Dampier Saltworks (24384)
Australia, Australasia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: D1a

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Dampier Saltworks

Central coordinates: Latitude: -20.7190, Longitude: 116.7272

System: marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 10

Area of KBA (km²): 52.71131

Protected area coverage (%): 0.00

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: This IBA consists of the commerical saltworks at Dampier, near Karratha in northern Western Australia. Dampier Saltworks is a large network of inundated salt evaporation and intake ponds surrounded by tidal creeks and mud-flats. The boundary of the IBA includes all habitat deemed suitable for shorebirds based on available survey data. The boundary excludes potentially suitable shorebird habitat to the east and west, but the available survey data suggest that the most important shorebird habitat is located at the intake ponds and pond 1A of the saltworks, each of which are included within the boundary of the IBA. The intake pond is 5200 ha in area and bordered on its northern edge by a man-made levee bank adjacent to which are extensive mangroves and mud flats. It also has a long circumference of natural shoreline and various exposed sandbanks on its south-western side. Pond 1A is 989 ha in area and bordered entirely by man-made levee banks. It has an area of exposed soft sediment at its south western corner and a large natural island at its centre. Condtions in Pond 1A are saline but not hypersaline. Evaporation ponds located east of Pond 1A are hypersaline and used only by small numbers of birds, and as such have been excluded from the IBA.

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: There have been significant counts of Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (4204 in November 2005 but otherwise 23-590 in four other counts) and Oriental Plover (1833 in March 1985; also 473 in 2005 but zero in four other counts 2002-2006) at Dampier Saltworks (Hassell 2006).

Other site values: Crown land under mining lease to Dampier Salt Limited (Rio Tinto Minerals). Access to the site is regulated by Dampier Salt Limited (Rio Tinto Minerals).

Habitats

Land use: energy production and mining | rangeland/pastureland

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Artificial - Aquatic	95
Marine Intertidal	5

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Inundation of the saltworks should where possible be managed to benefit shorebirds.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Energy production & mining	Mining & quarrying		Ongoing

Additional information

References: Hassell, C. (2006) Bird survey reports for Rio Tinto Minerals: Lake Macleod - October 3-5 2006, Port Headland - November 7 2006, Dampier - November 8 & 9 2006. Unpublished report.