Wetlands
As part of our role as caretakers of river health and the environmental water reserve, the CMA is responsible for the management of our regions wetlands largely through the management of our groundwater and surface water resources. Wetlands in the North East CMA region provide habitat for native species, and may also have important ecological linkages with rivers and groundwater systems.
Freshwater meadows, shallow freshwater marshes, alpine bogs and riverine billabongs occur within the North East region, and represent significant areas of the State's most depleted wetland habitats and wetlands least represented in Victoria's protected area network. These wetlands are easily damaged by intensive grazing and have an altered hydrology; consequently many have been lost throughout Victoria. Wetlands covering approximately 40,000 hectares have been identified in the North East Catchment Management Authority region.
There are eight nationally important wetlands within the North East region including:
- Davies Plain
- Mount Buffalo Peatlands
- Lake Hume
- Ryans Lagoon
- Black Swamp
- Lake Dartmouth
- Mitta Mitta River
- Ovens River.
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Significant man-made water storages, including Lake Hume and Lake Dartmouth also occur within the region. Man-made water storages support a range of beneficial uses including water supply, recreation and tourism. However, water storages such as these have significantly affected wetlands on the floodplain in terms of volume and seasonal pattern of flow. As a result, healthy wetlands, which are vital for the protection of sustainable rivers, are in decline.
The CMA is currently focusing on wetland education and awareness and is involving the community through education activities and events like World Wetlands Day and Biodiversity Week. These events contribute towards achieving the protection, rehabilitation, management and sustainable use of our wetlands. Refer to the Whats On section of this website for more information about upcoming events.
What is a Wetland?
Wetlands are simply areas that have acquired special characteristics from being wet on a regular or semi-regular basis. The term "wetlands" includes swamps, billabongs, lakes and saltmarshes, bogs, soaks, mudflats and mangroves.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands describes wetlands as: "areas of marsh, fern, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres".
Why are Wetlands Important?
Wetlands are highly diverse and productive ecosystems, critical for the conservation of biodiversity and ecological productivity. They are also part of our natural wealth and provide a variety of ecosystem services to the benefit of our society.
Wetlands are important sites for migratory waders, they play a major role in the world-wide carbon cycle and are a key element in the cycling of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. They are also critically important for providing much-needed refuges for animals in time of drought and are essential in the maintenance of healthy floodplains and in-stream river communities.
Wetlands also provide a wide range of ecosystem services to human populations; they intercept and modify nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, trap water during floods and afterwards release it slowly, thus minimising flood surges and are often important sites for human recreation.
What are the Threats to Wetlands?
There are a number of threats impacting on wetlands in the region including: altered water regimes; altered water quality; pest plants and animals; resource utilisation and habitat modification; climate change; and recreation and tourism.
There are a number of causes for these threats; these are described by the following:
- Altered water regimes effected through processes such as: drainage and reclamation; ponding and flood mitigation; and changes to wetland morphometry, such as dredging or deepening.
- Altered water quality through changes in salinity, nutrients, turbidity and toxicants.
- Pest plants and animals including exotic (introduced species) and invasive indigenous species.
- Resource utilisation and habitat modification, effected through processes such as: reclamation and clearing, timber harvesting, grazing and fire.
- Climate change via direct changes in air temperatures and precipitation patterns; and indirect impacts effected through altered hydrology.
- Recreation and tourism including: hunting for water birds and deer; angling; boating and trampling and general issues of access and weed spread.
For further information regarding Wetlands in the North East CMA region please contact the Environmental Water Reserves Officer at the CMA on (02) 6043 7600 or email webinquiry@necma.vic.gov.au
Wetland Resources
A Victorian CMA Wetland Network Newsletter is published each year. For more information, see the Wetland Newsletter page.
