Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site

Hattah -Kulkyne Lakes

Ramsar Site ecological character description

Published by the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Melbourne, August 2010

© The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) 2010 This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 .

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne. ISBN 978-1-74242-648-8 (online) For more information contact the DSE Customer Service Centre 136 186

This Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site ecological character description was prepared in 2005 using the ‘Framework for describing the ecological character of Ramsar wetlands’ (Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2005a) which pre-dated the current National Framework and Guidance for Describing the Ecological Character of Australia's Ramsar Wetlands agreed by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council on 12 June 2008 (http://www.environment.gov.au/water/topics/wetlands/ramsar-convention/implementation-of-framework.html).

Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts or the Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water or the Administrative Authority for Ramsar in Australia. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness 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. Guidance on the development of Ecological Character Descriptions, including Limits of Acceptable change, are areas of active policy development. Accordingly there may be differences in the type of information contained in this Ecological Character Description, to those of other Ramsar wetlands. This information does not create a policy position to be applied in statutory decision making. Further it does not provide assessment of any particular action within the meaning of the EPBC Act, nor replace the role of the Minister or his delegate in making an informed decision on any action. This report is not a substitute for professional advice rather it is intended to inform professional opinion by providing the authors' assessment of available evidence on change in ecological character. This information is provided without prejudice to any final decision by the Administrative Authority for Ramsar in Australia on change in ecological character in accordance with the requirements of Article 3.2 of the Ramsar Convention. Users should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances.

This report was prepared with the financial support of the Australian Government under the Natural Heritage Trust.

Cover: Hattah Lakes, Mallee Catchment Management Authority.

Acknowledgments The Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site ecological character description was developed by Ecological Associates Pty Ltd, Malvern South Australia for the Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne, Victoria with the assistance of a project steering committee. The steering committee included representatives from Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment, the Australian Government Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, the Mallee Catchment Management Authority and Parks Victoria.

Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site Ecological Character Description (2005)

TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY 1 ECOLOGICAL CHARACTER DESCRIPTION 2

1. INTRODUCTION 2

2. ECOLOGICAL CHARACTER DESCRIPTION DETAILS 2

3. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES FOR THE HATTAH -KULKYNE LAKES RAMSAR SITE 3

4. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES TO BE USED AS THE BASIS FOR THE ECOLOGICAL CHARACTER DESCRIPTION 4

5. DESCRIPTION OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND IDENTIFICATION AND RELATED COMPONENTS 6 5.1 Maintains the ecological diversity of the Robinvale Plains bioregion by supporting a large number and variety of waterbirds, including breeding habitat for many species 8 5.2 Supports threatened species, including those recognised nationally or internationally 13 5.3 Supports representative wetland and floodplain EVCs that are depleted in the Robinvale Plains Bioregion 14 5.4 Supports wetlands representative of two of Victoria’s six natural wetland types and of the Robinvale Plains bioregion 17 5.5 Summary of components that maintain ecosystem services 20 6. SPECIFIED COMPONENTS 21 6.1 Hydrology 21 6.2 Vegetation Condition 25 6.3 Connectivity of surface waters 27 6.4 Floodplain topography 29 6.5 Salinity 29 7. FUTURE MONITORING OF ECOLOGICAL CHARACTER 30 REFERENCES 31 APPENDICES 33

APPENDIX A. FRECKLED DUCK DATA 33

APPENDIX B. DROUGHT REFUGE 34

APPENDIX C. THREATENED FLORA AND FAUNA 35

APPENDIX D. VICTORIAN FRESHWATER WETLAND CATEGORIES AND SUB -CATEGORIES 39

Summary This description of the ecological character of the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site was prepared using the "Framework for Describing the Ecological Character of Ramsar Wetlands" (DSE 2005a). The Hattah-Kulkyne Ramsar site was listed in 1982. The site consists of twelve lakes hydrologically connected to the Murray River and located on the river floodplain. The floodplain habitat is integral to the ecological character of the lakes that make up the Ramsar site. The ecological character description includes information both for the Ramsar site and the floodplain surrounding the lakes (here called the Hattah floodplain), where relevant. The description is based on four ecosystem services as follows. • The site maintains the ecological diversity of the Robinvale Plains bioregion by supporting a large number and variety of waterbirds, including breeding habitat for many waterbird species. • The site supports representative wetland and floodplain EVCs that are depleted in the Robinvale Plains bioregion. • The site supports wetlands representative of two of Victoria's six natural wetland types and of the Robinvale Plains bioregion, including a depleted wetland type. • The site supports threatened species, including those recognised nationally and internationally.

Data were unavailable to specify many ecosystem services and components at the time of listing in 1982 so more recent data was used to quantify a baseline for ongoing monitoring of ecosystem services. Waterbird presence and abundance data were available from 1982 onwards but not for the period leading up to listing. Comprehensive data were not available to specify waterbird breeding. Comprehensive vegetation mapping was not available until 2003. Wetland classification and mapping was undertaken in 1993. Available threatened species records were generally from opportunistic sightings rather than systematic surveys. For ecosystem services, an ecological character monitoring program should include continued annual monitoring of waterbird presence and abundance, monitoring of waterbird breeding events, systematic monitoring of threatened species (especially those threatened nationally) and longer term monitoring designed to detect changes in the distribution of ecological vegetation classes and change in wetland categories. The components identified as critical in maintaining the ecosystem services were hydrology, vegetation condition, connectivity of surface waters, floodplain topography and salinity of water entering the lakes. Salinity data is routinely collected in the Murray River at Euston and this should continue. Long-term mean daily flow data for the Murray River at Euston were available and continue to be recorded. Some information was available to determine the flooding requirements for waterbirds and wetland vegetation. However, systematic monitoring is required to increase certainty about the flooding regime required to maintain these aspects of ecological character. More information is required to understand water connectivity within the lake system, particularly thresholds for flow to the lakes. The floodplain topography digital elevation model completed in 2005 provides a baseline for assessing future changes to floodplain topography. It also provides the basis for development of a hydraulic model of the Ramsar site lakes and surrounding Hattah floodplain which could be used to improve understanding of flood thresholds, flooding patterns and the flooding requirements for waterbirds and wetland vegetation. Data on grazing pressure have been collected for several years and provide an indirect measure of vegetation condition. Monitoring should continue. In addition, it is recommended that condition assessments be made of ecological vegetation classes (EVCs) in the Ramsar site and on the Hattah floodplain to establish a benchmark for future reference. A program should be developed to monitor the condition of EVCs in the future.

Ecological character description 1. Introduction This description was prepared using the “Framework for Describing the Ecological Character of Ramsar Wetlands” (DSE 2005a). It follows the approach recommended in the framework which consists of a series of steps as set out below. 1. Document introductory details about the description of ecological character. 2. List the ecosystem services at the Ramsar site. 3. Select ecosystem services for the ecological character description. 4. Define the selected ecosystem services in specific terms. 5. Link the selected ecosystem services with the critical ecological components and processes that support them and select those components and processes to be further specified 6. Specify the critical components and processes that support each of the selected ecosystem services. 7. Compile the description of ecological character 2. Ecological Character Description Details Table 1 provides introductory details regarding the ecological character description for the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site. Further information about the Ramsar Site can be found in the strategic management plan (DSE 2003). Table 1. Details of the ecological character description for Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site.

Site Name Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes, Victoria Area 955 ha Date of listing as a 15 December, 1982 Ramsar Site Date for which the The description is for the Ramsar Site utilises data from the time of listing on 15 December, 1982 description of ecological to 2003. Data were not available at or before the time of listing. Data that were used to describe character applies ecosystem services and components were those collected as soon after the time of listing as possible. For services and components that are subject to a high degree of natural variation, a benchmark period of 1983-2002 was chosen to specify the ecosystem service or component.

Management Authorities Parks Victoria The Department of Sustainability and Environment The Mallee Catchment Management Authority

Status of description This is the first description of the ecological character of Hattah -Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site Name of compilers Marcus Cooling Principal Ecologist , Ecological Associates Pty Ltd 5/235 Unley Road, MALVERN SA 5061 for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Division, Department of Sustainability and Environment 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002

Date of compilation September 2005 Reference for Department of Sustainability and Environment (2003a). Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site Management Plan Strategic Management Plan. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria. DSE website: http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/dse/index.htm

3. Ecosystem Services for the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site The ecosystem services for the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site are listed in Table 2. The primary source of the information for each ecosystem service is indicated. Table 2. Ecosystems services for the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site.

Ecosystem Service Source Provides an emergency stock and domestic water supply for the Hattah township 1 Supports recreational activities (bushwalking, camping, driving, fishing, canoeing, swimming 1 and nature study) Supports tourism 1 Is an important area for Aboriginal cultural heritage 1 Has educational values regarding floodplain wetlands 1 Is a site for ecological research on grazing, floodplain ecology and hydrology 1 Retains sediments and nutrients 1 Supports threatened species, including those recognised nationally and internationally 1 Maintains the ecological diversity of the Robinvale Plains bioregion by supporting a large 1 number and variety of waterbirds, including breeding habitat for many waterbird species Supports wetlands representative of two of Victorias six natural wetland types and of the 2 Robinvale Plains Bioregion Supports a depleted wetland type 3 Mitigates floods 1 Contributes to the scenic values of the landscape 1 Supports migratory waterbirds listed under international agreements and the Commonwealth 1 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Provides drought refuge for waterbirds and other aquatic fauna 1 Supports representative wetland and floodplain ecological vegetation classes (EVCs) that are 4 depleted in the Robinvale Plains bioregion

Sources 1. Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site Strategic Management Plan (DSE 2003) 2. DSE Corporate Geospatial Data Library WETLAND_1994 layer 3. DSE Corporate Geospatial Data Library EVC_BCS layer 4. DSE Corporate Geospatial Data Library EVC_COMP100 layer

4. Ecosystem services to be used as the basis for the ecological character description The ecological character description is based on the ecosystem services that relate in a significant way to the current Ramsar criteria for identifying wetlands of international importance (Ramsar Convention 1999a).

