Paroo Floodplain and Currawinya (23855)
Australia, Australasia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: B1, D1a

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Paroo Floodplain and Currawinya

Central coordinates: Latitude: -29.7770, Longitude: 144.2833

System: freshwater, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 93 to 146

Area of KBA (km²): 8051.87208

Protected area coverage (%): 41.34

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The Paroo River IBA contains the lower floodplain of the Paroo, including the Paroo Overflow lakes: Tongo, Yantangabee, Poloko, Gilpoko, Peery, Nine Mile, Dick and Copago Lakes and Mullawoolka Basin, and is extended to include all of the overlapping Currawinya and Paroo-Darling National Parks and Nocoleche Nature Reserve (these protected areas were listed as a Ramsar site in 2007). Though much attention is focused on the larger lakes, many smaller waterbodies support high waterbird diversity and, for some species, significant numbers (McDougall and Timms, 2001). It also includes the Yantabulla swamp and the Cuttaburra Creek floodplain, which floods about once every three years. The Paroo floodplain is a complex network of channels, wetlands and lakes on a vast floodplain area. The lake shores and channels support samphire, lignum, canegrass, other grasses, black-box and riparian woodland communities which flood seasonally. The area receives water from local rainfall or the Paroo River. The climate is arid, with low and very variable summer-dominant rainfall; the long-term mean annual rainfall at Currawinya is 278mm. In rare events, floodwaters from the Warrego River via the Cuttaburra Creek and Channels, or south from the Darling River, may enter the Overflow. The Overflow is a complex branched system, with direction of water flow governed by volume. The bulk of the water travels down the western branch to fill shallow channels, floodplain depressions and lakes. Ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 metres deep some of these lakes retain water for up to three years. Tongo, Yantabangee, Poloko, Gilpoko, Peery, Nine Mile, Dick and Copago Lakes, and Mullawoolka Basin are a chain of Overflow lakes on the western branch that are filled sequentially by floodwaters. This filling order may be reversed if floodwaters from the Darling River back up along the Paroo Overflow. The Currawinya National Park also includes Acacia-dominated shrublands mostly on sand sheets and dunes but with some areas of uplands. Kingsford et al. (1997) estimated 400,000 waterbirds in the system: Paroo River = 108,000, Paroo River Overflow = 29,000, Mullawooka Basin = 49,000, Lake Numalla = 25,600, Lake Peery = 35,900, Lake Poloko = 28,700, Lake Wyara = 85,000, Yantabulla Swamp estimate = 80,000, Yantangabee Lake = 35,000.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.

Additional biodiversity: Species present in regionally important numbers include Australian Pelican (max 7400 in Currawinya), Eurasian Coot (12,987 in Currawinya) and Whiskered Tern (990 in Currawinya)(R. Johnson in litt. 2007). The vulnerable Painted Honeyeater and near threatened Grey Falcon and Australian Bustard are rare in the IBA (Atlas of Australian Birds database). Non-bird biodiversity: A diverse reptile and frog fauna is documented for Currawinya National Park. In a relatively small mammal fauna, the koala and brush-tailed possum are notable as being at the western limits of their range in SW Queensland. A bilby Macrotis lagotis re-introduction project is underway. The Park contains several artesian discharge springs (Regional Ecosystem 6.3.23: Endangered -Nature Conservation Act (Qld))

Other site values: Privately owned grazing properties with the national parks under the control of State bodies - Currawinya NP = QPWS; Nocoleche and Paroo-Darling NPs = NSW NPWS.

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research | rangeland/pastureland

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Shrubland	32
Forest	32
Grassland	5
Wetlands(Inland)	32

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Upstream harvesting of water and any other activity that reduces flow through the catchment must be regulated to ensure regular natural floods.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Named species	Ongoing
Natural system modifications	Dams & water management/use	Abstraction of surface water (agricultural use)	Ongoing
Climate change & severe weather	Storms & flooding		Ongoing
Climate change & severe weather	Droughts		Ongoing

Additional information

References: DEWHA (2008) Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia. http://www.environment.gov.au/water/publications/environmental/wetlands/database/ accessed 2008. Jaensch, R. (1998) An aerial and ground survey of waterbirds at Lakes Wyara and Numulla , Currawinya National Park, on 20-21 June 1998. Unpubl. report to Qld Dept of Environment. Kingsford, R.T. and Porter, J.L. (1994) Waterbirds on an adjacent freshwater lake and salt lake in arid Australia. Biological Conservation 69: 219-228. Kingsford, R.T. and Porter, J. (1999) Wetlands and waterbirds of the Paroo and Warrego Rivers. In 'Proceedings of the Paroo Scientific Workshop, Hungerford, Queensland. July 7-9 1997'. (Ed. R.T. Kingsford.) (New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service: Hurstville.) Kingsford, R. T., Bedward, M. and Porter, J.L. (1994) Waterbirds and Wetlands in Northwestern New South Wales. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Hurtsville, NSW. Kingsford, R. T.,Thomas, R.F. and Wong, P.S. (1997) Significant wetlands for waterbirds in the Murray-Darling Basin. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Hurtsville, NSW. Maher, M.T. and Braithwaite, L.W. (1992) Patterns of waterbird use in wetlands of the Paroo, a river system of inland Australia. The Rangeland journal, 1992. v. 14 (2), p. 128-142. McDougall, A. and Timms, B. (2001) The influence of turbid waters on waterbird numbers and diversity: a comparison of Lakes Yumberarra and Karatta, Currawinya National Park, south-west Queensland. Corella 25: 25-31. QPWS (1992) Currawinya National Park Management Plan. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Brisbane. Shelly, D. (2000) Comparative vertebrate fauna survey of the Paroo, Cobham and Gumbalara landsystems in the Western Division of New South Wales. Australian Zoologist, 31 (3): 470-481. Wilson, J.R. (2000) Wader counts at Yantabulla Swamp (Cuttaburra Basin), New South Wales, Australia. Stilt 37: 32-33.