Management Plan forthe Riverland RamsarSite · values of the Site. An Ecological Character Description (ECD) was completed for the Site in 2009 describing the character of the site

Management Plan for the

Riverland Ramsar Site

A Plan for Wise Use 2010 - 2015

Woolenook Bend

The Riverland Ramsar Site Management Plan 2010-2015

For further information please contact:

Department for Environment and Heritage Phone Information Line (08) 8204 1910, or see SA White Pages for your local Department for Environment and Heritage office.

Online information available at: http://www.environment.sa.gov.au

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While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Department of Environment and Heritage makes no representations and accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fitness for any particular purpose of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of or reliance on the contents of this publication. Reference to any company, product or service in this publication should not be taken as a Departmental endorsement of the company, product or service.

Photography:

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ISBN

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Executive Summary

The Riverland Ramsar Site is loc a ted in South Austra lia within the Murray-Darling Basin c a tc hment. It is on the floodp la in of the lower River Murray, lying a long an 80km sec tion of the River Murray between Renmark and the Vic torian and New South Wa les border. It was first listed as a Wetland of Interna tiona l Importanc e in 1987 under the Ramsar Convention. This segment of the lower River Murray floodplain c onsists of the ma in river c hannel and a d iversity of wetland hab ita ts inc lud ing a series of c reeks, c hannels, lagoons, b illabongs, swamps and lakes. Between the wa ter-bod ies a re extensive a reas of low-lying floodp la in tha t a re flooded during high river levels with rec ed ing floodwaters being reta ined in tempora ry wetlands. The Site supports many aquatic fauna and waterbirds, some of whic h are migra tory and a lso provides important hab ita t for many terrestria l fauna species, including refuge for wildlife during the dry season.

The Site has multip le land tenures, inc lud ing lease a rrangements and both p riva te and government land ownership . Land uses inc lude pastora l, ec o-tourism, and conservation.

The Riverland Ramsar Site Management Plan 2010 2015 p rovides a synthesis of c urrent and past knowledge; desc rib ing the environmenta l, c ultura l and wise use va lues of the Site. An Ec olog ic a l Charac ter Desc rip tion (ECD) was c omp leted for the Site in 2009 desc rib ing the c harac ter of the site (c omponents, p roc esses and servic es) a t the time of Listing . The ECD desc ribes a dec lining trend in the vegeta tion hea lth within the site; a trend tha t was evident p rior to Listing . Overbank flood ing from the River Murray c hannel d rives the floodp la in ec ology. However, due to river regula tion and wa ter extrac tion for irriga tion and human needs, the c hanges in flood frequenc y, dura tion and extent have had a detrimenta l impac t ac ross the floodp la in. Altered flow reg imes a re c onsidered the most signific ant fac tor in deteriora tion of the ec olog ic a l c harac ter of the Site, fo llowed c losely by sa linisa tion of the landsc ape. Rec ent vegeta tion hea lth surveying (DEH 2009) has identified tha t the dec line in vegeta tion hea lth has c ontinued beyond na tura l thresholds and the limits of acceptable change, indicating a possible change in the site s ec olog ic a l c harac ter.

The development of the Riverland Ramsar Site Management Plan 2010 2015 has been written to set d irec tions for the future management of the Site, identifying stra teg ies and ac tions needed to p rotec t, restore and ma inta in the d iverse va lues and ec olog ic a l c harac ter of the Site. Some ac tions a re rec ognised as ongoing , while others a re rec ognised for development and imp lementa tion within the life of this p lan, and others rec ognised as longer-term p rojec ts being developed and implemented over ten years. Given the d rying c limate and limited ava ilab ility of environmenta l wa ter, the development of a Watering Plan was g iven the highest ranking of 1 , whic h is desc ribed as being essentia l, and when imp lemented , will ac hieve the grea test ga ins for the ma intenanc e and restora tion of ec olog ic a l character.

Development and imp lementa tion of the Watering Plan will help susta in the ecological character of the Site under low flow regimes, although it can not address the wa tering needs for the entire Site. While ec olog ic a l benefits tha t c an be ac hieved for eac h wetland will be an important c onsidera tion in develop ing the

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Watering Plan, there a re some p rac tic a lities and fac tors tha t a lso need to be c onsidered suc h as, c urrent hea lth sta tus and ab ility to get wa ter to the site. Development of the Watering Plan needs to be an inc lusive p roc ess, involving government agenc ies, landholders and c ommunity. A basis for p lan development has been initia ted within this doc ument and c an be found in Append ix 6. It is expec ted , onc e this d ra ft has been endorsed , foc us will c entre upon the completion and implementation of the Watering Plan.

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Acknowledgements

The Department for Environment and Heritage developed the Riverland Ramsar Site Management Plan 2010 2015 in conjunction with the Riverland Ramsar Site Management Plan Steering Committee.

The Riverland Ramsar Site Management Plan Steering Committee membership c onsisted of landowner rep resenta tives and a rep resenta tive from the following organisa tions: Depa rtment of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (Australian Government), Department for Environment and Heritage (South Austra lian Government), Renmark Paringa Distric t Counc il, Field and Game Association, The Department of Water, Land and Biod iversity Conserva tion (la ter bec ame the South Austra lian Murray-Darling Basin Natura l Resourc es Management Board), and Renmark to the Border Local Action Planning Committee.

Committee members, past and present included:

Tony Sharley (Chairman) Phil Heading

Ryan Breen Tony Herbert

Peter Cale Phil Reddy

Deborah Callister Jock Robertson

Benita Dillon John Rover

Sonia Dominelli Max Schmidt

Allan Eckerman Mark Stoeckel

Jody Gates Peter Teakle

Jacqueline Giles Peter Waanders

Richard Hamley Andrew Weigall

Mike Harper Neville Whitehead

Peter Haslett Grant Whiteman

Most of the maps in this report were kind ly p roduc ed by the GIS Tec hnic a l Offic ers -Benno Curth (DEH) and Jacqui Oates (DEH), and the Management Principles for the Riverland Ramsar Site Management Plan were developed by Jenny Bourne (now Department of Health).

The Management Plan was developed with fund ing rec eived from the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, (Ramsar Management Planning Program). Previous d ra fts were developed with fund ing from the Na tiona l Ac tion Plan for Sa linity and Water Qua lity, and the Integra ted Na tura l Resourc e Management Group for the SA Murray-Darling Basin Inc.

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Acronyms and Abbreviations

JAMBA Japan-Australia Migratory Birds Agreement

CAMBA China-Australia Migratory Birds Agreement

ROKAMBA Republic of Korea Australia Migratory Birds Agreement

CRCFE Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology

DEH Department for Environment and Heritage

DEET Department of Employment, Education and Training

DEH CFS Department of Environment and Heritage Country Fire Service

DEWHA Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

DWLBC Department for Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation

DNR (NSW) Department of Natural Resources (NSW)

ECD Ecological Character Description

MDBA Murray-Darling Basin Authority

RBLAP Renmark to the Border Local Action Planning

ORS SA Office for Recreation & Sport SA

PIRSA Primary Industries and Resources South Australia

SA MDB NRM South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Board Board

SA MDB South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Aboriginal Natural Resources Aboriginal Management Group NRM Group

SARDI South Australian Research and Development Institution

TSA Tourism South Australia

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

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CONTENTS Executive Summary .................................................................................................. 3 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... 5 Acronyms and Abbreviations..................................................................................... 6 CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. 7 List of Figures............................................................................................................ 9 List of tables .............................................................................................................. 9 1.0 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 10

1.1 Vision for the Riverland Ramsar Site ............................................................. 10 1.2 Purpose of this Plan....................................................................................... 10 1.3 Relevant Treaties, Legislation and Government Policy ................................. 11

1.3.1 International Treaties .............................................................................. 11 1.3.2 Australian Government Legislation and Policy ........................................ 12 1.3.3 State Legislation and Strategies.............................................................. 14

1.4 Wise Use ....................................................................................................... 16 1.5 Plan Development ......................................................................................... 16 1.6 Planning Context ........................................................................................... 17

2.0 THE RIVERLAND RAMSAR SITE .................................................................... 17 2.1 Location and Site Description ........................................................................ 17

2.1.1 Description of Catchment........................................................................ 17 2.1.2 Description of the Riverland Ramsar Site ............................................... 18

2.2 Ramsar listing criteria .................................................................................... 24 2.3 Ecological Character...................................................................................... 25

3.0 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS...................................................................... 25 3.1 Geology and Soils.......................................................................................... 25 3.2 Climate .......................................................................................................... 26 3.3 Hydrology ...................................................................................................... 26

3.3.1 Historical and current water flows ........................................................... 26 3.3.2 Floodplain inundation under flow scenarios ............................................ 27 3.3.3 Identification of wetlands within the Riverland Ramsar Site .................... 30 3.3.4 Changes in wetland classification since Listing....................................... 31

4.0 BIODIVERSITY CHARACTERISTICS .............................................................. 33 4.1 Vegetation ..................................................................................................... 33

4.1.1 Changes in Ecological Character since Listing ....................................... 36 4.2 Fauna ............................................................................................................ 39

4.2.1 Avian Fauna............................................................................................ 39 4.2.2 Fish ......................................................................................................... 40

