Lake Machattie Area (24824)
Australia, Australasia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: B1, D1a

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Lake Machattie Area

Central coordinates: Latitude: -24.8235, Longitude: 139.5643

System: freshwater, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 70 to 80

Area of KBA (km²): 930.63362

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The IBA consists of Lake Mipia, Lake Koolivoo, Lake Machattie and the surrounding Georgina River-Eyre Creek floodplains in western Queensland. The area is defined as the extent of the floodplain, which has supported large numbers of waterbirds and supports a population of Grey Grasswren. The IBA is located in the arid zone in a region that receives, on average, 168 mm of rainfall per year. The floodplains are seasonally inundated but contain several large freshwater waterholes, which persist well after floods have receded. Lake Mipia and Lake Koolivoo are seasonally inundated each year; Lake Mipia often retains water until the following flood season, but Lake Koolivoo is usually dry by early summer. Lake Machattie is inundated about once every three years. All three lakes are fresh when first inundated but become progressively more saline when close to drying out. The floodplains are marked by anastomosing channels and waterholes lined with open Coolibah woodland and surrounded by grasslands, forblands, samphire and lignum on the floodplains. Estimates of total numbers of waterbirds include over 300,000 in March 2001 (179,000 estimated from systematic transects, not including the lakes, another 150,000 for the pelican colony), over 163,000 in May 2002 (Mipia 33,000 and Koolivoo 42,000 from aerial surveys, and Machattie 53,000 in aerial survey but 88,000 in ground survey), 150,000 in April 2000 (not including the lakes, based on systematic transects).

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: A single large but sub-threshold count of 859 Australian Pratincole at Lake Machattie in September 2000 (Barter & Harris 2002). A maximum count of 152 of the near threatened Black-tailed Godwit in shallow marsh near Lake Mipia on 17 April; 2001 (Jaensch 2004). The near threatened Letter-winged Kite is rarely encountered in the IBA (Atlas of Australian Birds database). Large numbers of the congregatory Flock Bronzewing (e.g. thousands use the Tomydonka Waterhole area during droughts; R. Jaensch in litt. 2009) have been recorded at waterholes in the general area; this may qualify as an IBA species if numbers are better known.

Other site values: Leasehold. Permission to enter must be obtained from station owners.

Habitats

Land use: rangeland/pastureland (100%)

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Shrubland	48
Forest	5
Wetlands(Inland)	48

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Need to develop and implement an appropriate fire management regime for Lignum floodplains. Must ensure free water inflows from Georgina River and Eyre Creek.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Natural system modifications	Dams & water management/use	Abstraction of surface water (commercial use)	Only in the future
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression	Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Ongoing

Additional information

References: Barter, M.A. and Harris, K. (2002) Occasional Count No 6. Shorebird counts in the NE South Australia-SW Queensland region in September-October 2000. Stilt 41: 44-47. Costelloe, J.F., Hudson, P.J., Pritchard, J.C., Puckridge, J.T. and Reid, J.R.W. (2004) ARIDFLO Scientific Report: Environmental Flow Requirements of Arid Zone Rivers with Particular Reference to the Lake Eyre Drainage Basin. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide. Final Report to South Australian Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation and Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage. DEWHA (2007) Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia. Lake Mipia Area- QLD034. Downloaded from http://www.environment.gov.au/water/publications/environmental/wetlands/database/ on 10 October 2007. Joseph, L. (1982) A further population of the Grey Grasswren. Sunbird 12: 51-53. Schodde, R. and Christidis, L. (1987) Genetic differentiation and subspeciation in the Grey Grasswren Amytornis barbatus (Maluridae). Emu 87: 188-192. Jaensch, R. and McFarland, D. (2002) A population of Grey Grasswren Amytornis barbatus in the Diamantina Channel Country, Queensland. Sunbird 32:56-61. Jaensch R.P. (2004) Little Curlew and other migratory shorebirds on floodplains of the Channel Country, arid inland Australia, 1999-2004. The Stilt 46: 15-18.