2007 Wetland Inventory for the Eyre Peninsula

4.0 OVERVIEW OF WETLAND INVENTORY TRENDSThe most comprehensive listing of wetlands in South Australia in terms of numbers and coverage is byLloyd and Balla (1986). This study identified about 1500 wetlands and complexes state-wide.The Lloyd and Balla listing was a desktop study that collated and recorded information within a standardformat. This included:• wetland type • aquatic and fringing vegetation• name • wetland condition• location • water regime• size • landuse• catchment • impacts• aquatic fauna • tenure.This report does provide a good starting point in understanding the extent and some attributes of SouthAustralian wetlands. The study does however fall short in providing up to date information on invertebratecomposition, water chemistry and basic landform information. The wetlands listed in Lloyd and Balla formedthe basis for site selection in undertaking baseline surveys for this current study.Since Lloyd and Balla’s 1986 report, several studies have mirrored this kind of information and presentationof wetland information, but has not been collected within a standard format. However, good information hasbeen generated for certain areas including the Murray River corridor. Thompson’s (1986) study of RiverMurray Wetlands and Jensen et al (1996) Wetland Atlas report of the South Australian Murray ValleyWetlands made inroads into spatially capturing wetland locations through the use if GIS. The introduction oflinking wetlands with GIS enabled the creation of a wetlands GIS database for the Murray Valley Wetlands.In 1997 a GIS database was also created for the South East wetlands. This database recorded wetlandtype, name, complex, watercourses and assigned a condition score and conservation value, Carruthers andHille (1997). The benefits of collecting data and linking it to GIS became evident not only for environmentalplanning and information retrieval but also for reporting to Environment Australia on the extent of wetlandresources.In 1993 the Australian Nature and Conservation Agency published the first edition of ‘A Directory ofImportant Wetlands in Australia’. A second edition was complied in 1996, which included information on 68wetlands in South Australia. Information was collected and put into a format which provided, for the firsttime, a detailed assessment of selected wetlands in South Australia.It became apparent, that several regions within South Australia were lacking baseline wetland information.De Jong and Morelli (1996) suggested that there is a need for systematic inventories, biological surveysand research programs in many areas of the State. Wetland information in regions such as the GreatVictoria Desert, Flinders and Olary Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island andNullarbor is inadequate.This project combines some of these key developments and recommendations, namely developing a GISdatabase and providing baseline information for nominated regions.9