4.4 Threatened Species....................................................................................... 41 5.0 CULTURAL VALUES ........................................................................................ 44

5.1 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage........................................................................... 44 5.2 European Cultural Heritage ........................................................................... 44

6.0 WISE USE......................................................................................................... 46 6.1 Economic....................................................................................................... 46

6.1.1 Tourism ................................................................................................... 46 6.1.2 Irrigation .................................................................................................. 46 6.1.3 Farming................................................................................................... 46 6.1.4 Fishing .................................................................................................... 47

6.2 Recreation ..................................................................................................... 48 6.2.1 Fishing .................................................................................................... 48 6.2.2 Waterfowl Hunting................................................................................... 49

6.3 Environmental Education............................................................................... 49 6.4 Scientific Research ........................................................................................ 50

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7.0 THREATS ......................................................................................................... 50 7.1 Alteration to the natural hydrological regime.................................................. 51 7.2 Climate change / prolonged drought and increased rates of evaporation...... 53 7.3 Salinity and elevated / altered groundwater regime....................................... 53 7.4 High sedimentation rates ............................................................................... 55 7.5 Barriers to flow and fish passage................................................................... 56 7.6 Total grazing pressures ................................................................................. 57 7.7 Introduced flora and fauna............................................................................. 57

7.7.1 Fauna...................................................................................................... 57 7.7.2 Flora........................................................................................................ 59

7.8 Fire ................................................................................................................ 61 7.9 Threats to Cultural Heritage........................................................................... 63 7.10 Visitor use.................................................................................................... 63

8.0 MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................ 65 8.1 Management principles.................................................................................. 65 8.2 Management.................................................................................................. 66 8.3 The Action Plan ............................................................................................. 67

9.0 RESEARCH AND MONITORING ..................................................................... 76 9.1 Research ....................................................................................................... 76 9.2 Monitoring...................................................................................................... 77

10.0 EVALUATION, REPORTING AND REVIEW................................................... 81 10.1 Performance and Evaluation ....................................................................... 81 10.2 Reporting and Review ................................................................................. 83

12.0 REFERENCES................................................................................................ 84 Appendix 1 ....................................................................................................... 91 Appendix 2 ....................................................................................................... 93 Appendix 3 ....................................................................................................... 96 Appendix 4 ..................................................................................................... 111 Appendix 5 ..................................................................................................... 113 Appendix 6 ..................................................................................................... 121

Guidelines and information for the development of the Watering Plan.................. 121 1.0 Overview...................................................................................................... 121 1.1 Sources of Water ......................................................................................... 122 1.2 Sources of funding....................................................................................... 122 1.3 Watering needs ........................................................................................... 122

1.3.1 Vegetation communities and their required water regimes for survival and

recruitment ..................................................................................................... 122 1.3.2 Wetlands and their known water regimes for survival and recruitment and

their biodiversity values.................................................................................. 125

1.4 Watering from the Chowilla Regulator ......................................................... 129 1.5 Establish prioritisation of wetlands to receive water in the following 12 months. .......................................................................................................................... 129 1.6 Establish monitoring regime ........................................................................ 129

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List of Figures

Figure 1. Land tenure within the Riverland Ramsar Site.

Figure 2. Riverland Ramsar Site Management blocks with floodplain units highlighted within the three blocks.

Figure 3. Mean monthly rainfall at Renmark since 1995 2009.

Figure 4. Flooding across the Riverland Ramsar Site using the Flood Inundation Model (FIM III) under flows into the State of 40,000 ML, 60,000 ML, 80,000 ML and 100,000 ML.

Figure 5. Location of wetlands and their Ramsar Classification across the Riverland Ramsar Site.

Figure 6. Terrestrial vegetation communities found within the Riverland Ramsar Site.

Figure 7a. Health of dominant tree species across the Riverland Ramsar Site in 2002.

Figure 7b. Health of dominant tree species across the Riverland Ramsar Site in 2009.

Figure 8. Distribution of Phragmites australis associations across the Riverland Ramsar Site.

List of tables

Table 1. Classific a tion of the Riverland Ramsar Site floodp la in units, land tenure and land use

summary.

Table 2. Summary of vegeta tion c ommunities, wetland types and floodp la in a rea inundated under modelled flow scenarios.

Table 3. Ramsar classification of wetlands on the Riverland Ramsar Site.

Table 4. Changes in wetland classification.

Table 5. Introduced fauna found in the Riverland Ramsar Site.

Table 6. Introduced flora in the Riverland Ramsar Site currently of economic and/or

environmental concern.

Table 7. Research projects for the Riverland Ramsar Site.

Table 8. Monitoring and prioritisation program.

Table 9. Summary of where the Limits of Acceptable Change, Key threat Indicators and Site

monitoring needs have been addressed within the monitoring plan.

Table 10. Performance evaluation indicators to monitor progress of management objectives

for the Riverland Ramsar Site Management Plan.

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Riverland Site was first listed as a Wetland of Interna tiona l Importanc e in 1987 under the Ramsar Convention. As signa tory to the Ramsar Convention, Austra lia has an ob liga tion to ma inta in the ec olog ic a l c harac ter of its Wetlands of Interna tiona l Importance. To ac hieve this, the Environmenta l Protec tion and Biodiversity Conserva tion Ac t (1999) requires site-based management p lans be prepared for these wetlands. The management p lan for the Riverland Ramsar Site is expected to p rovide a framework for the c onserva tion and ma intenanc e of the Site s ec olog ic a l charac ter and wise use of the a rea . In add ition, the Plan will a lso further Austra lia s c ommitments to other interna tiona l trea ties inc lud ing the Japan-Austra lia Migra tory Birds Agreement (JAMBA), China -Austra lia Migra tory Birds Agreement (CAMBA) and the Republic of Korea-Australia Migratory Birds Agreement (ROKAMBA).

1.1 Vision for the Riverland Ramsar Site

Vision Statement

The following vision for the Riverland Ramsar Site was developed by the Riverland Ramsar Site Management Plan Steering Committee.

For the Riverland Ramsar Site to serve as an outstand ing showc ase for ec osystem management tha t involves and engages the c ommunity in the restora tion and p rotec tion of the ec olog ic a l c harac ter of a portion of the unique Lower River Murray Floodp la in whilst utilising the na tura l resourc es of the a rea in a wise and susta inab le manner.

1.2 Purpose of this Plan

The purpose of the management p lan is to set d irec tions for the future management of the Riverland Ramsar Site to p rotec t and restore the d iverse va lues and ec olog ic a l c harac ter of the Site. Understand ing the key c omponents, p roc esses and benefits / servic es of the Site and the key threa ts to these va lues, a re the basis by which the management plan has been developed.

In the past a number of management or ac tion p lans have been developed for spec ific sites within the Riverland Ramsar Site or to c over issues assoc ia ted with the wetland a t a generic River Murray level. This Plan for Wise Use a ims to integra te existing p lans to p rovide a stra teg ic approac h and c lea rer outc omes for government, industry, c ommunity and ind ividua l landowners for the Riverland Ramsar Site.

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The Management Objectives for the Riverland Ramsar Site Management Plan 2010 2015 are to:

Objective 1:

Re-estab lish the hydrolog ic a l p roc esses tha t ma inta ins the ec olog ic a l character.

Objective 2:

Restore and ma inta in hea lth of vegeta tion c ommunities and fauna ac ross the floodplain.

Objective 3:

Manage threa tening p roc esses or ac tivities to mitiga te their impac ts on the Site s ec olog ic a l and c ultura l va lues.

Objective 4:

Ensure rec rea tiona l ac tivities a re in ac c ordanc e with the wise use of the Site s natural and both Aboriginal and European cultural heritage values.

Objective 5:

Promote Communication, Education, Participation and Awareness (CEPA) within the community to maintain the ecological, cultural and wise use values.

Objective 6:

Enab le p rograms for ongoing sc ientific researc h and monitoring to ensure effective management and provide for appropriate data storage.

Objective 7:

Redefine the Ramsar boundary that appropriately embraces the diversity of hydrological and ecological characteristics of the Riverland Ramsar Site.

1.3 Relevant Treaties, Legislation and Government Policy

1.3.1 International Treaties

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands - The Austra lian Government is a Contrac ting Party to the Convention on Wetlands of Interna tiona l Importanc e Espec ia lly as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention), which is an inter-governmental treaty whose mission is the c onserva tion and wise use of a ll wetlands through loc a l, reg iona l and na tiona l

ac tions and interna tiona l c oopera tion, as a c ontribution towards ac hieving sustainable development throughout the world" (further details in Appendix 1).

Adherenc e to this mission sta tement should ensure tha t ac tivities tha t might a ffec t wetlands will not lead to the loss of b iod iversity or d iminish the many ec olog ic a l, hyd rolog ic a l, c ultura l, or soc ia l va lues of wetlands tha t c ontribute to the sites unique ec olog ic a l c harac ter. In ac hieving this, pa rties to the Convention are expec ted to formula te and imp lement management p lanning so as to p romote the conservation of the wetlands and sustainable use of resources.

