Australian Wetlands Database

Ramsar wetlands

Currawinya Lakes (Currawinya National Park)

Overview

Key facts and figures:
Date of listing:	11 March 1996	The shoreline of the saline Lake Wyara, Photo: Rosemary Purdie
Australian Ramsar site number:	43
Criteria:	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
State/Territory:	Queensland
Area:	About 151 300 hectares
Drainage Division or IMCRA region:	Paroo Drainage Basin within the Murray-Darling Drainage Division
Wetland type:	N - Seasonal/intermittent/irregular rivers/streams/creeks O - Permanent freshwater lakes (over 8 ha); includes large oxbow lakes P - Seasonal/intermittent freshwater lakes (over 8 ha); includes floodplain lakes Q - Permanent saline/brackish/alkaline lakes R - Seasonal/intermittent saline/brackish/alkaline lakes and flats Sp - Permanent saline/brackish/alkaline marshes/pools Ss - Seasonal/intermittent saline/brackish/alkaline marshes/pools Ts - Seasonal/intermittent freshwater marshes/pools on inorganic soils; includes sloughs, potholes, seasonally flooded meadows, sedge marshes Y - Freshwater springs; oases
Key features of the site:
The Currawinya Lakes Ramsar site is a complex landscape, containing a river, dunefields, lakes, alluvial plains, claypans, saltpans, springs, creeks and deeply weathered ranges. It has some of the most diverse wetland types in inland Australia, with largely unmodified permanent and intermittent saline and freshwater wetlands, including the Great Artesian Basin springs. These artesian springs occur on the margins of the Great Artesian Basin as vents for the natural discharge of artesian water. The Great Artesian Basin is one of the largest artesian groundwater basins in the world. It underlies approximately one-fifth of Australia, covers a total area of over 1,711,000 square kilometres and has an estimated total water storage of 64,900 million megalitres. More than 70 artesian springs in five broad groups have been identified on the site, mostly in the Hoods Range area to the east of Lake Numalla, with isolated springs in low dunefields to the east and south of Lake Numalla. All spring groups except one contain both active and inactive mounded and non-mounded (water) springs. The two largest water bodies within the Ramsar site, Lake Numalla and Lake Wyara, are markedly different. Lake Numalla, fed by the Paroo River via Carwarra Creek during floods, is fresh and turbid while, only three kilometres away, Lake Wyara is saline and generally clear. Lake Numalla is also a semi-permanent water body, having been dry three times since pastoral settlement, whereas Lake Wyara dries regularly and becomes a vast saltpan. Currawinya also contains two of just three permanent waterholes (Caiwarro and Corni Paroo) on the Paroo River downstream of Eulo. The range of wetland habitats within the Ramsar site supports an array of native fauna, particularly an abundance and diversity of waterbird species. The Currawinya Lakes are of international significance as part of an inland route for migratory shorebirds from East Asia, providing important summer feeding areas. The water bodies support substantial waterbird breeding events (particularly for pelicans, gulls, terns, cormorants and swans), as well as providing refuge habitat in drought conditions for birds, amphibians, reptiles and native fish. Numerous plant communities are found within Currawinya Lakes, with sandplains dominated by mulga and poplar box low open woodlands; gidgee and yapunyah woodlands on alluvial plains; mulga, bastard mulga, and turpentine mulga shrublands on the ranges and hills; and low, open shrublands and sedgelands on dunefields and claypans. Currawinya Lakes is highly significant to local Indigenous communities for its archaeological, traditional and contemporary values. The site includes stone arrangements, native wells, scarred trees (trees with bark removed for canoes and shields), stone artefacts and burial grounds. Contemporary use of the area is limited by its remote location. A number of nature-based, low-impact recreational activities occur within the site, including nature walks and drives, wildlife watching, camping, canoeing and fishing.
Justification of the listing criteria:
The Currawinya Lakes Ramsar site meets six of the nine criteria: Criterion 1. The site contains one of the richest and most diverse samples of wetlands in inland Australia with a range of saline and freshwater wetland features, represented in an unmodified condition, including the rare wetland Artesian Mound Springs. Criterion 2. Artesian Mound Springs within the Currawinya Lakes Ramsar site represent a unique ecological community which is listed as threatened under national legislation. The site supports three wetland species that are also threatened under national legislation: Australian painted snipe, silver perch and the regal pumpkin burr. Criterion 3. The diversity of wetland habitats is critical in supporting a remarkable variety of native fauna of the bioregion, in particular the abundance and diversity of waterbird species. No other wetlands in arid or southern Australia are thought to support such high numbers of waterbirds as consistently as Currawinya Lakes. The permanent waterbodies are particularly important for maintaining biodiversity as they provide wildlife refuge habitat in drought conditions. Criterion 4. The site supports substantial waterbird breeding events. In particular, islands within Lake Wyara are important for colonial breeding waterbirds such as Australian pelican, black swan, Caspian tern, red-necked avocet, silver gull, and cormorants. During drought conditions, the permanent lakes and waterholes are important wildlife refugia for amphibians, fish, reptiles and birds. Criterion 5. The Currawinya Lakes Ramsar site supports a high abundance of waterbirds, with counts in excess of 100,000 individuals recorded on several occasions. Criterion 6. The Currawinya Lakes Ramsar site supports significant numbers of individual waterbird species. At least 10 species of waterbirds have exceeded the 1% population threshold required to meet this criteria. These species include pink-eared duck, Eurasian coot, black swan, freckled duck, grey teal, sharp-tailed sandpiper, hardhead, Australasian shoveler, banded stilt, and red-necked avocet.
Please see the More Information page for additional information on this Ramsar site and access to the Ramsar Information sheets and other associated site documents.

