Kerang Wetlands

Kerang Wetlands Ramsar Site

Kerang Wetlands

  • Country: 
    Australia
  • Site number: 
    265
  • Area: 
    9,784 ha
  • Designation date: 
    15-12-1982
  • Coordinates: 
    35°39'S 143°52'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

Supporting eight Ramsar wetland types, the Site comprises 23 named lakes, marshes and swamps, which vary in area, depth and salinity, on the lower reaches of the Avoca and Loddon Rivers and the Pyramid Creek near the town of Kerang. It has long been influenced by the Torrumbarry Irrigation System, which was built to store water in 1923, some six decades before the wetlands were designated as a Ramsar Site. Dominated by permanent and intermittent freshwater lakes, the Site also includes a significant area of permanent and intermittent saltwater lakes. The variety of salinity and water regimes results in a diversity of wetland vegetation communities including black box, river red gum, tangled lignum, chenopod shrubland, grassland, sedgeland, aquatic herbland and reed beds. Due to this, the area is of great importance to a great abundance and range of waterbirds. Over 50 species have been recorded breeding within the Site, such as Australian white ibis (Threskiornis molucca) and straw-necked ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis). Among threatened species found are the nationally critically endangered curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea), the globally endangered Australian bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus), and the globally vulnerable silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus).

Administrative region: 
Victoria

  • National legal designation: 
    • crown land wildlife reserve - Cemetery Swamp
    • crown land wildlife reserve - Fosters Swamp
    • crown land wildlife reserve - Lake Bael Bael, Avoca Marshes, Lake Cullen, Hird Swamp, Johnsons Swamp, Stevenson Swamp
    • crown land wildlife reserve - Little Lake Charm
    • freehold land - Little Lake Charm
    • municipal purposes reserve - Cemetery Swamp
    • public land vested in water authority - Town Swamp, Kerang Weir Pool
    • salinity disposal reserve - Lakes Tutchewop, Kelly, William and Little Lake Kelly
    • sewage purposes reserve - Fosters Swamp
    • timber reserve - Cemetery Swamp
    • water supply reserve - Reedy Lake, Third Lake, Middle Lake, Kangaroo Lake, Racecourse Lake, Lake Charm
  • Last publication date: 
    15-07-2019

Downloads

Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)

Additional reports and documents