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The Convention p romotes p rac tic es tha t will ensure tha t a ll wetlands, espec ia lly those designa ted for the Ramsar List, will c ontinue to p rovide the func tions and va lues for future genera tions as well as for the c onserva tion of b iolog ic a l d iversity (Ramsar Convention Bureau, 2000).

INTERNATIONAL TREATIES AND CONVENTIONS THAT INFLUENCES THE MANAGEMENT OF THE RIVERLAND RAMSAR SITE.

Agreement b etween the Government of Austra lia and the Government of the Peop le s Republic of China for the Protection of Migratory Birds in their Environment (CAMBA)

Agreement b etween the Government of Austra lia a nd the Government of Japan for the Protection of Migratory Birds and Birds in Danger of Extinction and their Habitats (JAMBA)

Agreement b etween the Government of Austra lia a nd the Government of the Rep ub lic of Korea for the Protection of Migratory Birds and exchange of notes (ROKAMBA)

The Partnership for the Conserva tion of Migra tory Waterb irds and the Susta inab le Use of their Habitats in the East Asian Australasian Flyway (Flyway Partnership)

Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention)

Convention on Biological Diversity

Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention)

Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

World Network of Biosphere Reserves (Man and the Biosphere Program, UNESCO)

1.3.2 Australian Government Legislation and Policy

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 The Environment Protec tion and Biod iversity Conserva tion Ac t 1999 (EPBC Ac t) c ame into forc e from 16 July 2000, and enhanc es the management and p rotec tion of Austra lia 's Ramsar Wetlands (http://www.environment.gov.au/water/policyprograms/wetlands/index.html). The Act enables improved management of Ramsar wetlands through the app lic a tion of c onsistent management p rinc ip les and more robust Australian Government/State arrangements. It also establishes a stronger and more effic ient p roc ess for assessing ac tions tha t a re likely to have a signific ant impact on Ramsar wetlands.

The EPBC Act regulates actions that will, or are likely to, have a significant impact on any matter of na tiona l environmenta l signific anc e, whic h inc ludes the ec olog ic a l c harac ter of a Ramsar wetland , spec ies c onsidered na tiona lly threa tened , and migra tory spec ies listed under Austra lia s b ila tera l migra tory b ird agreements (JAMBA, CAMBA, ROKAMBA) and the Convention on Migra tory Spec ies. Both na tiona lly threa tened spec ies and interna tiona lly rec ognised migra tory b irds a re found at the Riverland Ramsar Site.

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http://www.environment.gov.au/water/policy-programs/wetlands/index.html


Under the EPBC (1999) Act, Austra lia is ob liga ted to p repare and imp lement management p lans for eac h Ramsar site and tha t suc h p lans a re c onsistent with Australia's requirements under the Ramsar Convention and with the Austra lian Ramsar management p rinc ip les. These p rinc ip les are set out in the regula tions and cover matters relevant to the preparation of management plans, the environmental assessment of ac tions tha t may a ffec t the site, and c ommunity c onsulta tion processes (refer Appendix 1).

Water Act 2007 The Water Ac t 2007 was estab lished to enab le the Austra lian Government, in c onjunc tion with the sta te governments of the Murray-Darling Basin, to manage the Basin s wa ter resourc es in the na tiona l interest, and in pa rt, g iving effec t to interna tiona l agreements suc h as the Ramsar Convention, to p rotec t, restore and provide for the ec olog ic a l va lues and ec osystem servic es of key environmenta l assets.

The Water Ac t is g iven effec t through the estab lishment of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) and the Commonwea lth Environmenta l Water Holder (CEWH) administrative a rrangements. The MDBA is required to develop a Basin Plan (whic h inc ludes an Environmenta l Watering Plan and Water Qua lity and Sa linity Management Plan) tha t p rovides for the integra ted management of a ll the Murray-Darling Basin s wa ter resourc es, surfac e and groundwater, op timising ec onomic , social and environmental outcomes.

Sec tion 21 of the Water Ac t outlines the genera l basis for whic h the Basin Plan is to be developed , this inc lud es p romoting the wise use and c onserva tion of Ramsar wetlands and other key environmenta l assets, taking spec ific ac c ount of the ecological character descriptions.

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION, POLICIES AND STRATEGIES THAT INFLUENCES THE MANAGEMENT OF THE RIVERLAND RAMSAR SITE.

Water Act 2007

Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984

Australian Heritage Council (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2003

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Native Title Act 1993

National Water Commission Act 2004

Murray-Darling Basin Intergovernmental Agreement (Agreement on Murray-Darling Basin Reform 2008)

Inter-governmental Agreement for a National Water Initiative

Wetlands Policy of the Commonwealth of Australia 1997

National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development 1992

Na tiona l Stra teg y for the Conserva tion of Austra lia s Biolog ic a l Diversity 1996

National Principles for the Provision of Water for Ecosystems 1996

National Water Quality Management Strategy 1992

National Weeds Strategy

Weeds of National Significance

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1.3.3 State Legislation and Strategies

Wetlands Strategy for South Australia (2003) - The goa l of the Wetlands Stra tegy for South Austra lia is tha t Wetlands are rec ognised and managed as ec olog ic a l and community assets for the benefit of present and future genera tions .

The South Austra lian Government has made laws, administra tive a rrangements and pursued researc h and development p rograms a ffec ting management of the Riverland Ramsar Site. Partic ula rly relevant a re the va rious sta tutory bod ies that promote community and industry decision making and action to meet government, industry and community objectives.

River Murray Act (2003) - The polic y of the South Austra lian Government with regard to this wetland rec ognises tha t the Riverland Ramsar Site, as pa rt of the Murray-Darling Basin, is an area of great environmental and economic significance to South Austra lia . The South Austra lian Government will, through the ob jec tives of the River Murray Act (2003);

ensure tha t a ll reasonab le and p rac tic ab le measures a re taken to p rotec t, restore and enhanc e the River Murray in rec ognition of its c ritic a l importanc e to South Austra lian c ommunity and its unique va lue from environmenta l, economic and social perspective; p rovide mec hanisms to ensure tha t any development or ac tivities tha t may a ffec t the River Murray a re undertaken in a way tha t p rovides the grea test benefit to , or p rotec tion of, the River Murray while a t the same time providing for the economic, social and physical well being of the community; p rovide mec hanisms to ensure tha t any development or ac tivities tha t a re unsusta inab le in view of their adverse effec ts on the River Murray a re prevented from proceeding, regulated or brought to an end; ensure tha t p roper weight is g iven to the signific anc e and well being of the River Murray when leg isla tive p lans and stra teg ies a re being developed or implemented; respec t the c ommon interests and asp ira tions of ind igenous peop le in the management of the River Murray; otherwise ensure the future hea lth, and to rec ognise the importanc e of the River Murray.

The Living Murray Initiative In 2002 the Murray-Darling Basin Ministeria l Counc il estab lished The Living Murray Initia tive (TLM) in response to c onc erns about the environment and economic health of the River Murray system. The initiative involved a number of c ollec tive ac tions to return the system to a hea lthy working river. This inc luded a foc us on ac hieving signific ant environmenta l benefits for six ec olog ic a l assets (Ic on Sites) on the River Murray. The Chowilla Floodp la in a rea within the Riverland Ramsar Site is rec ognised as one of these signific ant ec olog ic a l assets. The management of up to 500 g iga litres of wa ter eac h year will assist in the rec overy of these six sites. The TLM initia tive delivers its ob jec tives through a c ommunic a tion stra tegy tha t enc ourages c omprehensive c ommunity engagement throughout the planning and delivery stages of the program.

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STATE LEGISLATION, POLICIES AND STRATEGIES THAT INFLUENCES THE MANAGEMENT OF THE RIVERLAND RAMSAR SITE.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

Aboriginal Heritage Act, 1988

Development Act 1993

Environmental Protection Act 1988

Fisheries Management Act 2007

Heritage Act, 1993

Mining Act 1971

Harbours and Navigation Act, 1993

Austra lia ICOMOS -The Burra Cha rter (The Austra lia ICOMOS Charter for Pla c es of Cultura l Significance), 1979

Murray-Darling Basin Act, 1993

Native Title (South Australia) Act, 1994

Native Vegetation Act, 1991

National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1972

Natural Resources Management Act 2004

Pastoral Land Management and Conservation Act, 1989

Petroleum Act, 1940

South Australian River Murray Salinity Strategy 2001-2015

River Murray Act, 2003

State Water Plan 2002

Wetland Strategy for South Australia 2003

Water (Commonwealth Powers) Act 2008

South Australian State Water Plan 2000

No Species Loss: A Nature Conservation Strategy for South Australia 2007-2017

Naturelinks Implementing the Wild Country philosophy in South Australia

Responsible Nature-based Tourism Strategy 2004-2009.

Peop le and Parks: A visitor stra tegy for South Austra lia s Nationa l Pa rks and Reserves 20102015

South Australian Tourism Plan 2009-2014.