More information

The Ramsar Convention encourages the development of three key documents for each Ramsar site: Ramsar Information Sheets - required at the time of nomination of a site to the List of Wetlands of International Importance, are to be updated every six years, or when there are significant changes in the site's ecological character. Ecological Character Descriptions - describe the ecological character of the site at the time of its listing as a wetland of international importance. Management Plans - used to formulate and implement planning so as to promote the wise use and conservation of wetlands. For more information about these documents see the Ramsar documents page. Along with the available site documents, additional information and resources on this Ramsar site are listed below. Please note that apart from the Ramsar Information Sheets, not all documents are currently available for every Australian Ramsar site.
Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS):	Currawinya Lakes (Currawinya National Park) RIS - PDF \| RTF
Ecological Character Description (ECD):	An Ecological Character Description is currently being developed. Further information is available from wetlandsmail@environment.gov.au
Management Plan (MP):	Currawinya Lakes Ramsar Site/Currawinya National Park - Ramsar Management Summary 2014 Currawinya National Park Management Plan 2001
Additional information provided to the Ramsar Secretariat:
Other information:	The Basin Plan WetlandInfo Currawinya Lakes Ramsar Site Factsheet Currawinya Lakes Brochure Currawinya National Park National Reserve System Species Profiles and Threats database Protected Matters search tool Migratory Species in Australia National Landcare Programme Weeds in Australia and weed management

Additional resources:
Gasteen, W.J. (1985) . The Currawinya Lakes National Parks Proposal. Unpublished Report to the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service. Geeves, J. and Thomas, M. (1992). Bird Observations for Lake Numalla and Lake Wyara - Currawinya National Park, south-west Queensland. The Queensland Naturalist 31 (5-6): 114-118. Kingsford, R.T. and Porter, J.L. (1994). Waterbirds on an adjacent freshwater lake and salt lake in arid Australia. Biological Conservation 69: 219-228. Leggett, R. (1992). A report of freshwater fish and water quality at Eulo and other sites in south-west Queensland. The Queensland Naturalist 31 (5-6): 119-122. Ley, A.J. and Davie P. (1995). Birds of Currawinya National Park, South-west Queensland. Sunbird 25(2): 31-43. Purdie, R.W. (1985). Currawinya Key Area, Mulga Lands Biogeographic Region. Unpublished Report, Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service. QPWS. (2001) Currawinya National Park Management Plan. QPWS, Brisbane.