Refugia for biological diversity in arid and semi-arid Australia
Biodiversity Series, Paper No. 4
S.R. Morton, J. Short and R.D. Barker, with an Appendix by G.F. Griffin and G. Pearce
Biodiversity Unit
Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories, 1995
14. Refugia in New South Wales (continued)
14.2. Reference number NSW2
Refuge area: Paroo wetlands
Biogeographic region: Mulga Lands
Type of refuge: Wetlands
Lat./Long. 29°10’S / 144°30’E to 31°00’S / 143°30’E
Quality of refuge: Significant (2)
Area (km²): <10,000
Chief refuge value
A massive complex of wetlands providing a wide range of habitats and a major drought refuge for waterbirds.
General description
The Paroo River and Cuttaburra Creek, together with the Warrego River, run south-west from the Queensland border towards Wilcannia, carrying occasional floodwaters through a reticulate system of broad, shallow distributary channels and draining into overflow swamps and terminal playa lakes1, 2, 3, 4. The channels and swamps are densely vegetated with lignum Muehlenbeckia cunninghamii and eucalypts and acacias. Associated with the system are salinas, such as Utah Lake, which experience short-term inundation from local run-off3. Major flooding takes place on average about once every five years; the persistent water supports large populations of breeding and refuging waterbirds3, 5.
ANZECC-listed species
None identified.
Regional endemics
None identified.
Relict species
None identified.
Other significant species
The huge populations of waterbirds that use the wetlands3. The freckled duck Stictonetta naevosa occurs3.
Key threats
Changes to hydrology and vegetation springing from over-grazing on surrounding pastoral land.
Land tenure
Nocoleche Nature Reserve, pastoral leases.
Key references
1. Goodrick (1984)
2. Maher (1991)
3. Maher and Braithwaite (1992)
4. Wettin et al. (1993)
5. Lawler and Briggs (1991)
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