Ramsar criteria were first adopted in 1974 and revised in 1990, 1996 and 1999. When the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site was listed in 1982, it was assessed as meeting the then Ramsar criteria 2b and 3 (Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Information Sheet 1982). The criteria at that stage were as follows: • Criterion 2(b). A wetland should be considered internationally important if it is of special value for maintaining the genetic and ecological diversity of a region because of the quality and peculiarities of its flora and fauna. • Criterion 3. A wetland should be considered internationally important if it is a particularly good example of a specific type of wetland characteristic of its region. These equate to the current Ramsar criteria 1 and 3. • Criterion 1. A wetland should be considered internationally important if it contains a representative, rare or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region. • Criterion 3. A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region. In 1999, the site was assessed as meeting the Ramsar criteria 2b, 3a, 3b and 3c (Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Information Sheet May 1999). These equate to the current Ramsar criteria 3, 5 and 6. • Criterion 3: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region. • Criterion 5: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds. • Criterion 6: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird. Despite the documentation of the Ramsar site as meeting what are now criteria 5 and 6 in the 1999 Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS), there is no evidence to support this . No regular waterbird counts are available for the period before 1982 and later data do not show that the site regularly supports 20,000 waterfowl (Criterion 5) or 1% of the Freckled Duck population (Criterion 6). Data on waterbird abundance are presented in Section 4.1. The justification for claiming that the Ramsar site met criterion 6 in the 1999 RIS stated that the site regularly supports more than 1% of the ‘Victorian population of Freckled Duck’. However, the term ‘Victorian population’ is not ecologically meaningful as Victoria covers only a part of the range of the south-eastern Australian population identified by Wetlands International (2002). They estimate this population (with low reliability) as 19,000 individuals. Data on Freckled Duck are presented and discussed in Appendix A. There is only one count of Freckled Duck that meets the 1% threshold and all other are counts are considerably lower (Appendix A). The 1999 RIS is considered to be inaccurate in stating that the site meets the current criteria 5 and 6. The ecosystem services listed in Table 3 will be used as the basis for the ecological character description for Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site. They include services that relate to criteria 1 and 3 and one additional service that relates to Ramsar criterion 2, for which the site was not originally listed.

Table 3. Ecosystem services to be used for the ecological character description of Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site

Ecosystem services that relate to the Ramsar criteria met by Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Ramsar Site at the time of listing in 1982 Criteria Supports representative wetland and floodplain EVCs that are depleted in the Robinvale Plains bioregion 1 Supports wetlands representative of two of Victoria’s six natural wetland types and of the Robinvale 1 Plains bioregion, including a depleted wetland type Maintains the ecological diversity of the Robinvale Plains bioregion by supporting a large number and 3 variety of waterbirds, including breeding habitat for many waterbird species Ecosystem Services that relate to the Ramsar criteria for which the site was not originally Ramsar listed Criteria Supports threatened species, including those recognised nationally and internationally 2

Three of the other recognised ecosystem services at the Ramsar site (Table 2) are relevant to Ramsar criteria but are not considered to be of sufficient importance to meet the criteria based on Ramsar Convention guidance (Ramsar Convention 1999b). These services are: flood mitigation; supporting migratory waterbirds listed under international agreements; and providing drought refuge for waterbirds and other aquatic fauna. These ecosystem services are not included in the ecological character description and the reasons for this are outlined further below. The Ramsar site covers 955 hectares and is set in a floodplain of 12,500 hectares, as determined by the distribution of wetland-dependent or tolerant vegetation (see Section 4.3). The Ramsar site and floodplain make a contribution to flood mitigation on the Murray River. However, flood mitigation at Hattah is not considered a key ecosystem service in the context of other Murray floodplain systems in Victoria and New South Wales such as Barmah-Millewa (66,000 hectares) and Gunbower-Pericoota (50,000 hectares), Lindsay-Walpolla and Chowilla (17,700 hectares) which are significantly larger. In addition, Barmah-Millewa and Gunbower-Pericoota flood at lower river levels and, hence, more frequently. The relationship between flood extent and river levels for the Hattah floodplain has not been documented accurately. However, it is estimated that the Hattah floodplain is not significantly inundated until River Murray flows exceed 70,000 ML/day as measured downstream of Euston Weir (Phil Murdoch pers. Komm.. 4-4-05 Parks Victoria). Inundation of Barmah-Millewa commences at flows above 10,400 ML/day and inundation of Gunbower-Pericoota commences at 30,000 ML/day. A total of six migratory bird species listed under the Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA) and the China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA) and a further five species listed under CAMBA have been recorded at the Ramsar site (DSE 2003a). The significance of wetlands to migratory shorebirds was assessed by Watkins (1983). The Ramsar site is not of international or national significance for three of the six species classed as migratory shorebirds (Greenshank, Red-necked Stint and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper) (Watkins 1993) Watkins (1993) stated that the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes National Park was of international significance for the Black- fronted Dotterel, which is an Australian resident shorebird migrant. However, Watkins (pers. Komm.. January 2005) now cautions against using this assessment because the 1% population estimate by Wetlands International (2002) of 160 for the species is very unreliable, due to the high mobility and widely dispersed nature of the species. Records from 1980 onwards show Black-fronted Dotterel were only recorded in numbers greater than 160 on one occasion in April 1999 when 195 were counted. The majority of other counts are much lower. Records are few and old for two of the other species: White-throated Needletail (one record in 1963) and Latham’s Snipe (two records in 1922 and 1930). Great Egret, Glossy Ibis, Caspian Tern and White-bellied Sea Eagle abundance have not exceeded 38, 64, eight and two birds, respectively, on any one occasion in the past 20 years (Wetlands Database 8-12-04). There is only one recent record of Painted Snipe consisting of one bird. The site is therefore not considered to have national or international importance for migratory species. The role of the Ramsar site as a drought refuge is listed as an ecosystem service (Table 2), but it is not included in this description of ecological character. Lake water level records collected between 1911 and 1974 suggest that the site has provided a long-term and reliable environment for aquatic fauna. However, there is insufficient water level data to quantify the relationship between wetland hydrology and aquatic fauna presence (particularly 5

waterbirds) at or after the time of listing in 1982. The availability of contemporary evidence is important because the frequency of flood peaks in the River Murray, and therefore of inflow events in Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes, declined substantially in the years preceding listing. The availability of evidence and the data required to specify this ecosystem service are described in Appendix B.

5. Description of ecosystem services and identification and related components This section describes, in specific terms, each of the ecosystem services selected as the basis for the ecological character description. It also identifies the ecological components that are critical in supporting each service. The Ramsar site is located in the Robinvale Plains Bioregion. In Victoria, the Robinvale Plains bioregion has been identified as a subregion within the much larger Riverina Bioregion and is treated as a bioregion for natural resource management purposes in the State. The Robinvale Plains bioregion is a narrow gorge confined by the cliffs along the Murray River which is entrenched within older up-faulted Cainozoic sedimentary rocks. Alluvium deposits from the Cainozoic period gave rise to the red brown earths, cracking clays and texture contrast soils (Dermosols, Vertosols, Chromosols and Sodosols) that support Riverine Grassy Forest and Riverine Chenopod Woodland Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs). The Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site is defined by the perimeter of the lakes and does not include the surrounding floodplain area (Figure 1). In most cases, the habitat provided by the floodplain is integral to the ecosystem services at the Ramsar site and their significance. Where relevant to the following description, the status of ecosystem services is reported both for the Ramsar area and the complete Hattah floodplain. The Hattah floodplain (Figure 1) is defined here as the part of the Robinvale Plains Bioregion in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park that is associated with the Chalka Creek system. For reasons of simplicity in mapping, it includes some areas that are not inundated. The area subject to inundation is defined as the extent of ecological vegetation classes where some type of inundation regime influences vegetation composition. Ecosystem services are specified as they were as close as possible after the time of listing in 1982. For services and components that are subject to a high degree of temporal variation, a benchmark period of 1983 to 2002 was chosen. An explanation is provided of how each component maintains the service. Components that are to be further specified in the ecological character description are identified. Ecological processes are not specified as there is very little information on the relationship between the ecosystem services and the ecological processes.

Figure 1. Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site and the Hattah Floodplain showing land subject to 7 inundation (based on distribution of wetland ecological vegetation classes) and wetlands (described in detail in Sections 4.3 and 4.4).

5.1 Maintains the ecological diversity of the Robinvale Plains bioregion by supporting a large number and variety of waterbirds, including breeding habitat for many species Quantitative waterbird observations are available from 1983 to the present (DSE Wetlands Database). Records prior to the time of listing are not systematic and generally only record presence. Annual counts of waterbirds on Victorian wetlands, including Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes, have been conducted during mid- late summer since 1983 and as part of a Victorian Waterfowl Summer Count Program since 1987 (DSE Wetlands Database). Additional sightings have been made at other times of year when the wetlands are flooded. Some results have been published in Martindale (1988), Hewish (1988), Peter (1989 1990, 1991 and 1992). All count data obtained during these surveys are stored within the Victorian Wetlands database held by the Department of Sustainability and Environment. Counts made in mid to late summer may not represent the highest abundance and diversity of waterbirds at the site, which might be expected to occur in spring. However there is no regular collection of data in spring to make a comparison. A total of 53 species of waterbird have been reported in Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes over the period from 1983 to 2002. The 11 most frequently observed species are presented in Table 4. The most abundant waterbirds are Pacific Black Duck and Australian Wood Duck which were observed in 15 of the 20 years. Table 4. The eleven most frequently observed waterbirds in Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes over a 20 year period (Wetlands Database 8-12-04). No. Years Observed Waterbird 1983 to 2002

Pacific Black Duck 15

Australian Wood Duck 15

Great Cormorant 13

Masked Lapwing 13

Australian Pelican 12

White-faced Heron 13

Yellow-billed Spoonbill 13

Little Black Cormorant 10

Great Crested Grebe 10

Darter 10

Black-winged Stilt 10

The highest abundances of waterbirds are mostly associated with the sequence of flooding events that occurred between 1989 and 1993 and during 2001 (Table 5). The species observed in the highest abundance was Grey Teal. Three other waterfowl species were among the ten most abundant species.