MURRAY-DARLING BASIN

Water Act 2007

Murray-Darling Basin Agreement 1915

Basin Salinity Management Strategy 2001-2015

Integrated Catchment Management Policy in the Murray-Darling Basin 2001-2010

Native Fish Strategy 2001-2013

Floodplain Wetlands Management Strategy for the Murray-Darling Basin 2004

Living Murray Initiative 2002

Algal Management strategy 1994

Human Dimension Strategy 1999

Murray-Darling Basin Biodiversity Plan 2001

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STATUTORY BODIES THAT INFLUENCE INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE RIVERLAND RAMSAR SITE

Native Vegetation Council (implementation of the Native Vegetation Act)

Pastoral Board (implementation of the Pastoral Land Management and Conservation Act)

South Australian Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board

South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Council

South Australia Water is the Contracting Authority for the Murray-Darling Basin Authority

South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resource Management Board

1.4 Wise Use

The c onc ep t of Wise Use is c entra l to the imp lementa tion of the Ramsar Convention, recognising the interdependencies of people and their environment.

Wise use of wetlands is the ma intenanc e of their ec olog ic a l c harac ter, ac hieved through the imp lementa tion of ec osystem approac hes, within the c ontext of susta inab le development (Ramsar 2007 Handbook 1, Ramsar COP9 DOC.6)

Ec osystem approac hes refers to the p lanning p roc esses for p romoting the delivery of wetland ec osystems benefits and servic es, and imp lemented in the c ontext of the maintenance or enhancement of wetland ecological character.

Development of an integra ted management p lan, effec tive monitoring and information exc hange, underp in the imp lementa tion of the Convention s wise use p rinc ip les, and p rovides the basis for this Riverland Ramsar Site Management Plan 2010 - 2015.

1.5 Plan Development

The Riverland Ramsar Site Management Plan 2010 2015 was developed through an extended p roc ess with extensive c ommunity and stakeholder c onsulta tion. The c onsulta tion proc ess is deta iled in Append ix 2. In summary, the p roc ess to develop this management plan included:

Commenc ement of Plan development in 2003 by the Department for Environment and Heritage, South Austra lia , and supported with fund ing from the Na tiona l Ac tion Plan for Sa linity and Water Qua lity and the Integra ted Natural Resource Management Group for the SA Murray-Darling Basin Inc. Estab lishment of a community-based Management Plan Steering Committee to guide the development of the Plan. Broader c ommunity c onsulta tion was also undertaken aimed at identifying planning and management issues. The Riverland Ramsar Site boundary was re-defined to the 1956 flood level; endorsed by the Australian Government on the 11th September 2007.

16


Fund ing support was rec eived by the Austra lian Government s Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts for this process. Prepara tion of the Management Plan was undertaken with guidanc e by the Steering Committee, and subsequent period of public comment. Fina lisa tion of the Management Plan, and endorsement by the Sta te and Australian Governments occurred in June 2010.

1.6 Planning Context

This p lan of management will c oexist with, and be c omp lementa ry to a number of other stra teg ic doc uments tha t rela te to and a ffec t the management of the Riverland Ramsar Site. These include;

The Regional NRM Plan 2009 Water Alloc a tion Plan for the River Murray Presc ribed Waterc ourse, 2009 (SA. Water Resources Act). The Basin Plan . Integra ted Na tura l Resourc e Management Plan for the South Austra lian Murray-Darling Basin, 2003 (Integra ted Na tura l Resourc e Management Group for the SA Murray-Darling Basin Inc.). Biod iversity Plan for the South Austra lian Murray-Darling Basin, 2001 (Department for Environment and Heritage). Renmark to the Border Loc a l Ac tion Plan, 1999 (Renmark to the Border Loc a l Action Planning Association Incorporated). Murtho to Paringa Stra teg ic Environmenta l Initia tive 2006, Ra l Ra l Land and Water Management Plan, 1999 and Merreti Land and Water Management Plan. 1999 (Renmark to the Border Local Action Planning Association Incorporated). Operations Plan for the Chowilla Regulator (in preparation). Chowilla Regional Reserve and Chowilla Game Reserve Management Plan. Murray River National Park Management Plan. Wetland Strategy for South Australia 2003.

2.0 THE RIVERLAND RAMSAR SITE

2.1 Location and Site Description

2.1.1 Description of Catchment

The Murray-Darling Basin occurs within five states of Australia and has a surface area of 1.06 million square kilometres whic h is 14 perc ent of Austra lia s land mass. The River Murray is 2,530 km long from it s sourc e in the Austra lian Alps, through to the Lower Lakes and the Coorong, to it s mouth on Enc ounter Bay. The sourc e of the Darling River is in the northern New South Wa les, and extends southwards to its c onfluenc e with the River Murray a t Wentworth, and is 1,462 km long . Muc h of the Basin is fla t, la rgely c omprising aeolian and a lluvia l deposits of sands, silts and c lays. An outc rop of fo lded metamorphic roc ks extends north-west ac ross the c entre of the basin and provides slightly elevated relief.

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The highlands bordering the east and south occur where metamorphic and igneous roc ks outc rop , p rovid ing the grea test relief in the Basin. Sandstones and other sed imenta ry roc ks a lso outc rop in the Basin (Murray-Darling Basin Ministeria l Counc il, 1987). The Murray-Darling Basin has a popula tion of two million peop le, however, exc ep t for a few a reas suc h as the na tion s c ap ita l, Canberra , it is sparsely populated.

Agric ulture is the dominant economic ac tivity in the Basin which is Austra lia s most important agric ulture reg ion. Most of the basin s a rea is devoted to pastora l and d ryland fa rming (sheep , c a ttle and gra in c rops). However there a re pa rts of the Basin where irriga tion domina tes the landsc ape and involves the growing of pasture, fodder and grain crops, cotton and horticulture crops. Almost 75 percent of Australia s irriga ted c rops oc c ur in the Murray-Darling Basin. Forestry, mining and elec tric ity genera tion a re a lso signific ant ec onomic ac tivities within the Basin. The Basin p rovides just over 41 perc ent of Austra lia s gross va lue of agric ulture p roduc tion. In add ition to the wa ter needs of agric ulture, the rivers of the Basin p rovide d rinking wa ter for over three million peop le, more than one third of whom live outside it s borders (Crabb , 1997).

2.1.2 Description of the Riverland Ramsar Site

The Riverland Ramsar Site (Figure 1) is loc a ted on the floodp la in ad jac ent to an 80km sec tion of the River Murray in South Austra lia between Renmark and the Vic torian and New South Wales border, within the c a tc hment of the Murray-Darling Basin.

The Riverland Ramsar Site is within the Riverina Bioreg ion (Environment Austra lia 2000) and the Murray-Darling Basin Austra lian Dra inage Division. This segment of the lower River Murray floodp la in inc orpora tes a c omp lex a rrangement of c reeks, c hannels, lagoons, b illabongs, swamps and lakes intersec ting extensive a reas of low-lying floodp la in tha t a re flooded during high river levels. Rec ed ing floodwaters a re reta ined in tempora ry dep ressiona l wetland fea tures. The floodp la in supports extensive stands of River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulenis) and Blac k box (E. largiflorens) wood lands. A number of na tiona l and sta te threa tened spec ies inhab it the Site and it p rovides important hab ita t for migra tory and nomad ic b irds and native fish.

The Ramsar Site c ontributes a rea to the Riverland Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere p rogram, and a signific ant p roportion of the Ramsar Site is inc luded on the Register of the Na tiona l Esta te as a site of signific anc e under the Murray Mallee Bookmark Block.

The boundary of the Riverland Ramsar Site needs to be ec olog ic a lly and hydrolog ic a lly meaningful to enab le a whole-of-system approac h. In September 2007, the Austra lian Government endorsed a revised site boundary tha t was red rawn to fo llow the 1956 floodp la in level. This boundary c hange resulted in the exc ision of ma jor non-wetland a reas c onsisting p redominantly of d ryland agric ulture. In add ition, the new boundary has a llowed for the inc lusion of a ma jor wetland , Lake Woolpolool, whic h has added to the aqua tic avian fauna and vegetation diversity of the Ramsar site.

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For full details on the Site boundary go to:

http://www.environment.gov.au/water/topics/wetlands/database/pubs/29-ris.pdf

The Riverland Ramsar Site c overs an a rea of approximately 30,618 hec ta res and incorporates a variety of land tenure arrangements. These include:

Murtho Forest Reserve, South Austra lian Government gazetted under Forestry Act 19, part of area leased to the South Australian Field and Game Association. Murray River National Park (Bulyong Island section), South Australian Government

gazetted under National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 Part Chowilla Game Reserve, South Austra lian Government gazetted under National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, crown lease to Robertson Chowilla Pty Ltd. Part Ca lperum Sta tion, South Austra lian Government Pastora l Lease held by the Austra lian Government through the Direc tor of Na tiona l Parks, Department of Environment, Water, Heritage, and the Arts. Crown land , South Austra lian Government - vested in the Minister for Environment and Conserva tion, River Murray c hannel, down stream end of Ra l Ra l Anab ranc h and the 150 link wide reserve for pub lic use a long the ma jority of the River s southern bank. Local Government District Council of Renmark Paringa Privately owned land which includes companies, partnerships and individuals. (Refer to Figure 1).

Due to the c omp lexities of the landsc ape and land tenure, the Riverland Ramsar Site has been divided into three management blocks (Chowilla, Ral Ral and Murtho) to assist the p lanning p roc ess (Figure 2). Table 1 describes the wetland type(s) under the Ramsar Classific a tion, a rea , land tenure and ma jor land use for eac h wetland management block.

