Lowbidgee Floodplain (24563)
Australia, Australasia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: B1, D1a

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Lowbidgee Floodplain

Central coordinates: Latitude: -34.4597, Longitude: 143.9980

System: freshwater, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 60 to 80

Area of KBA (km²): 1923.41181

Protected area coverage (%): 15.54

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The IBA is the Lowbidgee Floodplain, which extends from Balranald to near Waradgery Station, about 20 km west of Hay, in south-western New South Wales. The IBA consists of a series of wetlands including Yanga Lake, Kia Swamp, Tala Lake, Lower Murrumbidgee River floodplain, Redbank Weir, Nimming Creek floodplain, Caira Cutting, Talpee Creek floodplain, Pollen Creek, Waugorah Creek and Torry Plains Station. The area is defined as the maximum area of contemporary flooding, which overestimates the area of inundation in most recent years, but which could be achieved with adequate water allocations. The floodplain has been greatly reduced in size from more than 300,000 ha in the early 1900s by the construction of a series of dams and drainage and irrigation systems, with the inflow of water having declined by at least 60% from 1888 to 1998. The reduced inundation of the floodplain has caused waterbird numbers to collapse by 90%, from an average of 140,000 in 1983-86 to 14,000 in 1998-2001. High estimated counts of waterbirds include 650,000 in 1983-1994 and 58,000 in 2005. Yanga Station (approximately 60,000ha) has recently been acquired by NPWS for conservation (partly National Park, State Conservation Area and Aboriginal Reserve) but most of the rest of the IBA is commercial irrigated farmland.

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: Three species exceed the 1% thresholds on single dates: 29,908 Hardhead estimated for Lachlan-Murrumbidgee confluence in 1996 (Kingsford et al. 2000); 3250 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Torry Plains Station in December 1996 (Birds Australia Murray-Darling Basin waterbird database although this species is not well surveyed from aerial surveys); 12,676 Australian White Ibis at Nimming Creek in 1986, where 9160 in 1983; and 5890 at Pollen Creek in 1990 (Kingsford and Porter 2006); 15,000 Whiskered Tern at Torry Plains Station in December 1996 (Birds Australia Murray-Darling Basin waterbird database). Other high waterbird counts estimated for Lachlan-Murrumbidgee confluence in 1996 include 22,593 Eurasian Coot (Kingsford et al. 2000).

Other site values: Mostly private; also state government and indigenous land.

Habitats

Land use: agriculture | nature conservation and research | rangeland/pastureland

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Savanna	33
Artificial - Terrestrial	33
Wetlands(Inland)	33

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Ensure adequate water inflows including periodic massive flooding. Consider removal of some weirs, levees, channels and other drainage systems which prevent natural flooding.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops	Small-holder farming	Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Wood & pulp plantations	Scale Unknown/Unrecorded	Ongoing
Natural system modifications	Dams & water management/use	Abstraction of surface water (domestic use)	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources	Intentional use: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest]	Ongoing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Unspecified species	Ongoing
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression	Suppression in fire frequency/intensity	Ongoing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Problematic native species/diseases	Named species	Ongoing
Pollution	Agricultural & forestry effluents	Type Unknown/Unrecorded	Ongoing
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression	Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Only in the future
Human intrusions & disturbance	Recreational activities		Ongoing
Energy production & mining	Mining & quarrying		Ongoing
Climate change & severe weather	Droughts		Ongoing

Additional information

References: 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. Aust. Wildlife Res. 13: 213-223. Kingsford, R. and Porter, J. (2006) Eastern Australian aerial survey database. Accessed 2006. Kingsford, R.T., Porter, J.L., Ahern, A.D., and Davis, S.T. (2000) Aerial Surveys of Wetland Birds in Eastern Australia - October 1996-1999. New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service Occasional Paper 31. Hurstville: New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service. Kingsford, R.T. and Thomas, R.F. (2004) Destruction of wetlands and waterbird populations by dams and irrigation on the Murrumbidgee river in arid Australia. Environmental Management 34: 383-396. Kingsford, R. T., Thomas, R. F.and Wong, P.S. (1997) Significant wetlands for waterbirds in the Murray-Darling Basin. Hurstville: New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service. Lowe, K. W. (1983) Egg size, clutch size and breeding success of the glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus. Emu 83:31–34. Porter, J.L., Kingsford, R.T. and Hunter, S.J. (2006) Aerial surveys of wetland birds in eastern Australia – October 2003-2005. Occasional Paper 37. Hurstville: Department of Environment & Conservation, NSW.