Lower Burdekin Basin

The Lower Burdekin Basin is relatively small, covering just under 10,000 square kilometres.

The land is mostly used for grazing with about 12 per cent used for intensive agriculture such as irrigated sugar production. Another 9 per cent is used for conservation purposes.

Part of this Basin contains a floodplain, which is considered to hold the single most important, healthy and productive wetland systems in Queensland. Bowling Green Bay National Park is a 35,000 hectare national park that is recognised internationally as a Ramsar wetland. It forms one of tropical Australia’s largest and most diverse coastal wetlands. Many rare and threatened species live in or visit the wetlands. The bay has many wetland types and is an important home for fish, dugongs, crocodiles, green turtles and migratory birds.

This Basin also contains two non-coastal subcatchments. In contrast, these two subcatchments, (Burdekin (below the dam), Landers Creek and Stones Creek) and upper parts of the Haughton River, Barratta Creek and Upstart Bay subcatchments are mostly dry, short-lived creek systems.

This basin consists of seven subcatchments. These are:

Barratta Creek

Barratta Creek is a small subcatchment where the major land use is grazing, while about a third of the land area is used for irrigated sugar production. A small proportion of the land is set aside for conservation purposes.

Barratta Creek is considered to be one of the most important, healthy and productive creek systems in the Burdekin region and includes many large, permanent wetlands and long lengths of permanently-flowing creek where there are no major fish passage barriers.

This area contains part of the estuarine wetlands within Bowling Green Bay National Park, which is recognised internationally as a Ramsar wetland that provides important breeding and feeding habitat. Part of Barratta Creek is included in the Directory of Important Wetlands.

People use the area for recreation (boating and tourism), irrigation, stock watering, human consumption of aquatic food, and the cultural and spiritual values of the Juru and Bindal Traditional Owners.

Burdekin Delta

Burdekin Delta is a small subcatchment where the major land use is irrigated sugar production. About a quarter of the land is used for grazing and another quarter is used for conservation.

The Burdekin Delta subcatchment contains the greatest concentration of wetland habitat in the entire Burdekin catchment, but because of the intensive urban and agricultural land uses, many of the creeks and wetlands have been highly modified from their original state.

This area is close to part of the Bowling Green Bay National Park and the marine park that surrounds the Yongala shipwreck, which is an important diving site and contains corals and an abundant fish life.

People use this area for recreation (swimming, boating and tourism), irrigation, farm water supply, stock watering, aquaculture, industrial use, human consumption of aquatic food, and the cultural and spiritual values of the Juru Traditional Owners.

Burdekin River (below the dam)

Burdekin River (below the dam) is a small subcatchment where the land use is almost exclusively grazing.

People use the land for stock watering and the cultural and spiritual values of the Jangga and Birri Traditional Owners.

 

Haughton River
Haughton River is a small to medium sized subcatchment where the major land use is grazing. However, approximately five per cent of the land is used for irrigated sugar and one per cent for horticulture. Around 18 per cent of the land is set aside for conservation and other minimal use.

The upper Haughton River itself is a dry, sandy watercourse with few permanent waterholes, whereas its major tributaries contain several significant waterholes and wetlands. The Haughton River floodplain also contains one of the greatest concentrations of wetland habitat in the entire Burdekin region.

The coastal area beside the Haughton River subcatchment, known as Bowling Green Bay is one of only two RAMSAR-listed internationally significant wetlands in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

People use this area for recreation (swimming, boating and tourism), irrigation, industry, stock watering, human consumption of aquatic food, drinking, and the cultural and spiritual values of the Bindal Traditional Owners.

Landers Creek

Landers Creek is quite a small subcatchment where the major land use is grazing. Almost five per cent of the land area is used for irrigated sugar production and a further three per cent is remnant native vegetation with minimal use.

Landers Creek is a largely sandy and dry seasonal creek system with limited habitat. Irrigation tailwater in the lowermost reach of Landers Creek has increased stream flow there and greatly increased the amount of in-stream vegetation present.

People use the area for stock watering, irrigation and the cultural and spiritual values of the Birri Traditional Owners.


Stones Creek

Stones Creek is a very small subcatchment where land use is exclusively grazing.

Stones Creek subcatchment is understood to be a largely dry, sandy creek system but very little is known about the ecology and condition of aquatic habitats.

The area is used by people for stock watering, and the cultural and spiritual values of the Birri Traditional Owners.

 

Upstart Bay Catchments

Upstart Bay is a small coastal subcatchment where the major land use is grazing. A small part of this area is used for sugar, horticulture and conservation.

The creek systems and wetlands of this subcatchment are mostly short-lived and only flow for short periods after significant rainfall.

This area contains Cape Upstart National Park.

People use the area for recreation (swimming, boating and tourism), irrigation, stock watering, human consumption of aquatic food, and the cultural and spiritual values of the Juru Traditional Owners.