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http://www.environment.gov.au/water/topics/wetlands/database/pubs/29-ris.pdf


Figure 1. Land tenure within the Riverland Ramsar Site.

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Figure 2. Riverland Ramsar Site management b loc ks with floodp la in units highlighted within the three blocks.

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Tab le 1. Classific a tion of the Riverland Ramsar Site floodp la in units, land tenure and land use summary.

Management Block

Ramsar Classification Area (ha) Land

Tenure

Floodplain unit Land Use

Boundary, M. Permanent rivers/streams/ creeks 1011.84 Crown River Murray Water Supply

(Murtho) Channel Commercial Fishing

Tourism & Recreation

Ral Ral Block M. Permanent rivers/streams/ creeks

N. Seasonal /intermittent /irregular

12,129.21 Crown

*Private

Ral Ral Anabranch

Conservation

Horticulture

(formerly rivers/streams/ creeks (10ha)

described as O. Permanent lakes (>8ha); includes large Tourism & the oxbow lakes Recreation Calperum Tp. Permanent freshwater marshes / pools; Water Supply Block in the ponds (8ha); includes large oxbow lakes

P. Seasonal / intermittent freshwater lakes (>8ha); includes floodplain lakes Tp. Permanent freshwater marshes / pools; ponds (


Management Block


Tenure


Murtho N. Seasonal /intermittent /irregular rivers/streams/ creeks

Tp. Permanent freshwater marshes / pools; ponds (8ha); includes large oxbow lakes

Tp. Permanent freshwater marshes / pools; ponds (


Management Block


Tenure


Murtho M. Permanent rivers/streams/ creeks

Tp. Permanent freshwater marshes / pools; ponds (


2.3 Ecological Character

The p rinc ipa l undertaking of the Contrac ting Parties to the Ramsar Convention with respec t to listed wetlands, is to p romote their c onserva tion with the a im of preventing changes to their ecological character.

Ecological character is;

The combination of the ecosystem components, processes, and benefits/services that characterise the wetland at a given point in time (Ramsar Convention Resolution IX.1 Annex A, 2005).

Change in ecological character of a wetland is;

The human induc ed adverse a ltera tion of any ec osystem c omponent, p roc ess, and benefit/ servic e (Ramsar Convention Resolution IX.1 Annex A, 2005).

A c hange in ec olog ic a l c harac ter is reported to the Ramsar Sec reta ria t in ac c ordanc e with the Nationa l Guidanc e on Notifying Change in Ec olog ic a l Character of Australian Wetlands (Article 3.2)(Module 3) (DEWHA, 2009)

The Riverland Ramsar Site Ec olog ic a l Charac ter Desc rip tion was p roduc ed by Newall et a l., (2009), in ac c ordanc e with the Nationa l Framework and Guidanc e for Desc rib ing the Ec olog ic a l Charac ter of Austra lia s Ramsar Wetlands (DEWHA 2008). A desc rip tion of the ec olog ic a l c harac ter of a site underp ins management of a Ramsar Wetland and p rovides the benc hmark from time of listing by whic h ec olog ic a l c hange c an be measured . The Exec utive Summary by Newa ll et a l., (2009) for the ECD is appended (Append ix 3), desc rib ing the ec olog ic a l c harac ter of the Site. For a full deta iled desc rip tion, the doc ument c an be ac c essed at website http://www.environment.gov.au/

The following four sec tions p rovide a summary of the ec olog ic a l c harac teristic s of the Site, as well as the Site s c ultura l and wise use va lues, upon whic h the management strategies and actions within this Plan are focused.

3.0 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

3.1 Geology and Soils

The landsc ape overlays a series of horizonta l sed imenta ry formations ranging from Permian sandstones to Tertia ry limestone over whic h lies the Plioc ene Sands c onsisting of two extensive formations of estua rine deposits of fine to c oarse sands known as the Loxton/ Parilla Sands. The whole floodp la in is filled with two rec ently deposited a lluvia l formations, the Monoman Formation sands overlayed by the Coonambidga l Formation c lays, in whic h the existing river and anabranc hes a re entrenc hed . The Site is loc a ted on a very wide sec tion (up to 10Kms) of an inc ised anc estra l floodp la in and c omprises ac tive meander p la in, low relic t meander p la in, high relic t meander p la in and terrac e with the up land rise and near-vertic a l c liffs bordering the floodplain (Hollingsworth et al. 1990).

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http://www.environment.gov.au/


Soil type c hanges grea tly over the landsc ape with the anc estra l floodp la in being dominated by both neutra l and a lka line grey self-mulc hing c rac king c lays, neutra l brown siliceous sands and neutral firm grey siliceous sands. The highland buffer zone soils c onsist of a lka line red c a lc a reous earths, a lka line friab le red dup lex soils and neutral brownish sands (Laut et al.,1977).

3.2 Climate

The c lima te of the Riverland reg ion is desc ribed as being Med iterranean, with long hot d ry summers and c ool wet winters. Most ra infa ll tends to oc c ur between the months of June through to Oc tober, with an annua l mean of 221.6 mm (Figure 3). Average da ily tempera tures in July were from 3.9°C to 16.2°C and in January 16.2°C to 33.6°C for the period 1995-2009 (source Bureau of Meteorology for Renmark).

Mean monthly rainfall between 1995-2009

0 5

10 15 20 25 30

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun Ju

lAu

gSe

pOc

tNo

vDe

c

Months

Mea

n r

ain

fall

(mm

)

Figure 3. Mean monthly ra infa ll a t Renmark sinc e 1995 2009 (Sourc e Bureau of Meteorology).

3.3 Hydrology

3.3.1 Historical and current water flows

Before regula tion, the River Murray had seasons with extreme high and low flows. In sp ring and early summer the river was genera lly high, c ool, turb id and fast flowing , gradua lly c hang ing to bec ome low, warm, c lea r and slow moving towards the end of summer. During d roughts the flow would c ease c omp letely and a series of sa line pools would rema in through the interc ep tion of reg iona l sa line groundwa ter tha t mainly orig ina tes from the Plioc ene Sands aquifer within whic h the Coonambidga l and Monoman Formation are incised (Sharley and Huggan, 1995).

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Today, river regula tion has grea tly mod ified the frequenc y, height and dura tion of flows through the Riverland Ramsar Site. Sinc e river regula tion, the river and the ma in anabranc h systems flow c ontinuously and many wetlands a re permanently inunda ted due to the wa ter level in the river having risen three metres by the estab lishment of Locks 5 and 6. Outside of flood events, the River Murray flow into South Austra lia is regula ted through the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement . South Austra lia has a yearly entitlement flow of 1,850 GL / year of whic h 794 GL / year is a lloc a ted to c onsumptive use. Entitlement flows range from month to month depend ing on wa ter use requirements and c an va ry from 7,000 ML / day during Dec ember and January down to 3,000 ML / day during May and June. Due to the topography of the River Murray floodp la in within the Riverland Ramsar Site a signific ant river flow is required to flood the ma jority of the floodp la in. It takes a flow grea ter than 50,000 ML / day into the sta te before there is genera l over the riverbank flow onto the floodp la in. To inunda te approximately ha lf of the floodp la in an 80,000 ML / day flood is required . Tota l inunda tion of the floodp la in is ac hieved when flows reach approximately 150,000 ML / day into the state.

The rec ent Susta inab le River Aud it (SRA) (Murray-Darling Basin Commission, 2008a ), has assessed river ecosystems within the Murray-Darling Basin to give a health rating. The SRA uses a number of environmenta l ind ic a tors to assess the c ond ition of key ec osystems c omponents. For the Lower Murray Va lley, the overa ll hyd rolog ic a l c ond ition was ra ted as being in Poor Hyd rolog ic a l Cond ition. Simila rly, in a study by Norris et a l. (2001) of Loc ks 11 to 3 (in whic h the Riverland Ramsar Site is loc a ted ), the hydrology was a lso determined as being in poor c ond ition. They a lso ra ted wetland inunda tion as very poor, nutrient and sed iment loads poor, nutrient c onc entra tions very poor, in-stream sa linity good , riverine hab ita t poor, bank condition very poor, and catchment impacts on river poor.

3.3.2 Floodplain inundation under flow scenarios

Natura l c yc les of d rought and floods a re important for the ma intenanc e of the ec olog ic a l c harac ter of the floodp la in. Flood ing p rovides seasona l aqua tic hab ita t, refreshes water in permanent wetlands and c reeks, flushes sa lt from the landsc ape and rep lenishes fresh groundwater lenses. Flood ing a lso p rovides c onnec tivity between the ma in River c hannel and the floodp la in hab ita ts (Newa ll et a l., 2009). Tab le 2 summarises the extent of floodp la in inunda tion, the wetland types rec eiving wa ter under the va rying flood reg imes, and the vegeta tion c ommunities rec eiving water.

The Flood Inunda tion Model (FIM) has been used to p red ic t inunda tion ac ross the landsc ape. Flows into South Austra lia of 40,000 ML, 60,000 ML, 80,000 ML and 100,000 ML have been used to p red ic t the extent of floodp la in inunda ted under these regimes (Figure 4).

