Cell Descriptions - South East Natural Resources Management Board

SE2 – Port MacDonnell
The cell also includes another minor drainage channel – Deep Creek, which connects Stratman’s
Pond to the sea. This originally connected to Eight Mile Creek via a channel running behind the
coastal dunes, with the remnants of this flow remaining as a narrow wetland (Slater and
Farrington 2010). Connectivity should be reinstated to improve the health of fish, reptile and
amphibian populations that have been separated by the artificial drainage (Slater and Farrington
2010).
Opportunity exists for improved education and interpretation of European heritage sites and
items in the area.
Conservation Analysis (GIS)
The total of conservation summary means for this cell shows generally average values, 112.42.
However a number of small areas, indicated in red in the map below, show high total values:
Jerusalem Swamp, Cress Creek Swamp, Dingley Dell CP and adjacent swamps, and the Lions
Park at Port MacDonnell. The coastal shrubland near Cape Northumberland totals average
values.
Cell SE2 combined detailed conservation layer summary map.
Endemic (to the region) floristic vegetation shows a low average priority for this cell: only the
swamp and shrub areas NE and NW of Port MacDonnell show medium values, while the coastal
shrublands on the stranded dunes near Cape Northumberland show high values. Bird habitat
shows low values east of MacDonnell Bay, medium values for the sub-coastal wetlands within the
coastal boundary, however the vegetated areas to the west and northwest (Germein Reserve) of
Port MacDonell –the teatree shrublands and the E. obliqua woodlands – record high values as
habitat. Flora threatened status detailed totals, show moderate to high values over almost all the
cell, with high totals in the vegetation blocks of the western end.
Vegetation connectivity, shape and size are generally higher at the western end of the cell; as
might be expected, the largely cleared land of the centre and eastern end of the cell give low
conservation vegetation block metrics.
Limestone Coast and Coorong Coastal Action Plan 221