The Coorong, and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Wetland 5
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Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS) Categories approved by Recommendation 4.7 (1990), as amended by Resolution VIII.13 of the 8th Conference of the Contracting Parties (2002) and Resolutions IX.1 Annex B, IX.6, IX.21 and IX. 22 of the 9th Conference of the Contracting Parties (2005). 1. Name and address of the compilers of this form: FOR OFFICE USE ONLY. Department of Environment, Water and Natural DD MM YY Resources GPO Box 1047 Adelaide SA 5001 Designation date Site Reference Number Australia +61 8 8204 1910 [email protected] 2. Date this sheet was completed/updated: May 2013 3. Country: Australia 4. Name of the Ramsar site: The precise name of the designated site in one of the three official languages (English, French or Spanish) of the Convention. Alternative names, including in local language(s), should be given in parentheses after the precise name. The Coorong, and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Wetland 5. Designation of new Ramsar site or update of existing site: Site designated 1 November 1985 This RIS is for (tick one box only): a) Designation of a new Ramsar site ; or b) Updated information on an existing Ramsar site 6. For RIS updates only, changes to the site since its designation or earlier update: a) Site boundary and area The Ramsar site boundary and site area are unchanged : or If the site boundary has changed: i) the boundary has been delineated more accurately ; or ii) the boundary has been extended ; or iii) the boundary has been restricted** and/or If the site area has changed: i) the area has been measured more accurately ; or ii) the area has been extended ; or iii) the area has been reduced** ** Important note: If the boundary and/or area of the designated site is being restricted/reduced, the Contracting Party should have followed the procedures established by the Conference of the Parties in the Annex to COP9 Resolution IX.6 and provided a report in line with paragraph 28 of that Annex, prior to the submission of an updated RIS. Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS), page 2 b) Describe briefly any major changes to the ecological character of the Ramsar site, including in the application of the Criteria, since the previous RIS for the site: In accordance with Article 3.2 of the Convention, the Secretariat was formally notified of potential changes in the ecological character of the site in December 2006. An Ecological Character Description (ECD) was provided, and while detailed quantitative data describing the 1985 listing condition are not available for many ecological components, processes, or services/benefits, the 2006 ECD concluded that the site has been declining for at least 20-30 years prior to listing (Phillips and Muller 2006). The rate of decline has been exacerbated by Australia’s recent drought conditions (in the early 2000s to 2010), including the loss of key species and declines in much of the biota (e.g. Ruppia spp., macroinvertebrates and fish species) and the habitats within the site. The condition of the site was identified as an issue of considerable concern in the Australian Government’s National Report submitted to the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, in 2008. A subsequent update was provided at 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, in 2012 outlining that the condition of the site has stabilised as a result of the activities of the Australian and South Australian Governments and has now improved due to significant rainfall events experienced across the Murray–Darling Basin since the second half of 2010. Implications on ecological character are still being assessed. The 2006 ECD notes that while the site was changing prior to listing, it is believed to have further declined since its listing in 1985. The reasons for these changes are complex, but include human-induced influences such as alterations to water flows into and within the site exacerbating the influence of climate change. Acid sulfate soils have emerged as an additional issue to site management. Importantly, despite these changes the site presently continues to meet eight of the Ramsar Convention’s site nomination criteria. 