Wetlands

Wetlands within the Northern Agricultural Region are critical sites of surface and groundwater interaction, acting as collection points for surface water runoff and providing recharge to groundwater.

In the NAR, many wetlands dry out completely during the summer but there are some which are continuously fed by groundwater which are extremely important transitory habitats for migrating birds as well as supporting significant permanent aquatic ecologies. The habitats in and around the wetlands of the NAR are highly sensitive to water chemistry changes caused by land use practices as well as changing hydrology from both land use and climate change leading to altered water regimes.

There are eight wetlands in the NAR that are listed on the Directory of Important Wetlands (Environment Australia, 2001). These wetlands are recognised as being Nationally significant

In addition, five wetlands were listed as being sub-regionally signiﬁcant in WA’s biodiversity Audit (Desmond and Chant, 2003) along with the wetlands described in the wetland atlas for the Swan Coastal Plain. Find out about these wetlands on the map below.

Map
Information

Click features on the map for more information. View full page map.

Data courtesy of the Department of Water and Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Chandala Swamp

This wetland supports forty-two species of waterbirds and ranks in the top 4% of wetlands for number of species
Ellendale Pool

A scenic water hole formed along the Greenough River, at the base of a rocky gorge. Ellendale Pool is popular for recreational activities and nature observation.
Freshwater Springs in Northampton area
Greenough River Pools
Hutt Lagoon

Hutt Lagoon is a good example of a coastal brine lake and an important site for migratory waders. The lagoon covers approximately 2,5000 ha. At present, about 450 hectares is being used to cultivate algae from which Beta-Carotene is extracted.
Karakin Lakes

The Karakin Lakes are a good example of freshwater marsh, dominated by low sedges and grasses. Although the site has been modified by people over time, this type of wetland ecosystem is uncommon in south-western Australia.
Lake Guraga

Lake Guraga is a good example of a large saline lake on the Swan Coastal Plain and provides significant habitat for water birds. Lake Guraga is the largest of the lakes and swamps on the Dandaragan Plateau and is listed in the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia.
Lake Logue-Indoon

The Lake Logue-Indoon System includes Lake Logue, a 425 ha seasonal freshwater lake, Lake Indoon, a 130 ha semi-permanent brackish lake, and a series of smaller shallow ephemeral wetlands, intermittent creeks and drainage lines. This system is a major feeding stop-over and drought refuge for waterbirds, including the critically endangered Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea and is listed in the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia.
Lake Moore

Lake Moore is a dry salt lake east of Perenjori. The site is one of the most sacred places for the Badimia people of the area, where ceremonies traditionally took place. Lake Moore is used regularly to this day, by Badimia families, for hunting, camping, collecting bush medicines and teaching the younger generation about country and culture.
Lake Thetis

Lake Thetis is one of few lakes where both submerged benthic microbial mats and developing microbial structures occur. The shallow pools on the south western shore provide the perfect environment for cyanobacteria, which are the building blocks for stromatolites, the regions only ‘living fossils’. The stromatolite-building micro-organisms of Lake Thetis resemble the earliest forms of life on Earth and the structures are ~2,000 years old.
Lancelin Defence Training Area

This is part of a regionally significant group, the Bassendean group, and is recognised for its conservational values. Due to its proximity to surrounding nature reserves and national parks and the large area of freshwater wetlands on the site, it is likely to support a relatively high diversity of wetland biota.
Murchison River (Lower Reaches)

A good example of permanent river pools set in a long, narrow, steep-sided gorge.
Saline lakes of Coolimba – Jurien
Wannamal Lake

The system, though moderately disturbed, is a good example of a suite of wetlands of varied depth and salinity in the bioregion.
White and Green Lakes
Yarra Yarra Lake System

Yarra Yarra Lake is the terminal point for an extensive chain of salt lakes. The major lakes in the system are Monger’s Lake, Lake Goorly, Lake DeCourcy and Yarra Yarra Lake. The Yarra Yarra Lake System covers an area of 119km², is 25km long and 9km wide at its widest point. In wet years the lakes overﬂow along a broad drainage line, terminating in Yarra Yarra Lake.
Yerina Springs

Yerina Springs is a freshwater wetland fed by catchments to the north and west and provides critical habitat for flora species, such as the Endangered Long-leaved myrtle (Hypocalymma longifolium).