Table 5. The twelve waterbird species present in the highest abundances at any one occasion from 1983 to 2002 (Wetlands Database 8-12-04). Waterbird Highest Date of Observed Observation Count

Grey Teal 15053 Feb 2001

Silver Gull 10000 Feb 1991

Hardhead 5797 Feb 1991

Pacific Black Duck 1975 Feb 1990

Pink-eared Duck 1280 Mar 1990

Australian Pelican 1000 Mar 1989

Eurasian Coot 795 Feb 2001

Australian Wood Duck 495 Mar 1994

Australasian Grebe 397 Feb 2001

Great Cormorant 366 Mar 1993

Freckled Duck 331 Mar 1983

Black Swan 262 Feb 1996

The greatest number of waterbirds observed on any single occasion was 23,923 in February 2001, due mainly to the high abundance of Grey Teal (Table 5, Table 6). This high abundance occurred following a minor flood event. The total waterbird abundances exceeded 1,000 annually between 1989 and 1996, reflecting the presence of water in the lakes that commenced with a flood event in 1989 and was sustained by floods in subsequent years. Over the benchmark period the average annual abundance of all waterbird species was 3,018. Table 6. The total number of waterbirds (all species) observed during single counts between 1983 and 2002 (Wetlands Database 8-12-04). Year Total Waterbirds Observed Year Total Waterbirds Observed

1983 1208 1993 1004

1984 0 1994 1900

1985 0 1995 2523

1986 0 1996 5704

1987 391 1997 414

1988 1336 1998 2149

Year Total Waterbirds Observed Year Total Waterbirds Observed

1989 1248 1999 881

1990 5388 2000 0

1991 10418 2001 23923

1992 1866 2002 0

Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes provides breeding habitat for waterbirds when conditions are favourable. Sixteen waterbird species are reported to have bred in the Ramsar Area between 1983 and 2002 (Table 7). An additional six waterbird species have bred in the surrounding floodplain (Table 8). The most frequently breeding waterbird in the Ramsar site is the Great Cormorant. The most frequently breeding waterbird on the combined Hattah floodplain and Ramsar site is the Great Crested Grebe. However, data on waterbird breeding are unlikely to be comprehensive as counts have mainly been conducted once a year in mid-late summer. Table 7. Waterbird breeding events (x) reported from the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site from 1983 to 2002 (DSE 2004a). -

Year bellied Sea bellied - Black Australasian Australian Chestnut Teal Chestnut Teal Grey PacificDuck Black Darter Musk Duck Egret Little White eagle Cormorant Great Pied Little Cormorant Little Cormorant Cormorant Pied Crested Great Grebe Duck Freckled Grebe Shelduck Lapwing Masked

1983

1984

1985

1986 x

1987 x

1988

1989

1990 x x x x x

1991 x x x x x

1992 x

1993 x x x x x x

1994 x x x x x

1995

1996 x

1997 x

1998

1999 x

2000

2001 x x x x

2002

Table 8. Waterbird breeding events (x) reported from the Hattah floodplain, including the Ramsar site, from 1983 to 2002 (DSE 2004a). -

Year billed bellied Sea bellied - fronted fronted - - Australasian Grebe AustralasianGrebe Australian Shelduck Yellow Chestnut Teal Chestnut TealGrey Pacific Black Duck Darter MuskDuck Heron White-necked BlackSwan Egret Little Black Dotterel White eagle Stilt Black-winged Pink-eared Duck Blue-billed Duck Cormorant Great Cormorant Pied Little BlackLittle Cormorant Cormorant Pied Spoonbill Crested Grebe Great Duck Freckled Lapwing Masked 1983 1984 1985 1986 x 1987 x x x 1988 x 1989 1990 x x x x x x 1991 x x x x x x 1992 x x x 1993 x x x x x x x x x x 1994 x x x x x 1995 1996 x 1997 x 1998 1999 x x x 2000 2001 x x x x 2002

Due to the intermittent flooding regime in Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes and the itinerant nature of many waterbirds, a long-term data set is required to establish the baseline status of this ecosystem service and to identify change in this ecosystem service. Systematic observations are not available prior to 1983. Therefore the DSE Wetlands Database monitoring record from 1983 to 2002 will be the baseline for waterbird diversity and abundance. A ten year period is chosen as the period over which a change will be assessed as this period accounts for

much of the natural variability in water regime and waterbird responses at the site. A change in the presence of waterbirds at the Ramsar site will be indicated by a change in the most frequently or abundantly observed waterbird species over a ten-year period. A change in the diversity will be indicated by a change in the number of species observed in a ten-year period. A change in abundance will be indicated by an ongoing decline in the average annual abundance of all waterbird species measured over a ten year period when compared to the annual average of the benchmark period average of 3,018. The data from the annual waterbird counts in February each year should be used. There is currently no reliable dataset to describe waterbird breeding and a baseline is not established. This is an important knowledge gap.

Component How the component maintains the service Hydrology Habitat for waterbird presence and breeding is provided by water in the lakes. Availability of water is related to the frequency of suitable floods in the Murray River. This component is specified in Section 6. Connectivity of Surface water connectivity is important in determining the flow and recession of Surface Waters floodwaters and can influence the extent and duration of waterbird habitat. The flow and retention of water is related to the sill level of creeks which connect the wetlands to each other and to the River Murray. This component is specified in Section 6. Vegetation Condition Habitat for waterbird presence and breeding is also provided by vegetation. Vegetation contributes to lake productivity and provides food sources, nesting sites, shelter and roosting sites. Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site and the Hattah floodplain support natural vegetation communities described in the form of EVCs (see Section 4.3). Gross changes in vegetation condition relating to floristics, cover, structure and presence of life forms (for example, due to clearing) will not take place in the foreseeable future, as the floodplain is managed as a natural system for conservation under the National Parks Act 1975 . However, the area has been subject to intensive grazing. Change in vegetation condition due to grazing could directly affect the quality of waterbird habitat. Vegetation condition is discussed further in Section 6. Floodplain The availability of waterbird habitat is closely dependent on topography which determines the Topography presence and form of lakes and other wetlands in which water is detained during floods. Habitat for various waterbird species may be distinguished by the depth of flooding, the size of wetlands and the proximity of reedy, shrubby, woodland or open water habitats. These habitat components are all influenced by topography. Detailed information about floodplain topography was not available in 1982. A digital elevation model was prepared in 2005 from data captured in 2004. It is discussed further in Section 6.

5.2 Supports threatened species, including those recognised nationally or internationally Threatened species recognised nationally and internationally are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Advisory lists of flora and vertebrate fauna threatened in Victoria are also available. Threatened species records are stored on the Victorian Atlas of Victorian Wildlife (DSE 2003c) and Flora Information System (DSE 2005b). Nationally threatened fauna species have been recorded in the Ramsar site and both flora and fauna species threatened at the national level have been recorded in the Hattah floodplain (Table 9, Appendix C). The nationally threatened fauna species recorded from the Hattah floodplain represent half the total number of such species recorded from the Robinvale Plains bioregion (Table 9). However, the nationally threatened flora species recorded on the floodplain make up only a relatively small proportion of the nationally threatened plant species in the bioregion (Table 9). With regard to species threatened in Victoria, several species of both flora and fauna have been recorded in the Ramsar site and Hattah floodplain (Table 9, Appendix C). The Hattah floodplain includes almost one third of the bioregion’s fauna species that are threatened at the State level. It also includes one quarter of the bioregion’s flora species threatened at the State level (Table 9). Most, but not all, threatened species are associated with wetlands.

Table 9. The number of threatened species reported in the Ramsar site and the Hattah floodplain (including the Ramsar site) in comparison to threatened species records in the Robinvale Plains Bioregion for the period prior to 2004 (DSE 2004a, DSE 2004c). Biotic Status Ramsar Site Hattah floodplain Robinvale Plains Group bioregion

Fauna Nationally threatened 2 8 16 Threatened in Victoria 18 39 128 Flora Nationally threatened 0 1 12 Threatened in Victoria 5 38 156

Data from the Atlas of Victorian Wildlife (DSE 2004a) and Victorian Flora Information System (2004c) do not record several threatened species until after 1982 when the site was listed. This is attributed to improved data collection since 1982, rather than an influx of threatened species, which is unlikely. All these species will need to continue to be represented to maintain ecological character with regard to this ecosystem service. Threatened species could be monitored as part of general flora and fauna monitoring programs or through targeted monitoring of threatened speices in line with the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 action statements or programs specified in recovery plans. General components that are thought to be important for overall maintenance of threatened species at the Ramsar site and on the Hattah floodplain are set out below. For components of importance to individual species, the scientific literature should be consulted. Component How the component maintains the service Floodplain The topography of the floodplain is one of the factors that determines flora habitat. Topography Topography is also a factor in providing fauna habitat relating to the depth and duration of flood water. Detailed information about floodplain topography was not available in 1982. A digital elevation model was prepared in 2005 from data captured in 2004. It is discussed further in Section 5. Hydrology Flooding influences the plant species present in areas subject to inundation during wet and dry phases (Arthur Rylah Institute 2003) and influences the availability of habitat for fauna. The role of hydrology in maintaining wetland vegetation is described in Section 5.1.2 and waterbirds in Section 5.1.1. Vegetation Condition Large intact natural areas such as Hattah-Kulkyne National Park can be expected to provide more secure areas for threatened species than cleared or small fragmented areas. Hattah- Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site and the Hattah floodplain support natural vegetation communities described in the form of EVCs (see Section 4.3). Gross changes in vegetation condition relating to floristics, cover, structure and presence of life forms (for example, due to clearing) will not take place in the foreseeable future, as the floodplain is managed as a natural system for conservation under the National Parks Act 1975 . However, the area has been subject to intensive grazing. Change in vegetation condition due to grazing could directly affect threatened flora and indirectly affect threatened fauna by changing their habitat. Vegetation condition is discussed further in Section 5.

