Welcome to Our Wetlands

Wetlands are often called swamps, dams or waterholes.

They’re areas of land that are either temporarily or permanently covered by water. They support a large variety of plant and animal species that are adapted to fluctuating water levels.

Wetlands are very useful. They enhance water quality, mitigate floods, provide refuges for wildlife in dry seasons and sustain grazing long after floods have receded.

They trap sediments and filter nutrients so they’ve been likened to the cleansing kidneys within the river systems.

Many privately owned wetlands are on farming or grazing land and they can provide food during lean periods and water for emergencies.

Wetlands slow water flows, reduce the severity of floods, reduce stream bank erosion and stop soil losses and sedimentation of drainage lines, creeks and rivers.

They also support animal species that help control agricultural pests. Insects which attack crops are hunted by dragonflies and frogs, most of which require wetland environments to breed. Many wetland birds forage amongst crops for insects and grubs. Wetlands also support snakes and larger birds of prey which feed on mice.

They have a spiritual value to Indigenous Australians, they reduce blue-green algal blooms downstream , they’re critical sites for aquatic and semi-aquatic life including waterbirds, fish, frogs, reptiles, crustaceans and insects, provide excellent rich soil areas for grazing and other agricultural uses.

Here's a description about some of the significant wetlands in our area.

Healeys Lagoon, Lower Burdekin

Located in the Burdekin River catchment, Healeys Lagoon is a five kilometre long, freshwater system near the Ramsar-listed Bowling Green Bay National Park.

The Lagoon retains much of its original high conservation value despite being used for irrigation water supply and storage. It is surrounded by sugarcane farms and is severely invaded by aquatic weeds. It still has hydrological connectivity with the extensive Cromarty wetlands immediately downstream and is prized for its barramundi habitat.

Horseshoe Lagoon, Lower Burdekin

Horseshoe Lagoon is a 70 hectare off-stream lagoon. It’s on the right bank of the Haughton River and is an important component of the Burdekin-Haughton wetlands.

It’s a declared conservation park with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Horseshoe Lagoon is acknowledged in the NQ Tropical Birding Trails – Birdwatching Tourism Feasibility Study as an important site for nature-based tourism and for specialist bird watching experiences. The Lagoon supports a range of small waterfowl with diving ducks and cormorants in the deeper water. Focal birds include the magpie goose, black swan, cotton pygmy-goose and white-browed crake.

Serpentine Lagoon, Haughton River catchment

The Serpentine Lagoon is on two grazing properties, 45 kilometres south of Townsville, in the upper reaches of the Haughton River catchment.

The wetland aggregation covers 350 hectares and includes a large seasonally inundated area which drains into a set of permanent and semi-permanent lagoons downstream.  It dries out during the dry season. The area supports an outstanding variety of plant and bird life and it’s highly valued by bird watching groups. Townsville City Council has built a bird hide on the property and with the landholder’s permission you can visit it.

The areas with permanent deepwater have very healthy riverbank vegetation and potential fish habitats. Serpentine Lagoon is listed in the national Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia. The area has been gazetted as a Nature Refuge by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

Sheepstation Creek, Lower Burdekin

This Creek is a floodplain distributary. It has been highly modified because it’s used as a distribution network for water from the Burdekin River.  Water is pumped into Sheepstation Creek to recharge groundwater and surface water for sugarcane irrigation.

The Creek is about 65 kilometres east /south-east of Townsville and is a distributary stream of the Burdekin river floodplain and delta.

Before the area was developed Sheepstation Creek had a series of deep water lagoons joined by a network of stream channels and shallow seasonally flowing drainage depressions that carried wet season runoff and flood flows.

Town Common, Townsville

The Town Common is 3,245 hectares and is just outside the city of Townsville. It has the status of a conservation park and thousands of migratory birds use the Common annually.

It was claimed and controlled by the Municipality of Townsville in 1869. Various community needs such as a cemetery, rubbish depot, abattoir, night-soil depot, airport and the Garbutt residential area have lead to a reduction in the size of the common from its original 4,925 hectares.

The Town Common is part of the China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA) and the Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA). These are bilateral agreements for the protection of migratory birds.

Wongaloo/Cromarty Wetland

This 1770 hectare wetland is near Giru. The Aboriginal name for the main wetland is Wongaloo meaning quiet waters. It adjoins the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and forms the core of one of the largest coastal wetland complexes in eastern Australia. It’s a breeding site for brolga and magpie geese.