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Figure 4. Flood ing ac ross the Riverland Ramsar Site using the Flood Inundation Model (FIM III) under flows into the State of 40,000 ML, 60,000 ML, 80,000 ML and 100,000 ML.

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Table 2. Summary of vegeta tion c ommunities, wetland types and floodp la in a rea inundated under modelled flow scenarios (adapted from Newall et al., 2009)

Flood scenario: High flows

Flows into the State / day

Area of inundation (ha)

Wetland types inundated Vegetation communities receiving water

40,000 ML

3,873

Seasonal intermittent freshwater lakes Permanent rivers /streams / creeks (billabongs and relict channels) Seasonal saline / brackish lake Permanent freshwater lakes

Fringing reeds and sedges, islands of River red gum forest, parts of the Herbland and Samphire Shrublands.

60,000 ML

7,657

Seasonal intermittent freshwater lakes Permanent rivers/streams/creeks (billabongs and relict channels) Seasonal saline/brackish lake Permanent freshwater lakes Permanent freshwater marshes/pools

Fringing reeds and sedges, River red gum forest, inundation of parts of the Herbland, Samphire Shrublands with involvement of the Lignum Shrublands.

80,000 ML

17,457

Permanent rivers/streams/creeks (billabongs and relict channels) Seasonal intermittent freshwater lakes Permanent freshwater lakes Permanent freshwater marshes/pools Seasonal/intermittent freshwater marshes/pools on inorganic soils Seasonal saline/brackish lake Seasonal/intermittent/irregular rivers/streams/creeks

Fringing reeds and sedges, River red gum forest, inundation of much of the Herbland, and Samphire Shrublands including inundation of the Lignum Shrublands. The River red gum Woodlands are inundated and includes the Chenopod (saltbush) Shrublands.

100,000 ML

20,522

Permanent rivers/streams/creeks (billabongs and relict channels) Seasonal intermittent freshwater lakes Permanent freshwater lakes Permanent freshwater marshes/pools Seasonal/intermittent freshwater marshes/pools on inorganic soils Seasonal saline/brackish lake Seasonal/intermittent/irregular rivers/streams/creeks

Black box Woodland inundated with involvement of vegetation communities across the whole of the floodplain.

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3.3.3 Identification of wetlands within the Riverland Ramsar Site

The Riverland Ramsar Site has examp les of eight inland wetland types desc ribed under the Ramsar Classific a tion (Refer to Tab le 3 & Figure 5). The tota l a rea of wetlands in the Ra l Ra l Anabranc h is 1,612 hec ta res, with 1,236 hec ta res in the Chowilla Anabranc h, and 488 hec ta res of wetland a reas in Murtho. The tota l a rea of the River Murray in the Riverland Ramsar Site is 1,011 hec ta res. Due to improvements in mapp ing tec hniques used for these c a lc ula tions, the number of hec ta res va ries from those expressed in the Ec olog ic a l Charac ter Desc rip tion by Newall et al., (2009).

Table 3. Ramsar classification of wetlands on the Riverland Ramsar Site number of wetlands and area (adapted from the DIWA Wetlands Prioritisation Database).

Ramsar Classification Number of wetlands

Number of hectares

current current

M Permanent rivers/streams/creeks. (Active floodplain channels e.g. River Murray, Chowilla and Ral Ral Anabranch systems)

214 1537

N Seasonal/intermittent/irregular rivers/stream/creek. (Lentic channels such as distributary channels and c reva sse c hannels e.g. Reny and Chowilla Islands)

50 100

O Permanent freshwater lakes (>8ha); includes large oxbow lakes.

(lentic channels such as oxbows e.g. Isle of Man; and remnant channels e.g. Woolenook and Horseshoe Lagoons)

7 125

P Seasonal/intermittent freshwater lakes (>8 ha); includes floodplain lakes.

(Deflation basins e.g. Lake Merreti; and lentic channels such as ancestral river oxbows e.g. Punkah Island Horseshoe Lagoon).

6 485

R Seasonal /intermittent saline/brackish/ alkaline lakes and flats.

(Deflation basin e.g . Lake Woolpolool and Lake Limbra)

5 654

Ss Seasonal/intermittent saline/brackish/alkaline marshes/pools.

(e.g. Coombool Swamp)

52 437

Elevated land - Area within Riverland Ramsar Site where the flood level did not reach in 1956.

66 1190

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Ramsar Classification Number of wetlands

Number of hectares

current current

Tp Permanent freshwater marshes/pools; ponds (below 8 ha), marshes and swamps on inorganic soils; with emergent vegetation water logged for at least most of the growing season.

(Scroll swales e.g. Queen s Bend; slackwater areas e.g. Chowilla Anabranch; discrete depositional basins e.g. Pilby Creek complex; Interconnected depositional basin e.g. Bunyip Reach; impounded wetlands e.g. Whirlpool Corner; and miscellaneous floodplain depressions e.g. Murtho Park / Wiela).

79 538

Ts Seasonal/intermittent freshwater marshes/pools on inorganic soil; includes sloughs, potholes, seasonally flooded meadows, sedge marshes.

(Discrete depositional basins e.g. Longwang Island; lentic channels such as remnant channels e.g. Brandy Bottle Waterhole; and miscellaneous floodplain depressions e.g. Gum Flat).

80 282

Floodplain 1 25,270

3.3.4 Changes in wetland classification since Listing

Some inac c urac ies have been identified in p revious mapp ing of the Riverland Ramsar Site, and by default, a re now c onta ined within the ECD. These inc lude: inc orrec t mapp ing of a wetland (e.g . Bulyong), and a lso misidentific a tion of a wetland (e.g . Horseshoe Lagoon - p reviously identified as a permanent freshwater lake when it is a seasona l lake). Today, with improved GIS da tabases, mapp ing tec hnology and transfer of information, the fo llowing map has been p roduc ed to reflect the classification of wetlands within the Site at the time of listing (Figure 5).

In addition, changes in management regimes and altered hydrology, has resulted in six wetlands being rec lassified (refer to tab le 4 and Figure 5). For those wetlands ind ic a ting a c hange from fresh to sa line systems, there has been a c orrespond ing dec line in their p revious b iod iversity va lues, with a shift to more sa line-tolerant fauna and flora spec ies. For Pilby Lagoon and Lake Merreti, the c hange from permanenc y to seasona l hyd rolog ic reg imes has resulted in an inc rease in biodiversity values (see Steggles and Tucker, 2003; Campbell and Harper, 2007).

To address c hanges to wetlands and reflec t their sta tus under c hang ing c limatic c ond itions and within a managed environment, an up-to-da te inventory of wetlands is c urrently being undertaken as a jo int agenc y initia tive for the whole of the South Austra lian River Murray and Lakes, inc lud ing the Riverland Ramsar Site. Information for the inventory is being taken from reports and stud ies undertaken throughout the reg ion and c olla ted into the da tabase. At the time of writing this management plan, the information however, was not available for inclusion into this document.

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Figure 5. Location of wetlands and their Ramsar Classification across the Riverland Ramsar Site.

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Current Classification


Table 4. Changes in wetland classification

Wetland Previous Classification

(in ECD)

Change of health

Lake Merreti Permanent freshwater Lake Seasonal/intermittent freshwater lake

Improvement

Coombool Swamp

Seasonal/intermittent freshwater lake

Seasonal/ intermittent/saline marsh/pool

Decline

Lake Limbra Seasonal/intermittent freshwater lake

Seasonal saline/brackish lake Decline

Clover Lake Seasonal/intermittent freshwater lake

Seasonal saline/brackish lake Decline

Bulyong Lake Seasonal saline/brackish lake

no longer classified as a wetland

N/A

Pilby Lagoon Permanent freshwater lake Seasonal/intermittent freshwater lake

Improvement

4.0 BIODIVERSITY CHARACTERISTICS

The Riverland Ramsar Site has many environmental va lues supporting a d iversity of flora and fauna , inc lud ing migra tory b ird spec ies. The landsc ape of the Riverland Ramsar Site is a good rep resenta tive examp le of the lower River Murray floodp la in. The Sites biodiversity values include:

4.1 Vegetation

The Riverland Ramsar site has a ric h d iversity of both terrestria l and aquatic habitats. Floodp la in terrestria l hab ita ts range from forest, wood land , shrub land , herb field and grassland a reas. These hab ita ts c an intermittently bec ome aqua tic systems for varying degrees of time, depending on the size and length of a flood event and the eleva tion of the pa rticula r hab ita t. The truly aqua tic hab ita ts range from the ma in River Murray c hannel, permanent c reeks and open freshwater wetlands, to sha llow and deep freshwater marshes.

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The major vegetation types on the floodplain, as illustrated in Figure 6, are:

Terrestrial

River red gum (Euc a lyp tus c ama ldulensis) forest and / or wood land with an understorey of either shrubs, forbs, grass or herbland species. Blac k box (Euc a lyp tus la rg iflorens) wood land with either ephemera l forb / grass, c henopod shrub land or p ig fac e (Disphyma c lavella tum) understorey. Lignum (Muehlenbec kia florulenta ) shrub land with herb land or grassland species understorey. River saltbush (Atriplex rhagodioides) chenopod shrubland. Low c henopod shrub land domina ted by Sa ltbush (Atriplex) and Copperburr (Sclerolaena spp.). Samphire low shrub land domina ted by (Halosarc ia spp .) and Desert glasswort (Pachycornia triandra). Herb field domina ted by Pa le beauty-heads (Caloc epha lus sonderi) and Pepperc ress (Lepidium spp.), or g rassland domina ted by Fesc ue (Vulpia spp.) and/or River couch (Sporobolus mitchellii).