5.3 Supports representative wetland and floodplain EVCs that are depleted in the Robinvale Plains Bioregion An EVC is a native vegetation classification based on a combination of its floristics, life form and ecological characteristics, and through an inferred fidelity to particular environment attributes (DSE 2004b). EVC mapping for the area covering Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar site, documented in the DSE

Corporate Geospatial Data Library layer EVC_COMP100, was completed in 2003 (Arthur Rylah Institute 2003). Although the data were collected 21 years after listing of the Ramsar site, they represent the only comprehensive vegetation distribution mapping for the Ramsar site. The condition and extent of EVCs are vulnerable to water regime changes and grazing pressure. It is not known if the extent of EVCs has changed significantly since the time of listing.

The Ramsar site supports three EVCs (Table 10) where some type of inundation regime influences vegetation composition. These are termed here wetland or floodplain EVCs. The Ramsar site is mainly comprised of Lake Bed Herbland and Intermittent Swampy Woodland, although a small area of the surrounding Red Gum community in the Riverine Grassy Woodland is included. A substantially greater area of this EVC is found in the surrounding floodplain. All three EVCs are reported as ‘depleted’ in the Robinvale Plains Bioregion (DSE EVC benchmarks no date). A substantial proportion of the Lake Bed Herbland in the bioregion is found in Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site (Table 10). More than half of the Riverine Grassy Woodland and Intermittent Swampy Woodland in the Bioregion is found on the Hattah floodplain (Table 10). Table 10 . Conservation status and extent of wetland or floodplain EVCs in Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site and on the Hattah floodplain (including the Ramsar site) as a proportion of the remaining areas in the Robinvale Plains Bioregion (source EVC_COMP100 DSE GIS Corporate Geospatial Data Library).

EVC No. Title Conservation Bioregion Ramsar Site Hattah Floodplain Status ha ha % Bioregion ha % Bioregion 107 Lake Bed Herbland Depleted 1696 858 51 1398 82 813 Intermittent Swampy Depleted 4847 89 2 2728 56 Woodland 295 Riverine Grassy Woodland Depleted 4137 5 <1 2183 53

The Hattah floodplain supports other wetland and floodplain EVCs and all of these are depleted or vulnerable (DSE EVC benchmarks nd), including a significant proportion of the bioregion’s Riverine Grassy Forest, Riverine Chenopod Woodland and Grassy Riverine Forest/Floodway Pond Herbland Complex (Table 11). Table 11 . Conservation status and extent of wetland and floodplain EVCs in Hattah floodplain, including the Ramsar site (source EVC_COMP100 DSE GIS Corporate Geospatial Data Library). EVC No. Title Conservation Area in Area in % Status Hattah Bioregion Bioregion floodplain (ha) (ha) 103 Riverine Chenopod Woodland Depleted 5498 12771 43 106 Grassy Riverine Forest Depleted 468 1728 27 811 Grassy Riverine Forest/Floodway Depleted 119 582 20 Pond Herbland Complex 823 Lignum Swampy Woodland Depleted 82 6327 1 104 Lignum Wetland Vulnerable 28 907 3 810 Floodway Pond Herbland Depleted 1 408 <1 200 Shallow Freshwater Marsh Vulnerable <1 374 <1

The distribution of wetland and floodplain EVCs is shown in Figure 2.

142°20' 142°30'

r r

Lake Bitterang a y 34°40' 34°40'

Lake Cantala NEW VICTORIA SOUTH WALES Lake Konardin

Lake Yelwell HATTAH FLOODPLAIN Lake Mournpall Lake Yerang

Lake Lockie

Lake Bulla Riv er Lake Brockie

Lake Lake Arawak Hattah

Lake Murray River Kramen Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site Hattah floodplain Wetland and floodplain vegetation Riverine Chenopod Woodland Lignum Woodland Grassy Riverine Forest Lake Bed Herbland Shallow Freshwater Marsh Riverine Grassy Woodland Floodway Pond Herbland Grassy Riverine Forest/Floodway Pond Herbland Complex Intermittent Swampy Woodland Lignum Swampy Woodland 34°50' 34°50' 142°20' 142°30' 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 Kilometers

Mildura# #Euston Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes ÚÊ# Ouyen Ramsar Site

VICTORIA

#Melbourne

N April 2005 This map is made using the best available information. Base data from DSE GIS Corporate Library The creators of this map do not warrant that it is free from Copyright: Department of Sustainability and Environment error and do not accept liability from loss arising from use of The State of Victoria, 2005. this product beyond its original purpose.

Figure 2. The distribution of wetland and floodplain EVCs in the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site 16 and the Hattah floodplain.

A change in the ecological character of the Ramsar site with respect to this service would be signalled by a decrease in the area or a change in the distribution of wetland or floodplain EVCs in the Ramsar site.

Component How the component maintains the service Hydrology The flooding regime is an important determinant of habitat for vegetation. The seasonality, duration and magnitude of floods are all important factors that influence the distribution and condition of EVCs. Flooding requirements for the whole suite of species in each EVC is not known. Water requirements of many of the dominant wetland flora species are documented in terms of depth and duration (Roberts 2001). For the purposes of the ecological character description, it is assumed that the flooding regime required to support the species that dominate an EVC would support overall species diversity in that EVC. The flooding requirements of these dominant species are specified in Section 5. Vegetation Condition Gross changes in vegetation condition relating to floristics, cover, structure and presence of life forms (for example, due to clearing) will not take place in the foreseeable future, as the floodplain is managed as a natural system for conservation under the National Parks Act 1975 . However, the area has been subject to intensive grazing in the past. Long term changes to flooding regimes have also occurred since the construction of Hume Dam in 1936 and these can be expected to affect vegetation condition. Vegetation condition is discussed further in Section 5. Connectivity of The connectivity of the lakes is important in determining the spatial pattern of flooding and Surface Waters the duration of water on the floodplain. Connectivity is a factor in determining the flood regime at individual sites and the habitat for vegetation. The flow and retention of water is related to the sill level of creeks which connect the wetlands to each other and to the River Murray. The flow and retention of water has been modified several times between 1908 and 1997. Further modifications are planned. This component is specified in Section 5. Floodplain Floodplain topography influences how flooding is expressed in the lakes and on the floodplain Topography in terms of depth and duration. This in turn influences vegetation composition and the distribution of EVCs. Detailed information about floodplain topography was not available in 1982. A digital elevation model was prepared in 2005 from data captured in 2004.

5.4 Supports wetlands representative of two of Victoria’s six natural wetland types and of the Robinvale Plains bioregion The Victorian wetland classification system is based on water depth, duration of inundation after filling and salinity. Four categories of natural freshwater wetlands are defined and each is further divided into subcategories based primarily on dominant vegetation, but also other factors (Corrick and Norman 1980, Department of Conservation and Environment and Office of the Environment 1992) (Appendix D). Wetlands are defined by Corrick and Norman as areas temporarily or permanently inundated. Wetlands were classified and mapped in the Hattah area in 1993 (Martin O’Brien pers. comm. 20-04-05). They were located based on air photographs, topographic maps or ground surveys and digitised onto a geospatial layer. The data are stored on the DSE Corporate GIS layer WETLAND_1994. The extent and category of wetlands is not considered to have changed significantly since the Ramsar site was listed in 1982. Therefore, data from this layer are used to specify the ecosystem service. The extent of wetlands, as mapped by Corrick and Norman, does not coincide with that of wetland and floodplain EVCs (Figure 1). The latter cover a greater proportion of the floodplain. This is because wetland and floodplain EVCs include both EVCs which occur in unambiguous wetland situations and EVCs which occur on wetland margins and may also extend into infrequently inundated areas not recognised by Corrick and Norman as wetlands. Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site supports 899 ha of freshwater wetlands and includes two of the freshwater wetland categories identified under the Victorian wetland classification system. Lakes

Bitterang, Cantala, Konardin and Yelwell are classified as Deep Freshwater Marshes with sub-category ‘open water’. The remaining lakes (Mournpall, Lockie, Hattah, Yerang, Bulla, Arawak, Brockie and Kramen) are Permanent Open Freshwater wetlands of the ‘shallow ‘sub-category’. While the Ramsar site includes only a small proportion of the remaining area of these wetland categories in Victoria, they represent a significant proportion of these wetland categories in the Robinvale Plains Bioregion (Table 12). The Hattah floodplain (including the Ramsar site) supports all four freshwater wetland types (Table 12). These make up only a small proportion of the remaining area of these wetland categories in Victoria, but they represent a significant proportion of these wetland categories in the Robinvale Plains Bioregion (Table 12). The distribution of freshwater wetland categories is shown in Figure 3. Table 12 . Extent of wetland categories in Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site and the Hattah floodplain (including the Ramsar site) and as a proportion of remaining wetland areas in Victoria and the Robinvale Plains Bioregion (source WETLAND_1994 DSE GIS Corporate Geospatial Data Library).

Wetland Remaining in Remaining Ramsar Site Hattah Floodplain Category Victoria in Bioregion Area (ha) Area (ha) Area (ha) % %Bioregion Area % Victoria %Bioregion Victoria (ha) Freshwater 115,066 382 - - - 144 0.1 37.7 Meadow

Shallow 52,639 1510 - - - 863 1.6 57.1 Freshwater Marsh

Deep Freshwater 54,175 1528 294 0.5 19.2 730 1.3 47.8 Marsh Permanent Open 86,679 1795 605 0.7 33.7 1006 1.2 56.0 Freshwater

A change in the ecological character of the Ramsar site with respect to this service would be signalled by a decrease in the area or a change in the distribution of the wetland categories in the Ramsar site or change in the condition of the wetlands. The condition of the wetlands has not been assessed using a standardised method. When such a method is available, regular assessment of wetland condition is recommended. Component How the component maintains the service Hydrology The status of the wetlands as permanent or temporary, deep or shallow, depends on the frequency and duration of flooding, which is governed by inflows from the River Murray. This component is described in Section 5.

Floodplain The topography of the floodplain determines the potential depth of inundation of wetland areas topography by floodwaters. Depth also influences duration of inundation with deep wetlands taking longer to dry than shallow ones after filling. Depth classes and period of inundation are specified for each wetland type in Appendix D and discussed in Section 5. Detailed information about floodplain topography was not available in 1982. A digital elevation model was prepared in 2005 from data captured in 2004.

