Watervalley Wetlands

Watervalley Wetlands

Location| Murray and Mallee & Limestone Coast regions
South Australia[2]
Coordinates|  [ ⚑ ] : 36°28′0″S 140°11′0″E﻿ / ﻿36.466667°S 140.183333°E﻿ / -36.466667; 140.183333[1]
Basin countries| Australia
Managing agency| Wetlands and Wildlife Trust
South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board[1]
Designation| Nationally important wetland[1]
Surface area| 56.6 square kilometres (21.9 sq mi)[1]
Surface elevation| 15 to 35 metres (49 to 115 ft)[1]
References| [1]
The wetlands are an important site for sharp-tailed sandpipers

The Watervalley Wetlands is a nationally important wetland system located in the Australian state of South Australia which consists of a series of contiguous wetlands, lying on 56.6 square kilometres (21.9 sq mi) of private land[1] between the Coorong National Park and Gum Lagoon Conservation Park, in the state's south-east.[2]

## Contents

* 1 Description
* 2 Fauna
* 2.1 Birds
* 3 Flora
* 3.1 Other animals
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## Description

The wetlands comprise Mandina Marshes, Mandina Lake, Cortina Lakes, Mrs Whites Lagoon, Caora and South Flagstaff, which form a chain between relict dune systems inland of the Coorong, about 250 km south-east of Adelaide. The water in the wetlands ranges from fresh to saline according to seasonal conditions. The area has a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers, and with an average annual rainfall of 450–500 mm. Most of the land is owned by Wetlands & Wildlife, a private conservation and land rehabilitation company, with the remainder expected to become the property of the company in due course.[3]

## Fauna

### Birds

The site has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports over 1% of the world populations of sharp-tailed sandpipers, and sometimes of blue-billed and musk ducks, when water levels are suitable. It also provides habitat for diamond firetails.[4] Other birds of conservation significance present at the wetlands include black-backed and Australasian bitterns, freckled ducks, Australasian shovellers, white-bellied sea-eagles, peregrine falcons, Latham's snipes, Baillon's and spotless crakes, yellow-tailed black cockatoos, southern emu-wrens, chestnut-rumped heathwrens, diamond and beautiful firetails, and black-chinned honeyeaters. The wetlands also support large breeding colonies of several thousand ibises, egrets, spoonbills and cormorants.[3]

## Flora

The Ramsa site Coorong has been a special site to many species of bird. It has also been a special site for many plants. In particular, one type of plant which has been found to be the main source of food for the birds is Ruppia tuberosa (.[5] The draining and activities made by the European settlers during the colonial days has caused a great impact to the lives of this particular plant along with other aquatic plants that provides a stock for the birds.

### Other animals

The site is home to red-necked wallabies and common wombats at the extreme western limit of their range. Rosenberg's goannas are present. Growling grass frogs and Yarra pygmy perch have been recorded.[3]

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 de Jong, M.C. (1995). "Search result for 'Watervalley Wetlands - SA064'". Australian government. http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/wetlands/report.pl. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Search result for Watervalley Wetlands with the following layers selected - 'suburbs', "NPWSA properties', 'State Gov Regions' and 'Wetlands of National Importance'". Government of South Australia. https://data.environment.sa.gov.au/NatureMaps/Pages/default.aspx. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Watervalley Wetlands. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 2011-11-21.
4. ↑ "Important Bird Areas factsheet: Gum Lagoon". BirdLife International. 2015. http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sitefactsheet.php?id=26479. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
5. ↑ Dick, J; Haynes, D; Tibby, J; Garcia, A (2011). "A history of aquatic plants in the Coorong, a Ramsar-listed coastal wetland, South Australia". J Paleolimnol 46 (4): 623–635. doi:10.1007/s10933-011-9510-4. Bibcode: 2011JPall..46..623D.

## External links

* Watervalley Wetlands

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Wetlands

Generally|

* Acrotelm
* Aquatic ecosystem
* Aquatic plants
* Atchafalaya Basin
* Backswamp
* Bayou
* Beach meadow
* Blackwater river
* Blanket bog
* Bog
* Bog garden
* Brackish marsh
* Callows
* Carr
* Cataract bog
* Ciénega
* Clean Water Act
* Clearwater river
* Coastal bog
* Coniferous swamp
* Constructed wetland
* Dambo
* Drainage basin
* Estuary
* Fen
* Flark
* Flood-meadow
* Flooded grasslands and savannas
* Freshwater marsh
* Freshwater swamp forest
* Grass valley
* Guelta
* Halosere
* Hydrosere
* Igapó
* Ings
* Interdunal wetland
* Intertidal wetland
* Karst
* Kermi bog
* Kettle
* Lagg
* Mangrove
* Marsh
* Marsh gas
* Mere
* Mire
* Misse
* Moorland
* Muck
* Mudflat
* Muskeg
* Oasis
* Palsa bog
* Paludification
* Palustrine wetland
* Plateau bog
* Pocosin
* Polygonal bog
* Pond
* Peat swamp forest
* Poor fen
* Pothole
* Raised bog
* Reed bed
* Rich fen
* Riparian zone
* River delta
* Salt marsh
* Salt pannes and pools
* Shrub swamp
* Slough
* String bog
* Swamp
* Telmatology
* Tidal marsh
* Upland bog
* Wet meadow
* Will-o'-the-wisp
* Várzea forest
* Vernal pool
* Whitewater river
* Yaéré

Classification systems|

* Wetland classification
* A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia
* National Wetlands Inventory
* Ramsar Convention

Organizations|

* Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Board
* Delta Waterfowl Foundation
* Ducks Unlimited
* Wetlands International
* Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

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