Edge / emergent

The permanently inunda ted wetlands suc h as c reeks and b illabongs a re often fringed by; Common reed (Phragmites austra lis), Sp iny sedge (Cyperus gymnocaulos) and Cumbungi (Typha domingensis).

Submerged

The permanently inunda ted wetlands a lso c onta in submerged vegeta tion suc h as Red milfoil (Myriphyllum verruc osum) and Ribbonweed (Vallisneria americana).

34


Figure 6. Terrestria l vegeta tion c ommunities found within the Riverland Ramsar Site (from Newall et al., 2009).

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4.1.1 Changes in Ecological Character since Listing

Dec line in vegeta tion and hab ita t va lue is a trend observed reg iona lly ac ross most of the lower River Murray floodp la in for River red gum and Blac k box c ommunities, with this dec line inc lud ing a ll age and size c lasses (MDBC, 2003). Dec line in vegeta tion and hab ita t va lue is a ttributed to c hanges in the na tura l flow reg imes, pa rtic ula rly a dec rease in flood frequenc y and magnitude over the last 20 yea rs, with subsequent salinisation of the soil (Newall et al., 2009).

At the time of listing , Newa ll et a l., (2009) noted tha t the vegeta tion of the Riverland Ramsar Site was under stress. However, Newall et a l., (2009) have identified that tree hea lth has dec lined c onsiderab ly sinc e time of listing , ind ic a ting further dec line in hea lth of tree c over has exc eeded the limits of ac c ep tab le c hange tha t determine the c ritic a l threshold beyond whic h a c hange in ec olog ic a l c harac ter is expected.

The Blac k box and River red gum trees a re c onsidered c ornerstone spec ies for riverine ec ology a t the Riverland Ramsar Site. They underp in many of the ec olog ic a l p roc esses a t the Site, and the trend in dec line is p red ic ted to impac t detrimenta lly on riverine hea lth and ec ology (Newa ll et a l., 2009). Blac k box c ommunities have partic ula rly been a ffec ted by flow regula tion. As they a re as a signific ant c harac teristic c omponent, c overing a la rge p roportion of the Ramsar Site, their decline has indicated that a wide range of habitat values and species are impacted.

A rec ent tree hea lth survey undertaken by DEH in 2009 has revea led further dec line in the hea lth of dominant tree spec ies in the Riverland Ramsar Site. The da tasets for the 2002 and 2009 surveys were standard ised for c omparison and the following maps (Figures 7a and 7b ) revea l Dominant Tree Hea lth Sta tus. This is the dominant hea lth sta tus of Blac k box and River red gum trees within any g iven mapped polygon regard less of whic h is the dominant spec ies within the polygon. Ana lysis of c hange in dominant hea lth sta tus between 2002 and 2009 has revea led further dec line in tree hea lth involving 3,383 hec ta res, c orrespond ing to 23% of the vegeta ted a rea within the Riverland Ramsar Site. Tree hea lth in 917 hec ta res (c orrespond ing to 6 % of the vegeta ted a rea within the Ramsar Site) has gone from unhea lthy to dead sta tus sinc e the 2002 survey, 2255 hec ta res (15 % of the vegetated area) has gone from healthy to unhealthy status, with 115 hectares gone from hea lthy to dead and 96 hec ta res formerly identified as dead trees, now c lassed as non-treed as trees have c ollapsed (A full ana lysis of the survey was undertaken by the Sc ienc e and Resourc e Centre, Information Sc ienc e and Technology Directorate, and summarised in a Tree Hea lth for the Riverland Ramsar Site report for DEWHA, 2010).

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Figure 7a. The dominant health status of River red gum and Black box trees across the Riverland Ramsar Site in 2002 (DEH surveys).

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Figure 7b. The dominant health status of River red gum and Black box trees across the Riverland Ramsar Site in 2009 (DEH surveys).

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4.2 Fauna

Within the floodp la in zone of the Riverland Ramsar Site, the fo llowing fauna groups have been recorded:

16 fish species 38 reptile species All eight frog spec ies known to inhab it the River Murray floodp la in within the region. 19 native mammal species of which eight are bats 179 spec ies of b irds of whic h 63 spec ies a re wetland dependant (Refer Appendix 4 for list of wetland dependant species).

4.2.1 Avian Fauna

During periods of med ium to la rge flood events, c olonia l nesting wa terb irds nest on both Lake Merreti and Lake Littra . Lake Merreti has the la rgest c olonies and in a year when there is a la rge flood , c an number over 1,000 nests of up to six b reeding spec ies. The dominant spec ies are Austra lian Ib is (Threskiornis moluc c a ) and Straw-nec ked Ib is (Threskiornis sp inic ollis). Add itiona lly, the Riverland Ramsar Site p rovides seasona l hab ita t for migra tory b irds listed under the fo llowing agreements; Agreement between the Government of Austra lia and the Government of Japan for the p rotec tion of Migra tory Birds in Danger of Extinc tion and their Environment (JAMBA), Agreement between the Government of Austra lia and the Government of the Peop le s Repub lic of China for the Protec tion of Migra tory Birds in Danger of Extinc tion and their Environment (CAMBA), and / or Agreement between the Government of Austra lia and the Government of the Repub lic of Korea for the Protection of Migratory Birds and Exchange of Notes (ROKAMBA).

Species include;

White Egret (Egretta alba) (JAMBA, CAMBA)

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) (CAMBA)

White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) (CAMBA)

Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis) (JAMBA, CAMBA, ROKAMBA)

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) (JAMBA, CAMBA, ROKAMBA)

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) (JAMBA, CAMBA, ROKAMBA)

Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) (JAMBA, CAMBA, ROKAMBA)

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) (CAMBA)

The site is a lso hab ita t for many nomad ic wa terb irds when inland wetlands d ry or during times of d rought in c entra l and eastern Austra lia , with the Site a lso p rovid ing hab ita t for nomad ic bush-b irds during the summer period (Bird identific a tion using Trounson and Trounson, 2002: Refer Appendix 4 for full species list).

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4.2.2 Fish

There a re 16 spec ies of fish found within the Riverland Ramsar Site and a re listed below. Fish have d iverse life history needs, with spec ies in the Chowilla Anabranc h system widespread throughout the four mesohab itats, which includes: the ma in River Murray c hannel, fast flowing anabranc hes, slow-flowing anabranc hes and backwaters (Zampatti et a l., 2008). Some la rva l fish have been found to display inter-annual c hanges in their rela tive abundanc es, whic h was thought rela ted to va riab ility in wa ter reg imes (Zampatti et a l., 2008). Spa tia l va ria tion in fish distributions have a lso been observed throughout these hab ita ts, with the fast anabranc h hab ita ts d isp laying signific antly d ifferent la rva l fish assemb lages compared to both the slow anabranc h and ma in c hannel hab ita ts (Leigh et a l., 2008; Zampatti et a l., 2008). The site a lso p rovides fish b reed ing and nursery hab ita ts in the warm sha llow floodwaters overlaying the extensive floodp la in and wetlands during sp ring and early summer flood events. As the floodwaters sp read over p reviously d ry g round there is an abundant p roduc tion of p lankton and subsequent p rolifera tion of la rger food organisms, a ll of whic h c ontribute to the d iet of young fish.

The Chowilla Anabranc h is a lso an important pa thway for Golden perc h (Mac quaria amb igua , Silver perc h (Bidyanus b idyanus) and Murray c od (Mac c ulloc hella peelii peelii)to migra te a round Loc k 6, whic h is a fish barrier during low to med ium flows. Current researc h ind ic a tes tha t the Chowilla anabranc h is important for Murray Cod recruitment, particularly during years of sustained low and uniform flows in the River Murray.

List of fish species within the Riverland Ramsar Site

Scientific Name Common Name

Maccullochella peelii peelii Murray c od

Bidyanus bidyanus Silver p erch

Tandanus tandanus Freshwater c atfish

Macquaria ambigua Golden p erch

Nematalosa erebi Bony herring

Retropinna semoni Australian smelt

Melanotaenia fluviatilis Murray rainbowfish

Philypnodon grandiceps Flat-head gudgeon

Philypnodon sp. Dwarf flat-headed gudgeon

Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum fulvus Unspecked hardyhead

Craterocephalus fluviatilis Murray hardyhead

Hypseleotris spp. Carp gudgeon sp.

Cyprinus carpio Carp

Gambusia holbrooki Gambusia Perca fluviatilis Redfin p erch

Carassius auratus) Goldfish

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4.4 Threatened Species

The Riverland Ramsar Site supports the fo llowing na tiona lly threa tened spec ies defined under sec tion 179 of the Austra lian Environment Protec tion and Biod iversity Conservation Act 1999:

Regent pa rrot (Eastern) (Polytelis anthopep lus monarc hoides) is listed as Vulnerab le. It b reeds in hollows of River red gum (Euc a lyp tus c ama ldulensis) trees c lose to, or over wa ter. The site supports a b reed ing popula tion of over one hundred pa irs tha t have been rec orded nesting a t ten loc a tions adjacent to the main river channel (Smith 2001& 2004)

Southern bell frog (Litoria raniformis) is listed as Vulnerab le. This amphib ian is reg iona lly c ommon with popula tions rec orded a t most of the la rge wetlands throughout the site.