Salinity Wetlands are classed as saline if salinity exceeds 3,000 mg/L (5,000 EC) throughout the year (DCE and Office of the Environment 1992). Wetlands in the Ramsar Site are fresh and are filled from fresh water from the Murray River. This component is specified further in Section 5.

142°20' 142°30'

r r

Lake Bitterang a y

34°40' Lake 34°40' Cantala NEW VICTORIA SOUTH WALES Lake Konardin

Lake Yelwell HATTAH FLOODPLAIN Lake Mournpall Lake Yerang

Lake Lockie

Lake Bulla Riv er Lake Brockie

Lake Lake Arawak Hattah

Lake Kramen

Murray River Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site Hattah floodplain Wetlands Freshwater Meadow Shallow Freshwater Marsh Deep Freshwater Marsh Permanent Open Freshwater 34°50' 34°50' 142°20' 142°30' 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 Kilometers

Mildura# #Euston Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes ÚÊ# Ouyen Ramsar Site

VICTORIA

#Melbourne

on the Hattah floodplain.

5.5 Summary of components that maintain ecosystem services A summary of the components that are critical in maintaining the ecosystem services as the basis of the ecological character description is presented in Table 13. Table 13. Components critical in maintaining the ecosystem services selected for the ecological character description of Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes. Those that are further specified in the ecological character description are indicated as follows: Yes: specified.

Component Hydrology Vegetation Connectivity Floodplain Salinity Condition of Surface Topography Ecosystem service Waters Maintains the ecological Yes Yes Yes Yes diversity of the Robinvale Plains bioregion by supporting a large number and variety of waterbirds, including breeding habitat for many species Supports threatened species, Yes Yes Yes including those recognised nationally or internationally

Supports representative Yes Yes Yes Yes wetland and floodplain EVCs that are depleted in the Robinvale Plains Bioregion Supports wetlands Yes Yes Yes representative of two of Victoria’s six natural wetland types and of the Robinvale Plains bioregion

Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site: Ecological character description (2005) 20

6. Specified Components This section provides descriptions of the components that are specified for the ecological character description of Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes. 6.1 Hydrology 6.1.1 Hydrology – flooding requirements for waterbirds

The waterbird monitoring data for Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes indicates that the flooding regime contributes to waterbird diversity, abundance and breeding in the benchmark period between 1983 and 2002. Figure 4 illustrates the relationship between waterbird abundance in the Ramsar site and River Murray flows for the benchmark period. High waterbird abundances appear to occur in years following significant flood events or following floods that occur after a prolonged dry period. Similarly the number of breeding waterbird species appears to increase in periods of prolonged floods (1987), frequent floods (1990 to 1994) or a flood after a prolonged dry period (2001) (Figures 5 and 6). However river levels do not fully explain waterbird abundance and breeding and other factors, such as climate and the availability of habitat elsewhere, are likely to be important.

Figure 4. Comparison of River Murray flow and waterbird abundance in the Ramsar site.

Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site: Ecological character description (2005) 21

Figure 5. . Comparison of River Murray flow and number of breeding waterbirds in the Ramsar site.

Figure 6. Comparison of River Murray flow and number of breeding waterbirds in the Hattah floodplain. The capacity of Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes to support large numbers of waterbirds will depend on the extent of aquatic habitat. Daily flow records for Euston have been reviewed for the benchmark period for waterbirds from 1983 to 2002. Table 14 shows the number of occasions water was introduced to the lakes and the total number of days the thresholds were exceeded. It is suggested that the number of inflow events and the total number of days above the

Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site: Ecological character description (2005) 22

flow thresholds shown in Table 14 should be maintained to maintain the ecological character of the Ramsar site in relation to waterbird abundance. Table 14. Inflow to Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes over the benchmark period for waterbirds between 1983 and 2002 based on the exceedence of flow thresholds by the River Murray, as gauged downstream of Torrumbarry (Source: Daily flow records below Euston Weir).

Threshold Lakes Affected No. days River Median duration No. (ML/day) Murray exceeded that threshold is events threshold exceeded (days) 40,000 Lockie, Hattah, L. Hattah, Yerang, 907 45.5 14 Mournpall 55,000 Bulla, Arawak, Brockie, Yelwell 570 78 9 70,000 Konardin, Bitterang 314 42 7 152,000 Kramen 15 15 1

The capacity of the lakes to support large populations of breeding waterbirds will depend in part on their productivity. Wetlands that are flooded after a dry period are productive and provide favourable conditions for waterbird breeding (Scott 2001). The role of River Murray hydrology in providing these conditions can be interpreted from the number of occasions that water was introduced to the lakes after a period of more than two years without inflow over the benchmark period (Table 15). To maintain the character of the lakes, the pattern of flooding after dry periods over the benchmark period must be maintained. Table 15. The number of inflow events that followed a period of two years or more without inflow.

Threshold Lakes Affected No. Occasions Occasions (ML/day) 40,000 Lockie, Hattah, L. Hattah, Yerang, 2 1984, 1988 Mournpall 55,000 Bulla, Arawak, Brockie, Yelwell 4 1984, 1990, 1993, 2001 70,000 Konardin, Bitterang 4 1984, 1990, 1993, 2001 152,000 Kramen 1 1993

It should be noted that the water regime over the benchmark period varies significantly from the natural water regime. Significant changes in the river flow regime followed the completion of the Hume Dam in 1936, which was followed by further storages and subsequent regulation and diversion. The capacity of Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes to provide habitat for waterbirds is believed to be threatened by a reduction in the frequency and duration of flooding (DSE 2003a). Ongoing monitoring of waterbird numbers and flow parameters is required to determine if the flow parameters for the benchmark period for waterbirds from 1983 to 2002 (Tables 14 and 15) are those that will continue to maintain the waterbird values outlined in Section 4.1.

6.1.2 Hydrology – flooding requirements for wetland vegetation

Services to which the component relates • Supports representative wetland and floodplain EVCs that are depleted in the Robinvale Plains Bioregion • Supports threatened species, including those recognised nationally or internationally

In floodplain environments, water regime is an important determinant of the structure and floristics of plant communities and their distribution in relation to topographic and drainage features. At the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site and Hattah floodplain, plant communities have been described and mapped as EVCs (Section 4.3). The main native plant species which make up the EVCs are identified in the EVC descriptions (Arthur Rylah Institute 2003). The water requirements of many of these species are known, and have been collated and reported by Roberts and Marston (2000). The water requirements of the main species in each EVC are reported in Table 16, where data are available. In some cases the water regimes are broad because plants tolerate a wide range of water regimes or because water requirements are poorly understood. Until the water requirements of the site is better understood, this information provides the best guide of the flooding regime required to maintain the EVCs and the character of the wetland types.

Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site: Ecological character description (2005) 23

Table 16 . Water requirements for the main native species of the EVCs identified by Arthur Rylah Institute (2003) based on water requirements proposed by Roberts and Marston (2000). EVC Main Species for which flow Water regime requirements for species requirements are available Duration (months) Frequency (years) Shallow Freshwater Ribbon Weed 6 No information Marsh Lignum Wetland Tangled Lignum 2-4 or 4-6 1:2 to 1:8 Common Nardoo 1-6 No information Lignum Swampy Tangled Lignum 2-4 or 4-6 1:2 to 1:8 Woodland River Red Gum 1-7 3:5 Cane Grass 1-6 1:2 Common Nardoo 1-6 No information Grassy Riverine Water Couch 3-5 No information Forest/Floodway Pond Herbland Complex Grassy Riverine River Red Gum Open Forest 1-7 3:5 Forest Water Couch 3-5 No information Lake Bed Herbland None No information No information Riverine Grassy River Red Gum Open Forest 1-7 3:5 Woodland Intermittent Swampy Spiny Mudgrass 7 (optimum) 4:4 Woodland 3-10 (tolerated).

(flood depth of up to 2 m) River Red Gum Open Forest 1-7 3:5 Black Box 2-4 1:3-1:10 Tangled Lignum 2-4 or 4-6 1:2 to 1:8 Riverine Chenopod Black Box 2-4 1:3-1:10 Woodland Floodway Pond None No information No information Herbland

Flood records are not available for the Hattah floodplain and only for one lake, Lake Hattah. It is therefore not possible to directly assess how well the water regime over the benchmark period matches the water requirements of the EVCs. Given the state of current knowledge, it is assumed that the water regime requirements in Table 16 must be provided to maintain the distribution and health of EVCs in the Ramsar site and on the Hattah floodplain. The frequency and duration of flooding and EVC condition should be monitored in future to determine if these broad flooding requirements are being met and to further explore the flooding requirements of EVCs.

Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site: Ecological character description (2005) 24

6.1.3 Hydrology – flooding requirements for wetlands

Service to which the component relates • Supports wetlands representative of two of Victoria’s six natural wetland types and of the Robinvale Plains

To maintain the wetland categories in the Ramsar site and on the Hattah floodplain, it is necessary to ensure that floods fill the lakes and other wetlands on a regular basis. If a wetland consistently fails to fill, it effectively ceases to function as a wetland. If it consistently fails to fill to capacity, this would be expected to cause a shift over time to a wetland category that is shallower with a shorter duration of flooding. Characteristic vegetation would also change. To maintain the ecological character of the Ramsar site in relation to wetland category, floods exceeding the thresholds in Table 14 would need to occur at least at the frequencies stated in the table. In addition these thresholds should be maintained for a sufficient period to fill wetlands to capacity at each event.

