. Annual inflows are highly variable and more than one flood per year has occurred during a quarter of the recorded flood events. Once inundated, Narran Lake can hold water for up to 2 years, but in years of low flow water may not reach Lake Narran at all. Back and Clear Lakes, which are within Narran Lake Nature Reserve, will usually retain water for about 4-6 months after a single inundation. As a terminal system the lakes usually empty only by evaporation and seepage but during exceptional events the Lakes can overflow to the Barwon River. These lakes have an average inundation frequency of one per two years and this is more frequent than for other inland wetlands in New South Wales (Ramsar 2000). 45
Page 1 and 2: DARLING RIVERINE PLAINS BIOREGION B
Page 3 and 4: For more information data contact t
Page 5 and 6: 3.2 Vegetation Mapping and Descript
Page 7 and 8: 10 APPENDICES 166 A CLIMATIC DATA B
Page 9 and 10: List of Maps Chapter 1 Map 1 Locati
Page 11 and 12: PROJECT SUMMARY This report forms p
Page 13 and 14: abbits are listed as key threatenin
Page 15 and 16: 16/08/02 Darling Riverine Plains Bi
Page 31 and 32: ainfall (mm) 900 800 700 600 500 40
Page 35 and 36: 1500 1000 500 0 -500 -1000 -1500 -2
Page 43: 16/08/02 Darling Riverine Plains Bi
Page 95 and 96:
16/08/02 Darling Riverine Plains Bi
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
Page 125 and 126:
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
Page 131 and 132:
Page 133 and 134:
Initial Phase Assessment Phase 16/0
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
Page 165 and 166:
Page 167 and 168:
Appendix A: Mean Monthly Rainfall a
Page 169 and 170:
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 25 20 15
Page 171 and 172:
Major Rangetype Rangetype Physiogra
Page 173 and 174:
Appendix C : Native Flora Other Tha
Page 175 and 176:
Family Scientific Name Common Name
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182:
Page 183 and 184:
Page 185 and 186:
Page 187 and 188:
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
Page 193 and 194:
Page 195 and 196:
Page 197 and 198:
Page 199 and 200:
Page 201 and 202:
Page 203 and 204:
Family Scientific Name cretica Comm
Page 205 and 206:
Page 207 and 208:
APPENDIX E: Fauna Other than Those
Page 209 and 210:
Common Name Scientific Name No Reco
Page 211 and 212:
Page 213 and 214:
Page 215 and 216:
Page 217 and 218:
Common 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 198
Page 219 and 220:
Common Name 1983 1984 1985 1986 198
Page 221 and 222:
Taxa No Records Dataset Class Arach
Page 223 and 224:
Taxa No Records Dataset Family Hebr
Page 225 and 226:
Taxa No Records Dataset Tabanidae s
Page 227:
Taxa No Records Dataset Berosus sp
show all

DARLING RIVERINE PLAINS BIOREGION Background Report

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?