Murray c od (Mac c ulloc hella peelii peelii) is listed as Vulnerab le. The ma in popula tion of this spec ies is loc a ted within the ma in c hannel of the River Murray and assoc ia ted deep -wa ter anabranc h c reeks. However in times of flood, ind ividua ls may move onto the floodp la in via the anabranc h systems and flooded lentic channels.

Murray ha rdyhead (Cra teroc epha lus fluvia tilis) is listed as Vulnerab le. Limited site surveys have loc a ted a sing le popula tion ad jac ent to Lake Littra -Chowilla Anabranch.

The following is a list of threa tened spec ies with a c onserva tion ra ting a t a sta te level, whic h inhab it the site on a permanent or seasona l basis: Conserva tion Sta tus Codes; E Endangered, R Rare and V Vulnerable.

Mammal Species Conservation Status

Common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecular)

Feathertailed glider (Acrobates pygmaeus)

R

E

Reptile Species Conservation Status

Broad-shell turtle (Chelodina expansa)

Macquarie turtle (Emydura macquarii)

Eastern tiger snake (Notechis scutatus)

Carpet python (Morelia spilota variegata)

Lace monitor (Varanus varius)

V

V

R

R

R

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Plant Species Conservation Status

Dainty maiden-hair (Adiantum capillus-veneris) V

Swamp daisy (Brachycome basaltica var. gracilis) R

Black-fruit daisy (Brachycome melanocarpa) V

Coast daisy (Brachycome parvula var. lissocarpa) R

Matted water starwort (Callitriche sonderi) R

Water starwort (Callitriche umbonata) V

Pale beauty-heads (Calocephalus sonderi) R

Tufted burr-daisy (Calotis scapigera) R

Purple crassula (Crassula peduncularis) R

Pale flax-lily (Dianella porracea) V

Small-flower Beetle-grass (Diplachne parviflora) R

Waterwort (Elatine gratioloides) R

Barren cane-grass (Eragrostis infecunda) R

Purple love-grass (Eragrostis lacunaria) R

Pale-fruit cherry (Exocarpos strictus) R

Sea-heath (Frankenia cupularis) R

Hooked needlewood (Hakea tephrosperma) R

Nutty club-rush (Isolepis producta) V

Slender fissure-plant (Maireana pentagona) R

Creeping boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium) R

Upright milfoil (Myriophyllum crispatum) V

Robust milfoil (Myriophyllum papillosum) R

Wavy marshwort (Nymphoides crenata) R

Australian broomrape (Orbanche cernua var. V australina)

Squat picris (Picris squarrose) R Jagged bitter-cress (Rorippa laciniata) R Behr's swainson-pea (Swainsona behriana) V Zannichellia palustris R

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Bird Species Conservation Status

Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) R

Darter (Anhinga melanogaster) R

Australian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) V

Musk Duck (Biziura lobata) R

Blue Billed Duck (Oxyura australis) R

Australasian Shoveler (Anas rhynchotis ) R

Freckled Duck (Stictonetta naevosa) R

Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia) R

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) R

White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) R

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) R

Banded Stilt (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus) V

Bush Stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius) R

Square-tailed Kite (Lophoictinia isura) E

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) R

White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) E

Ma jor Mitc hell s Coc ka too (Cacatua leadbeateri) R

Gilbert s Whistler (Pachycephala inornata) R

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis) R

Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis) R

Striped Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata) R

Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta) R

White-winged Chough (Corcorax melanorhamphos) R

Fish Species Conservation Status

Silver Perch (Bidyanus bidyanus)

Freshwater catfish (Tandanus tandanus)

Fly specked hardyhead (Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum)

Crimson-spotted rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis)

Dwarf flat-headed gudgeon( Philypnodon sp. 2)

Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii)

Murray hardyhead (Craterocephalus fluviatilis)

V

V

R

R

R

V

V

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5.0 CULTURAL VALUES

The Riverland Ramsar Site has a ric h c ultura l history, both in terms of its oc c upa tion by Aborig ines tha t goes bac k around 12,000 years, and its rela tively rec ent exp lora tion and oc c upa tion by European settlers, approximately 150 years ago. This has resulted in a number of both Aborig ina l and European heritage sites located across the Riverland Ramsar Site.

5.1 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage

Prior to European settlement the Maraura , Ng inta it and Erawirung Aborig ina l tribes oc c up ied the a rea . The Aborig ina l popula tion had a strong ly ritua listic c ulture, with stric t sp iritua l laws and taboos. They had a keen understand ing of p lants and animals and incorporated the physical features of the land into their rich mythology. They were skilled in c ra fts suc h as making baskets and weaving rushes, whic h inc luded p roduc ing nets used to c a tc h fish and wa terfowl. They a lso made c anoes and shields from the bark of River red gum trees. Possums, kangaroos, mussels, yabb ies and turtles were ea ten a long with c umbungi (Typha spp .) tubers and bulrush sp routs and seeds tha t were often ground into flour. Possum skins were sewn with tendons from kangaroo ta ils and used as c loaks. Turtle shells were used to c a rry water (Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 1995).

With the a rriva l of Europeans, sma llpox dec imated the Aborig ina l peop le. Sma llpox initia lly c ame to the reg ion with the early exp lorers as they travelled down the river. Smallpox was then b rought over land with the early European settlers, as they travelled a long the Old Wentworth Road , passing through Chowilla . Passage of the d isease c ontinued down river to the Adela ide tribes, where it continued to c ause devasta ting loss of life for the Aborig ina l peop le. Undoub ted ly c onflic ts over European land settlement led to further dea ths. Today there a re still rema ining descendants of the orig ina l Aborig ina l tribes of the a rea , a long with many Aborig ina l peop le who were reloc a ted to the a rea from some of the remote surrounding regions (G. Sumner, pers. c omm., 2009).

A la rge number of sites tha t have importance to Aboriginal peop le have been identified throughout the Riverland Ramsar Site. As rocks are rare on the floodplain, burnt c lay was used to reta in hea t for baking . Sc a ttered lumps of burnt c lay and middens of mussel shells mark old Aborig ina l c ampsites. Other sites of significance

include burial sites, scarred trees and isolated artefacts.

5.2 European Cultural Heritage

The first Europeans to settle in the reg ion were pastora lists in 1846 tha t were known as squa tters . The first pastora l lease over the reg ion north of the river, known as Chowilla Sta tion was issued in 1851. In 1864 a fter the lease had c hanged ownership severa l times, Ric hard Holland ob ta ined the lease for his three stepsons (the Robertson s) who a re the anc estors of the p resent day lessees of Chowilla Sta tion. The biggest tally of sheep shorn at Chowilla Station was in 1881 when 30 hand blade shearers sheared 70,250 sheep.

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The first rec orded owner of the a rea south of the river between where Renmark Township is loc a ted and the Vic torian border was E. M. Bagot. In 1887 the South Austra lian Government set 30,000 ac res of the downstream end of Chowilla , whic h was then known as Bookmark for an irriga tion area to be c ontrolled by the Cha ffey Brothers. However by 1893 the Sta te Government passed the Renmark Irriga tion Trust Ac t, whic h p lac ed the c ontrol of the wa ter in the hands of the settlers, not the Cha ffey Brothers. The town of Renmark was la id out on this land in 1886. The Robertson partnership d issolved in 1896 and the Chowilla / Bookmark p roperty was split to create the Chowilla and Calperum Stations.

In the 1880 s Longwang Island and the southern portion of Bulyong Island on the Ra l Ra l Anabranc h bec ame a c ommunity c ommonage for the settlement of Renmark. At the end of World War I the c ommonage was leased to the Returned Servic emen League for horse grazing ag istment. In 1967 an irriga tion evapora tion basin was estab lished in the c entre of Bulyong Island tha t rec eived d ra inage wa ter from the Renmark and Cha ffey Irriga tion a reas. The d ra inage basin was dec ommissioned a fter the flood of 1989 b reac hed the basin embankment. The Bulyong and Longwang Islands have subsequently bec ome part of the Murray River National Park.

The south side of the River settlement was a lso bec oming more advanc ed with the estab lishment of The Hundreds of Murtho and Paringa , being p roc la imed in 1893. Between May 1942 and May 1945 a Prisoner of War wood c utting c amp func tioned a t Woolenook Bend in the Murtho Forest Reserve. The c amp held 243 Japanese internees. Reports from this period sta te tha t Blac k box densities were reduc ed by wood c utting to one to two trees per ac re in the Forest Reserve (Department Primary Industries SA, Forestry, 1995). However, Blac k box has a remarkab le c apac ity to re-sp rout a fter being logged and many of the trees tha t

Documents

Management Plan forthe Riverland RamsarSite · values of the Site. An Ecological Character Description (ECD) was completed for the Site in 2009 describing the character of the site