6.2 Vegetation Condition

Services to which the component relates • Maintains the ecological diversity of the Robinvale Plains bioregion by supporting a large number and variety of waterbirds, including breeding habitat for many species • Supports threatened species, including those recognised nationally or internationally • Supports representative wetland and floodplain EVCs that are depleted in the Robinvale Plains Bioregion

EVCs are characterised by their floristics, life forms and ecological characteristics. These are documented in benchmarks for each EVC. An EVC can be assessed against benchmarks to determine its condition. A standard rapid assessment method termed ‘habitat hectares’ has been developed in Victoria for assessing the condition of terrestrial EVCs (DSE 2004b) which include some floodplain EVCs. A method for assessing wetland EVC condition is currently being developed by DSE. No assessment of vegetation condition using these techniques has been undertaken at the Ramsar site or on the floodplain to determine the current condition of EVCs. This is recommended to establish a benchmark for future reference. The native vegetation around the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar site has been degraded by excessive grazing pressure by European Rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ), Goats ( Capra hircus ), Western Grey Kangaroo ( Macropus fuliginosus ) and Red Kangaroo ( M. rufus ). Grazing pressure has also degraded the quality of habitat available to other fauna. Grazing has suppressed woody species, such as River Red Gum and River Coobah reduced the abundance of perennial taxa in the shrub and ground layers (DSE 2003a). A kangaroo management plan was initiated in the Mournpall Block of the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park in 1990. The Mournpall Block includes all lakes in the Ramsar area except Lakes Bitterang, Cantala and Kramen. The kangaroo density was reduced from an estimated 46 per km 2 in 1990 to 5 per km 2 in 2003. Kangaroo control around the remaining lakes began in 1996. Vegetation responses to stratified kangaroo grazing pressure at Hattah Hattah- Kulkyne National Park have been documented by Sluiter et al. 1997. Rabbit numbers in the Ramsar area have also been significantly reduced since control programs began in the mid 1980s and the introduction of the Rabbit Calicivirus in the 1990s. The impact of grazing pressure from goats is largely unknown, but their preferential grazing habit may remove those plants critical to the survival of some native animal species. The social nature of goats can also lead to localised impacts on vegetation, particularly near frequently used night camps. Goat numbers are currently contgrolled through trapping and opportunisting shooting. The kangaroo fence surrounding the Mournpall Block enabled the exclusion of goats from most lakes between 1982 and 2001. Since 2001 a small population of approximately 40 goats has been recorded inside the Mournpall Block (DSE 2003a). As a result of reduced grazing pressure by Kangaroo and rabbit, some regeneration of woody species and perennial shrubs has been recorded. Density of the species exerting grazing pressure can by used to indirectly infer the condition of vegetation. Red Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo grazing monitoring data collected since 1983 provides a benchmark for grazing pressure by these species (Peter Sandell pers comm Parks Victoria 6-4-05). The data show increasing Red Kangaroo numbers inside and outside the Mournpall Block exclosure from 1983 to 1990, with a steep decline following this date (Table 17). Numbers in the exclosure have generally remained lower than outside after 1990. Red Kangaroo numbers have been relatively low throughout the benchmark period and are similar inside and outside the exclosure.

Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site: Ecological character description (2005) 25

Table 17. Density of Western Grey and Red Kangaroo within and outside the Mournpall Block exclosure (data provided by Peter Sandell, Parks Victoria 5 April 2005). Western Grey Kangaroo Red Kangaroo (nos. per km 2) (nos. per km 2) Date Mournpall Block Mournpall Block Exclosure Outside Exclosure Exclosure Outside Exclosure 1-Jul-83 12.8 12.8 1-Jul-84 27.3 25.9 0.3 1.48 1-Jul-85 23 29.9 0.6 0.84 1-Jul-86 28.8 28.8 1.7 2.7 1-Jul-87 40.8 34.8 1 1.3 1-Jul-88 51.5 40.5 1.3 2 1-Jul-89 57.4 38.5 0.7 1.2 1-Jul-90 63.4 45.1 0.6 1.4 1-Jul-91 14.3 58.1 0.6 0.9 1-Feb-92 23.41 23.41 2.67 2.67 1-Jul-92 10.2 41.8 2.7 1.7 1-Sep-92 12.4 12.4 3.5 3.5 1-Dec-92 13.2 5.8 1-Jun-93 5.9 45.8 3.7 1.2 1-Jul-94 6.6 37.7 4.4 1.4 1-Jul-95 4.6 15.2 2 1.4 1-Sep-95 4 9.3 0.5 0.6 1-Jan-96 7 13.4 1.9 0.6 1-Jun-96 5.2 17.6 2.4 2.2 1-Jun-97 2.9 10.7 3.3 0.6 1-Jan-98 7 9.3 2.5 0.6 1-Jun-98 5.4 7.8 1.8 1.3 1-Dec-98 5.8 10 1.4 1.4 1-Dec-99 6.6 8.5 1.9 3.2 1-Jun-00 6 9.3 3.2 1 1-Dec-01 5.8 9.5 5.1 2 1-Dec-02 3.7 3.5 0 6.1 1-Dec-03 2.5 3.4 0.9 1.2 1-Sep-04 5.5 4.3 3.7 1.7

Rabbit abundances have been monitored since 1991 at a number of sites near Hattah including Boolca and Kramen, within the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (Parks Victoria and Department of Sustainability and Environment 2003) . While these sites are not located within the Ramsar Site, they are indicative of the rabbit abundances there. Rabbit abundances decline following the arrival of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHDV or calicivirus) in 1996 and have remained low since (Figure 5). The changes in rabbit abundance appear to be independent of rainfall.

Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site: Ecological character description (2005) 26

20 250

16 200

14 Arrival RHDV 12 150

8 100 Rabbits per km per Rabbits 6

4 50 Quarterly rainfall Annuello (mm) Annuello rainfall Quarterly

0 0 Jan-91 Jan-92 Jan-93 Jan-94 Jan-95 Jan-96 Jan-97 Jan-98 Dec-98 Dec-99 Dec-00 Dec-01 Dec-02

Figure 7. Rabbit abundance at sites near Hattah within the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park and rainfall.

6.3 Connectivity of surface waters

Service to which the component relates • Maintains the ecological diversity of the region by supporting a large number and variety of waterbirds, including breeding habitat for many species • Supports representative wetland and floodplain EVCs that are depleted in the Robinvale Plains Bioregion

The flow of water to wetlands in the Ramsar site and on the Hattah floodplain and its retention is related to the sill level of creeks which connect the wetlands to each other and to the River Murray. Water enters the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes system via Chalka Creek, an anabranch of the River Murray as River Murray flows exceed the critical threshold at Messengers Regulator. The southern arm of Chalka Creek generally flows first and fills Lake Lockie. Water flows both north and south from this point. Flow via the southern creeks fills Lakes Hattah, Bulla, Arawak, Brockie and Kramen. Water flowing north from Lake Lockie fills Lakes Yerang, Mournpall, Yelwell, Konardin, and Bitterang (Cumming and Lloyd 1993). Lake Cantala is filled by a separate creek. As the level of the River Murray recedes, water rapidly drains from the system from both ends of Chalka Creek until water is captured by natural sills in the creek system or by the closure of the regulator at Messengers Crossing. The levels of the channels and lake thresholds have been modified several times since the early 1900s, when Lake Hattah was used as water supply for the Victorian Railways and later as a water supply for the township of Hattah. The principal modifications have been to lower the threshold for flow to and from the River Murray and to capture water with regulators, before they drain. There are no accurate survey data to describe the thresholds for flow to the lakes or the bed levels of connecting channels. The best available data are the estimated critical flows in the River Murray at Euston which cause flooding under current conditions which were reported by Puckridge et al. (1997) and converted to flows by SKM (2004) (Table 18).

Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site: Ecological character description (2005) 27

Table 18. River Murray flows at which filling of lakes commences (SKM 2004).

Lake River Murray flow threshold (ML/day) Lockie 36,700 Hattah 36,700 Bulla 45,000 Arawak 50,500 Brockie 53,000 Kramen 152,000 Yerang 40,000 Mournpall 40,000 Konardin 60,000 Yelwell 55,000 Bitterang 70,000 Cantala 45,000

One significant change has been made to flow paths since Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes was listed as a Ramsar site. Messengers Regulator was constructed in 1972/1973 and is located on the south branch of Chalka Creek to help detain water in the system to a maximum level of 43.4 m AHD (Australian Height Datum). The capacity of the regulator was increased around 1997 from a single pipe culvert to three box culverts. This regulator is operated to capture the last of the water draining from the floodplain as river levels fall (Phil Murdoch pers. comm. 4-4-05 Parks Victoria). A second regulator located between Lakes Hattah and Little Hattah was constructed in 1966 to retain water at levels up to 43.59 m AHD. However the regulator leaks and has not been operable since at least 1992 and probably since the listing of the Ramsar site (Phil Murdoch pers. comm. 4-4-05 Parks Victoria). The sill levels of connecting channels and the operation of the regulators is important to the hydrology of wetlands and therefore to the habitat requirements of waterbirds and the distribution of EVCs. Actions that facilitate the drainage of lakes as floods recede are likely to shorten the duration of flood events in lakes and may interrupt waterbird breeding or may reduce available waterbird habitat. Shorter duration of flood events may also cause a change in vegetation. However changes to the hydrology of the River Murray through river regulation and diversion is considered to have had a greater impact on the hydrology of the lake system (SKM 2004) than changes to surface water connectivity on the floodplain. A change in the connectivity of surface waters would be indicated by changes in the regulator sill levels, detention levels or locations. It is likely that further modifications will be made to increase the duration and frequency of flooding in Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes. An option currently under consideration includes the construction of regulators to prolong flooding in Lakes Hattah, Bulla and Mournpall. Another option is to construct a pump station at the inlet to Chalka Creek to pump water into the lakes when river levels are below the creek sill level. Any such changes would be likely to affect critical thresholds set out in Table 18.

The hydrology of the lakes is not sufficiently known to quantify the effect of flow path modifications on the flooding thresholds in Table 18. It is important that the effect of any change in thresholds does not cause the frequency or duration of flood events, as documented in Table 14, to diminish. The lakes retain water following the recession of peaks in river flow. Eight of the 12 lakes retain water for more than 12 months after a flood recession: Lake Mournpall, Lake Hattah, Lake Bulla, Lake Arawak, Lake Brockie, Lake Yelwell, Lake Bitterang and Lake Cantala (SKM 2004). Lake Mournpall retains water for the longest period, for up to five years. Lake Bitterang holds water for up to two years.

Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site: Ecological character description (2005) 28

6.4 Floodplain topography

Detailed information about floodplain topography was not available 1982. In The best available benchmark for floodplain topography is the 2005 digital elevation model (DEM) which has been developed for the Hattah floodplain from LIDAR data flown in 2004. It has with a vertical accuracy of 0.2 m and a horizontal accuracy of better than 0.55 m with a captured point density of up to 1.4 m. The DEM is available from the Mallee Catchment Management Authority.

