Menindee Lakes (24448)
Australia, Australasia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: B1, D1a

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Menindee Lakes

Central coordinates: Latitude: -32.3498, Longitude: 142.3688

System: freshwater, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 60 to 80

Area of KBA (km²): 430.0824

Protected area coverage (%): 4.01

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The IBA is comprised of a series of lakes called the Menidee Lakes in south-western New South Wales: Nettlegoe Lake, Kangaroo Lake, Stir Tank Lake, New Lake, Lake Cawndilla, Lake Menindee, Lake Pamamaroo, Lake Wetherell, Tandure Lake, Lake Bijijie, Balaka Lake and Malta Lake. Lake Cawndilla and Lake Menindee are located within Kinchega National Park. Lake Cawndilla, Lake Menindee, Lake Pamamaroo, Lake Wetherell, Tandure Lake, Lake Bijijie and Balaka Lake are part of the Menindee Lakes Water Storage Scheme, which provides water for domestic use, livestock and irrigation supply. Lake Tandou is managed as irrigated cropland by a private consortium and is excluded from the IBA as flooding is no longer possible. The Menindee Lakes are situated in the semi-arid zone on grey clays, texture-contrast soils and siliceous and calcareous sands. Dead Black Box trees stand in shallow waters at the margins and Blue Rod and Sandhill Canegrass are the dominant plant species on the shores of the overflow lakes. The Menindee Lakes system was among the four most important wetland systems for waterbirds in annual aerial surveys across south-east Australia in 1988, 1993, 1995 and 1996, out of 18 years of surveys (1988-2005), with estimated numbers in 1983-1994 of 86,000 waterbirds at Lake Tandou, 77,000 at Lake Cawndilla, 58,000 at Lake Menindee and 35,000 at Stir Tank Lake, and a maximum of 221,781 waterbirds including about 40,000 small shorebirds in 1996. Waterbird numbers have been much lower in recent years because the lakes have held less water and there has been less natural variation in water levels. As a result, the lakes only just continue to meet IBA status.

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: The Menindee Lakes have supported large numbers of waterbirds including counts of 139,769 and 77,100 waterbirds at Lake Cawndilla (Birds Australia Murray-Darling Basin waterbird database; Kingsford et al. 1997), 86,000 waterbirds at Lake Tandou, 58,300 waterbirds at Lake Menindee, 35,000 waterbirds at Stir Tank Lake and 10,000 waterbirds at Nettlegoe Lake (Kingsford et al. 1997). One count of Australasian Shoveler over the 1% threshold: 11,200 at Lake Tandou in 1985, where 1316 in 1983; and one count of Australian Shelduck over the 1% threshold: 11,000 at Stir Tank Lake in 1985 (Kingsford & Porter 2006). Species recorded in moderate but sub-threshold numbers include the Freckled Duck (203 in 2002), Grey Teal (9200 in 1993), Pink-eared Duck (3757 in 1993), Pied Cormorant (2500 in 1993 and 3104 in 2002), Yellow-billed Spoonbill (460 in 1995), Eurasian Coot (9900 in 1993) and Black-winged Stilt (1600 in 1995) (Kingsford et al. 1994, 1997, 2003), and Pied Cormorant (3100 at Lake Cawndilla in 2002; Kingsford & Porter 2006). Terrestrial species recorded in the IBA include Australian Bustard, Black Honeyeater, Chirruping Wedgebill, Grey Falcon and Pied Honeyeater (Atlas of Australian Birds database).

Other site values: State government (New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Water and Energy) and private.

Habitats

Land use: agriculture | nature conservation and research | water management

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Wetlands(Inland)	100

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Manage the Menindee Lakes Water Storage Scheme in a manner that optimises waterbird habitats. Specifically, ensure adequate freshwater inflow and natural flooding cycles. Minimise human disturbance.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Natural system modifications	Dams & water management/use	Abstraction of surface water (unknown use)	Ongoing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Named species	Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources	Intentional use: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest]	Ongoing
Pollution	Agricultural & forestry effluents	Type Unknown/Unrecorded	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	Intentional use (species being assessed is the target)	Ongoing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Recreational activities		Ongoing
Pollution	Garbage & solid waste		Ongoing
Climate change & severe weather	Droughts		Ongoing

Additional information

References: DEWHA (2007) A Direcotry of Important Wetlands in Australia. http://www.environment.gov.au/water/publications/environmental/wetlands/database/ accessed on 1 October 2007. Braithwaite, L. W., Maher, M., Briggs, S. V. and Parker, B. S. (1986) An aerial survey of three game species of waterfowl (family Anatidae) populations in eastern Australia. Australian Wildlife Research 13: 213-223. Kingsford, R. T., Ferster Levy, R., & Porter, J. L. (1994). 'An Aerial Survey of Wetland Birds in Eastern Australia - October 1993'. New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service Occasional Paper 18. (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service: Hurstville.) Kingsford, R. T., Porter, J. L., and Ahern, A. D. (2003). Aerial Surveys of Wetland Birds in Eastern Australia - October 2000-2002. New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service Occasional Paper 33. New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service: Hurstville. Kingsford, R. T., Thomas, R. F., and Wong, P. S. (1997a and 1997b). Significant Wetlands for Waterbirds in the Murray-Darling Basin. New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service: Hurstville. Kingsford, R. T., Tully, S., and Davis, S. T. (1997a and 1997b). Aerial Surveys of Wetland Birds in Eastern Australia - October 1994 and 1995. New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service Occasional Paper 28. New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service: Hurstville. Kingsford, R. and Porter, J. (2006) Eastern Australian aerial survey database. Accessed 2006. NSW NPWS (1999) Kinchega National Park Management Plan. New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service: Hurstville. Morris, A. K., and Burton, A. (1999) NSW Annual Bird Report 1996. Australian Birds 31: 86-137.