7. Map of site: Refer to Annex III of the Explanatory Note and Guidelines, for detailed guidance on provision of suitable maps, including digital maps. a) A map of the site, with clearly delineated boundaries, is included as: i) a hard copy (required for inclusion of site in the Ramsar List): ; ii) an electronic format (e.g. a JPEG or ArcView image) ; iii) a GIS file providing geo-referenced site boundary vectors and attribute tables . b) Describe briefly the type of boundary delineation applied: e.g. the boundary is the same as an existing protected area (nature reserve, national park, etc.), or follows a catchment boundary, or follows a geopolitical boundary such as a local government jurisdiction, follows physical boundaries such as roads, follows the shoreline of a waterbody, etc. The Ramsar site encompasses the Coorong National Park, Lake Alexandrina, Lake Albert, and tributaries, up to +0.85m AHD. Where unalienated crown land, DEWNR reserve or crown land under licence exists adjacent to the waters edge the boundary has been extended to include this cadastral parcel. The site excludes all privately owned fringing wetlands around the edge of the lakes except for land subject to inundation in Clayton Bay, Marshall Bight and Tookayerta Creek. The boundary for the freshwater wetlands starts on the south-western shore of Goolwa Channel at the Goolwa barrage and follows the water’s edge past Goolwa and up into Currency Creek water body. It extends west upstream including Currency Creek Game Reserve (proclaimed 19/06/1975 and 27/05/1976) as the creek follows up between cadastral boundaries across Strathalbyn to Goolwa Road until it terminates at the junction of private land just south west of Currency Creek gazetted settlement (at the point nearest to 139º 45’ 4”E, -35º 27’ 4”S). Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS), page 3 It then follows the northern bank of Currency Creek downstream and around into Finniss River. In the Finniss River it follows the edge of the water body in a generally northern direction and then generally westerly into Tookayerta Creek/Black Swamp. The boundary goes as far as the western side of the Victor Harbor rail reserve (at the point nearest to 139º 47’ 28”E, -35º 24’ 47”S). The boundary then follows the northern edge of the swamp back into Finniss River where it continues upstream over winery road to then encompass the inundation area of the river (138 º48’ 54”E, -35º 23’ 28”S). It then continues downstream of Finniss River into Goolwa Channel past Clayton Bay, around Dunn Lagoon including Goose and Goat Island. The boundary then follows around Sturt Peninsula to Point Sturt and into Lake Alexandrina. In Lake Alexandrina it heads north around the foreshore of Lake Alexandrina, past Milang and around Tolderol point including Tolderol Game Reserve. It excludes the point extending east from Kindaruar homestead (gazetted 15/2/2007). It continues along the water’s edge around Dog Lake, Mosquito Point and Boggy Lake. It comes across the top of Lake Alexandrina past Mulgandawa and around Pomanda Island but excludes the island and the spit leading to the island. The boundary then heads north from Pomanda Island around McHughes Lake, including Pelican Lagoon, at the most northern extent of Lake Alexandrina. The boundary crosses where the River Murray and Lake Alexandrina meet (139º 22’E, -35º 21’ 54”S) to the eastern shore of Lake Alexandrina. The Boundary then follows south down to Low Point, around Poltalloch Plains to Point Malcolm, into The Narrows on the northern shore and through to Lake Albert. The boundary circulates clockwise around the edge of Lake Albert past Meningie including Bascombe Bay and Kennedy Bay and around the western shore. It travels along the southern shore of The Narrows to Lake Alexandrina and around in southerly direction past Point McLeay, around Loveday Bay and Salt Lagoon encompassing Salt Lagoon Islands Game Reserve. It passes around Wamwarrum to connect with the Coorong National Park at Pelican Point at the eastern end of the Tauwitchere Barrage. The southern component of the boundary from the barrages between Lake Alexandrina and the Murray Mouth back up to the Goolwa barrage includes the estuarine wetlands of the South and North Coorong Lagoons, adjacent coastal dunes to low water mark as encompassed by the Coorong National Park Boundary. The park boundary is based on cadastral parcels gazetted from 27th April 1972 to 23rd August 20011. All islands and road reserves within the Coorong National Park have been included in the Ramsar boundary. 8. Geographical coordinates (latitude/longitude, in degrees and minutes): Provide the coordinates of the approximate centre of the site and/or the limits of the site. If the site is composed of more than one separate area, provide coordinates for each of these areas. Geographic Coordinates are in degrees minutes, seconds referenced to the Geocentric Datum of Australia (GDA94). Ramsar site, outer boundary geographic extent coordinates Latitude: (approx.) 35o 18’S to 36o o o 33’S; Longitude: (approx.) 138 44’E to 139 51’E. 9. General location: 1 Gazettal dates for the Park are: 27/4/1972, 11/12/1975, 2/6/1977, 24/11/1977, 14/9/1978, 3/5/1979, 4/12/1980, 21/5/1981, 30/9/1982, 28/7/1983, 29/11/1984, 30/5/1985, 19/12/1991, 14/1/1993, 23/8/2001. Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS), page 4 Include in which part of the country and which large administrative region(s) the site lies and the location of the nearest large town.