Wetland depth and duration of inundation, together with salinity, form the basis of the Victorian wetland classification system (Corrick and Norman 1980). Depth and duration is specified for each of the wetland categories in Hattah- Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site in Appendix D. A change in wetland category would result from a significant change in maximum depth of a wetland. This could possibly take place over time due to sedimentation. It could also occur if a wetland consistently failed to fill to capacity due to reduced availability of water. A change in depth would be expected to affect duration.

A change in floodplain topography would be indicated by a change in the depth of wetlands shown in Figure 3 from the time they were classified and mapped in 1993. For the remainder of the floodplain, the 2005 DEM is the only available baseline for monitoring future changes. The DEM also provides the basis for development of a hydraulic model of the Ramsar site lakes and surrounding Hattah floodplain which could be used to improve understanding of the flooding requirements for waterbirds and wetland vegetation. 6.5 Salinity

Service to which the component relates • Supports wetlands representative of two of Victoria’s six natural wetland types and of the Robinvale Plains

Wetlands in the Hattah-Kulkyne Ramsar Site and on the Hattah floodplain are filled from floodwaters from the Murray River. Salinity data for the Murray downstream of Euston Weir is available from June 1992 to May 2003. In that time salinity has ranged from 74 EC in December 2002 to 641 EC in June 1995. This is considerably lower than the level of 5,000 EC at which wetlands are classified as saline under the Victorian wetland classification system (Department of Conservation and Environment and Office of the Environment 1992).

A change in wetland category would eventually result if salinity levels rose significantly in the Murray River. However, this is unlikely as a Murray-Darling Basin salinity management strategy is in place (Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council 2001). A key feature of the strategy is the adoption of end-of-valley salinity targets for each tributary catchment and a basin target at Morgan in South Australia which is on the Murray in South Australia downstream of the Ramsar site. The Basin target is to maintain the salinity at Morgan at less than 800 EC units for 95% of the time.

Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site: Ecological character description (2005) 29

7. Future monitoring of ecological character For ecosystem services, an ecological character monitoring program should include continued the following: • annual monitoring of waterbird presence and abundance; • monitoring of waterbird breeding events; • systematic monitoring of threatened species (especially those threatened nationally); and • longer term monitoring designed to detect changes in the distribution of ecological vegetation classes and change in wetland categories. A review should be conducted of the waterbird monitoring methodology, in particular the relevance of late summer counts to the Ramsar values of waterbird abundance, diversity, breeding and drought refuge.

The components identified as critical in maintaining the ecosystem services were hydrology, vegetation condition, connectivity of surface waters, floodplain topography and salinity of water entering the lakes. Salinity and mean daily flow data is routinely collected in the Murray River at Euston and this should continue. Water quality data in the Ramsar site lakes should be monitored quarterly, particularly turbidity and salinity. Systematic monitoring is required to increase certainty about the flooding regime required to maintain waterbirds and wetlands. Water levels should be monitored monthly or quarterly from all sections of the system, if not from each lake.

More information is required to understand water connectivity within the lake system, particularly thresholds for flow to the lakes. Inflow should be monitored weekly, when it occurs. The floodplain topography digital elevation model completed in 2005 provides a baseline for assessing future changes to floodplain topography. It also provides the basis for development of a hydraulic model of the Ramsar site lakes and surrounding Hattah floodplain which could be used to improve understanding of flood thresholds, flooding patterns and the flooding requirements for waterbirds and wetland vegetation.

Data on grazing pressure have been collected for several years and provide an indirect measure of vegetation condition. Monitoring should continue. In addition, it is recommended that condition assessments be made of ecological vegetation classes (EVCs) in the Ramsar site and on the Hattah floodplain to establish a benchmark for future reference. A program should be developed to monitor the condition of EVCs in the future.

Consideration should also be given to monitoring other likely important ecological values of the lakes, such as habitat for native fish, for bats and other fauna.

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References Arthur Rylah Institute (2003). The Vegetation of North-West Victoria. A report to the Wimmera, North Central and Mallee Catchment Management Authorities. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria. Corrick, A.H. and Norman, F.I. (1980). Wetlands of Victoria 1. Wetlands and waterbirds of the Snowy River and Gippsland Lakes Catchment. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 91: 1-15. Cumming and Lloyd (1993). Flood Characteristics of the Hattah Lakes System. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Victoria. Dexter, B.D. (1978). Silviculture of the River Red Gum forests of the central Murray floodplain. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 90: 175-194. Department of Conservation and Environment and Office of the Environment. 1992. An Assessment of Victoria’s Wetlands. Department of Conservation and Environment, East Melbourne. Department of Sustainability and Environment (nd). Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVC) Benchmarks by Bioregion. DSE website: http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/dse/nrence.nsf/LinkView/43FE7DF24A1447D9CA256EE6007EA8788062D358172E420C4A2 56DEA0012F71C. Department of Sustainability and Environment (2003a). Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site: Strategic Management Plan. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria. Department of Sustainability and Environment (2003b). Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria. Department of Sustainability and Environment (2003c) Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria - 2003 . Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria, East Melbourne, Victoria. Department of Sustainability and Environment (2004a). Atlas of Victorian Wildlife. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria. Department of Sustainability and Environment (2004b) Vegetation Quality Assessment Manual–Guidelines for applying the habitat hectares scoring method. Version 1.3. Victorian Government. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne.

Department of Sustainability and Environment (2004c). Victorian Flora Information System. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria. Department of Sustainability and Environment (2005a). Framework for Describing the Ecological Character of Ramsar Wetlands. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria. Department of Sustainability and Environment (2005b) Advisory List of Rare or Threatened Plants in Victoria - 2005. Victorian. Department of Sustainability and Environment, East Melbourne, Victoria. Hewish, M 1988. Waterfowl count in Victoria, February 1988. RAOU Report No. 52. Martindale, J. 1988. Waterfowl count in Victoria, January 1987. RAOU Report No. 37. Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council (2001). Basin Salinity Management Strategy 2001-2015. Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council. Canberra. http://www.mdbc.gov.au/naturalresources/salinity/salinity_manage_strategy.htm#salmenu Parks Victoria and Department of Sustainability and Environment (2003). The implications of RHDV for vegetation condition at Hattah-Kulkyne N.P. Parks Victoria, Mildura. Peter, J. 1989. Waterfowl count in Victoria, February 1989. RAOU Report No. 57. Peter, J. 1990. Waterfowl count in Victoria, February 1990. RAOU Report No. 72. Peter, J. 1991. Waterfowl count in Victoria, February 1991. RAOU Report No. 79. Peter, J. 1992. Waterfowl count in Victoria, February 1992. RAOU Report No. 85. Puckridge, J.T., Ward, K.A. and Walker, K.F. (1997). Hydrological determinants of fish and macroinvertebrate ecology in the Hattah Lakes system: implications for time-share flooding. The 1997 Time Share Flooding Project Report, Part

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1: 1996/1997 database. Report prepared by River Murray Laboratory, Department of Zoology, The University of Adelaide for the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Victoria. Ramsar Convention. 1999a. The criteria for identifying wetlands of international importance . http://www.ramsar.org/key_criteria.htm.

Ramsar Convention. 1999b. Resolution VII.11 on the Strategic framework for the List. Strategic framework and guidelines for the future development of the List of Wetlands of International Importance. http://www.ramsar.org/key_res_vii.11e.htm. Roberts (2001). Riverine Plants. In Young. W. (Ed) Rivers as Ecological Systems. Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra. Roberts and Marston (2000). Water regime of wetland and floodplain plants in the Murray-Darling Basin – A source book of ecological knowledge. Technical Report 30/00 CSIRO Land and Water, Canberra. SKM (2003). Hattah Lakes Integrated Water Management Plan. Report prepared by Sinclair Knight Merz for Mallee Catchment Management Authority, Mildura. SKM (2004). Hattah Lakes Water Management Plan – Background Report. Draft report prepared by Sinclair Knight Merz for the Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria. Scott (2001). Waterbirds. In Young. W. (Ed) Rivers as Ecological Systems. Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra. Sluiter, I.R.K., Allen, G.G., Morgan, D.G and Walker, I.S. (1997). Vegetation responses to stratified kangaroo grazing pressure at Hattah Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, 1992-1996. Flora and Fauna Technical Report No. 149. Department of Natural Resources and Environment and Parks Victoria, Victoria. Wakins, D. (1993) A National Plan for Shorebird Conservation in Australia. RAOU Report No. 90. Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union. Melbourne. Wetlands International (2002). Waterbird Population Estsimates – Third Edition. Wetlands International Global Series No. 12, Wageningen, The Nerthelands.

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Appendices Appendix A. Freckled Duck data Counts of Freckled Duck at Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site are available from 1983 to the present. In the first year following listing a large number of Freckled Duck were observed at Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes, but numbers in subsequent years have been substantially lower. Estimates of the number of Freckled Duck in Victoria are available from 1987 to the present. Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes supported more than 1% of the number estimated to be in Victoria in every year from 1987 to 1992, but no birds have been recorded at the site since 1992. The south-eastern Australian population is estimated by Wetlands International (2002) as 19,000 (with low reliability). The only count that meets the 1% threshold is from 1983. Table A1 . Combined Freckled Duck counts for the 12 lakes of the Hattah-Kulkyne Ramsar site and for Victoria. Where multiple counts were made in a single year, only the highest count is shown. Data extracted from the DSE Victorian Wetlands Database 8-12-04.

Year Freckled Duck Estimated numbers in Proportion at the Abundance at Hattah- Victoria Ramsar site of the Kulkyne Lakes number in Victoria

1983 331 - - 1984 0 - - 1985 0 - - 1986 0 - - 1987 8 219 3.6% 1988 8 69 12% 1989 5 76 7% 1990 16 95 17% 1991 2 167 1.2% 1992 4 106 3.8% 1993 0 149 1994 0 44 1995 0 64 1996 0 2 1997 0 55 1998 0 4 1999 0 82 2000 0 16 2001 0 32 2002 0 550

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Appendix B. Drought Refuge The persistence of water in Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes for several years between inflow events suggests the site may have an important role as a drought refuge for waterbirds and other aquatic fauna. Records of water levels in Lake Hattah between 1908 and 1982 show that the lake only dried out on nine occasions with a maximum dry period of 36 months. Although the lake had a regulator gate to retain flood water longer than the other lakes, this record indicates that that flooding was a persistent state for the system, and that it would have provided a reliable aquatic habitat. Unfortunately there is insufficient data to describe or quantify this ecosystem service at or after the time the lakes were listed as a Ramsar site in 1982. Until 2000, water level records have only been collected at one site (Lake Hattah) and records were only kept intermittently following 1985. Waterbird monitoring data is only available following 1983 and there is no monitoring data for other aquatic fauna. The data is therefore insufficient to relate the abundance of waterbirds or aquatic fauna to the hydrology of the lakes. Lake water levels have been modelled (SKM 2004) but the use of this data to quantify the ecosystem and assess future change, against actual measured data, is questionable. The availability of water level records at the time of listing is important because the frequency of inflow events from the River Murray to the lakes has declined with the growth of diversions from the river since regulation began in the 1930s. Historical data is likely to indicate a greater potential for a drought refuge than data collected at or after the time of listing. Ideally, this ecosystem service would be identified and quantified by a long-term record of lake water levels and corresponding abundance data for aquatic fauna. In 2000, water level monitoring began in 7 locations, which in conjunction with continuing annual waterbird monitoring data will allow the role of the site as a drought refuge to be assessed in the future.

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Appendix C. Threatened Flora and Fauna Table C.1 Threatened flora in the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site and the Hattah floodplain (DSE 2004c). SPECIES COMMON NAME EPBC VIC FFG

Ramsar Site Cullen cinereum Hoary Scurf-pea e L Swainsona phacoides Dwarf Swainson-pea e Sida ammophila Sand Sida v Cullen pallidum Woolly Scurf-pea e

Ramsar Site and Hattah Floodplain Abutilon otocarpum Desert Lantern v Acacia oswaldii Umbrella Wattle v Allocasuarina luehmannii Buloke L Amaranthus macrocarpus var. Dwarf Amaranth v macrocarpus Ammannia multiflora Jerry-jerry v Amyema linophylla subsp. orientale Buloke Mistletoe v Aristida holathera var. holathera Tall Kerosene Grass v Atriplex holocarpa Pop Saltbush v Bergia trimera Small Water-fire v Cullen cinereum Hoary Scurf-pea e L Cullen pallidum Woolly Scurf-pea e Cullen patens Spreading Scurf-pea e L Cullen tenax Tough Scurf-pea e L Cyperus flaccidus Lax Flat-sedge v Cyperus nervulosus Annual Flat-sedge e Cyperus pygmaeus Dwarf Flat-sedge v Dianella porracea Riverine Flax-lily v Digitaria ammophila Silky Umbrella-grass v Drosera indica Flycatcher v Eragrostis australasica Cane Grass v Eragrostis lacunaria Purple Love-grass v Eragrostis setifolia Bristly Love-grass v Glycine canescens Silky Glycine e L Jasminum didymum subsp. lineare Desert Jasmine v Lepidium monoplocoides Winged Peppercress EN e L Lipocarpha microcephala Button Rush v Marsdenia australis Doubah v Ophioglossum polyphyllum Upright Adder's-tong v Orobanche cernua var. australiana Australian Broomrape v Phyllanthus lacunarius Lagoon Spurge v Rhyncharrhena linearis Purple Pentatrope v

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SPECIES COMMON NAME EPBC VIC FFG Scaevola depauperata Skeleton Fan-flower e Sclerolaena patenticuspis Spear-fruit Copperbu v Sida ammophila Sand Sida v Sida fibulifera Pin Sida v Sida intricata Twiggy Sida v Stenanthemum notiale subsp. notiale Trident Spyridium x Swainsona phacoides Dwarf Swainson-pea e Swainsona sericea Silky Swainson-pea v Templetonia egena Round Templetonia v

Key to codes used in Table C1. Status in Australia under the EPBC Act 1999 EN A taxon is endangered when it is not critically endangered but is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. VIC – Conservation status in Victoria (flora) x Presumed Extinct in Victoria: not recorded from Victoria during the past 50 years despite field searches specifically for the plant or, alternatively, intensive field searches (since 1950) at all previously known sites have failed to record the plant. e Endangered in Victoria: at risk of disappearing from the wild state if present land use and other causal factors continue to operate. v Vulnerable in Victoria: not presently endangered but likely to become so soon due to continued depletion; occurring mainly on sites likely to experience changes in land-use which would threaten the survival of the plant in the wild; or, taxa whose total population is so small that the likelihood of recovery from disturbance, including localised natural events such as drought, fire or landslip, is doubtful. FFG Listed L Listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 .

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Table C.2 Threatened fauna in the Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site and the Hattah floodplain (DSE 2004a). SPECIES COMMON NAME EPBC VIC FFG CAMBA JAMBA

Ramsar Site Anas rhynchotis Australasian Shoveler VU Ardea alba Great Egret VU L 1 1 Ardea intermedia Intermediate Egret CR L Aythya australis Hardhead VU Biziura lobata Musk Duck VU Egretta garzetta Little Egret EN L Haliaeetus leucogaster White-bellied Sea-Eagle VU L 1 Oxyura australis Blue-billed Duck EN L Platalea regia Royal Spoonbill VU Sterna nilotica Gull-billed Tern EN L Stictonetta naevosa Freckled Duck EN L Cacatua leadbeateri Major Mitchell's Cockatoo VU L Coracina maxima Ground Cuckoo-shrike VU L Falco hypoleucos Grey Falcon EN L Falco subniger Black Falcon VU Grantiella picta Painted Honeyeater VU L Polytelis anthopeplus Regent Parrot VU VU L monarchoides Stipiturus mallee Mallee Emu-wren VU VU L Struthidea cinerea Apostlebird L

Ramsar Site and Hattah Floodplain Actitis hypoleucos Common Sandpiper VU 1 1 Anas rhynchotis Australasian Shoveler VU Anseranas semipalmata Magpie Goose VU Ardea alba Great Egret VU L 1 1 Ardea intermedia Intermediate Egret CR L Aythya australis Hardhead VU Biziura lobata Musk Duck VU Botaurus poiciloptilus Australasian Bittern EN L Burhinus grallarius Bush Stone-curlew EN L Charadrius australis Inland Dotterel VU Egretta garzetta Little Egret EN L Haliaeetus leucogaster White-bellied Sea-Eagle VU L 1 Ixobrychus minutus Little Bittern EN L Oxyura australis Blue-billed Duck EN L Pedionomus torquatus Plains-wanderer VU CR L Platalea regia Royal Spoonbill VU Rostratula benghalensis Painted Snipe VU CR L 1

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SPECIES COMMON NAME EPBC VIC FFG CAMBA JAMBA Sterna nilotica Gull-billed Tern EN L Stictonetta naevosa Freckled Duck EN L Cacatua leadbeateri Major Mitchell's Cockatoo VU L Chlamydera maculata Spotted Bowerbird VU L Coracina maxima Ground Cuckoo-shrike VU L Falco hypoleucos Grey Falcon EN L Falco subniger Black Falcon VU Grantiella picta Painted Honeyeater VU L Leipoa ocellata Malleefowl VU EN L Lichenostomus cratitius Purple-gaped Honeyeater VU Lophoictinia isura Square-tailed Kite VU L Manorina melanotis Black-eared Miner EN EN L Morelia spilota metcalfei Carpet Python EN L Ninox connivens Barking Owl EN L Nyctophilus timoriensis Greater Long-eared Bat VU VU L Pachycephala rufogularis Red-lored Whistler VU EN L Polytelis anthopeplus Regent Parrot VU VU L monarchoides Pomatostomus Grey-crowned Babbler EN L temporalis Stagonopleura guttata Diamond Firetail VU L Stipiturus mallee Mallee Emu-wren VU VU L Struthidea cinerea Apostlebird L Varanus varius Tree Goanna VU

Key to codes used in Table C2. Status in Australia under the EPBC Act 1999 EN A taxon is endangered when it is not critically endangered but is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. VU A taxon is vulnerable when it is not critically endangered or endangered but is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future.

Victorian Status CR A taxon is Critically Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Critically Endangered (see Species Survival Commission 2001), and it is therefore considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild EN A taxon is endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Endangered (see Species Survival Commission 2001), and it is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. VU A taxon is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Vulnerable (see Species Survival Commission 2001), and it is therefore considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

FFG Listed L Listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 . CAMBA Listed under the China Australia Migratory Bird Agreement JAMBA Listed under the Japan Australia Migratory Bird Agreement

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Appendix D. Victorian freshwater wetland categories and sub-categories Source: Department of Conservation and Environment and Office of the Environment 1992. Category Sub category Depth (m) Duration of inundation 2. Freshwater 1. Herb-dominated < 0.3 < 4 months/year meadow 2. Sedge-dominated 3. Red gum-dominated 4. Lignum dominated 3. Shallow freshwater 1. Herb-dominated < 0.5 < 8 months/year marsh 2. Sedge-dominated 3. Cane grass-dominated 4. Lignum dominated 5. Red gum-dominated 4. Deep freshwater 1. Shrub-dominated < 2 permanent marsh 2. Reed-dominated 3. Sedge-dominated 4. Rush-dominated 5. Open water 6. Cane grass-dominated 7. Lignum-dominated 8. Red gum-dominated 5. Permanent Open 1. Shallow <0.5* Permanent** Freshwater 2. Deep >2 3. Impoundment

*The literature variously states that permanent open freshwater wetlands in the shallow subcategory may be <2, <3 or <5 metres deep. Andrew Corrick (pers. comm.) advises that 0.5 metres is the most appropriate figure to use.

** Permanent Open Freshwater wetlands retain water for longer than 12 months. However, they can have periods of drying (Corrick, pers. comm. August 2004).

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