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WetlandInfo   —   Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation

Murray Darling State of the Environment Report drainage division

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Catchment stories info

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Wetland observations

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Wetland extents info metadata

Based on wetland mapping version 6.0

Display areas in

Murray Darling State of the Environment Report drainage division wetland area by system 2019
System Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 465,047 100.0% 1.8%
Total excluding riverine and artificial/highly modified riverine 329,400 70.8% 1.3%
Artificial and highly modified 89,463 19.2% 0.3%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 0 0.0% 0.0%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 0 0.0% 0.0%
Lacustrine (natural) 23,574 5.1% 0.1%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 4,681 1.0% 0.0%
Palustrine (natural) 201,762 43.4% 0.8%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 9,973 2.1% 0.0%
Riverine 135,595 29.2% 0.5%
Murray Darling State of the Environment Report drainage division wetland area by habitat 2019
Habitat Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 233,598 100.0% 0.9%
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0.0% 0.0%
Mangroves - other 0 0.0% 0.0%
Salt marsh and salt flats 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 22,403 9.6% 0.1%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 43 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 784 0.3% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 16,849 7.2% 0.1%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 11,257 4.8% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 196 0.1% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 10,445 4.5% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 32,214 13.8% 0.1%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 53,682 23.0% 0.2%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 68,160 29.2% 0.3%
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 2,769 1.2% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 1,082 0.5% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 1 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 4,967 2.1% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 7,324 3.1% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 501 0.2% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 284 0.1% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 191 0.1% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 446 0.2% 0.0%

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

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Wetland extent changes

Murray Darling State of the Environment Report drainage division wetland extent change by system
System 2019 area
(ha)
2017 area
(ha)
2013 area
(ha)
2009 area
(ha)
2005 area
(ha)
2001 area
(ha)
pre-clear area
(ha)
2019/pre-clear
percentage
Total 465,047 465,697 464,970 464,412 463,252 459,612 395,143 * 95.1%
Artificial and highly modified 89,463 89,315 87,866 86,867 85,067 80,900 0 n/a
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a
Lacustrine (natural) 23,574 23,574 23,574 23,574 23,574 23,574 25,498 92.5%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 4,681 4,679 4,677 4,677 4,677 4,632 0 n/a
Palustrine (natural) 201,762 201,971 202,186 202,387 203,023 203,332 214,447 94.1%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 9,973 9,973 9,979 9,979 9,725 9,042 0 n/a
Riverine 135,595 136,184 136,689 136,929 137,186 138,132 155,198 87.4%

* Total 2019/pre-clear percentage excludes artificial and highly modified

Murray Darling State of the Environment Report drainage division wetland extent change by habitat
Habitat 2019 area
(ha)
2017 area
(ha)
2013 area
(ha)
2009 area
(ha)
2005 area
(ha)
2001 area
(ha)
Total 233,598 233,808 234,028 234,229 234,611 234,231
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mangroves - other 0 0 0 0 0 0
Salt marsh and salt flats 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 22,403 22,403 22,403 22,403 22,403 22,403
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 43 43 43 43 43 37
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 784 784 784 784 784 784
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 16,849 16,850 16,850 16,850 16,850 16,874
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 11,257 11,257 11,260 11,260 11,260 11,265
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 196 196 196 196 196 196
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 10,445 10,446 10,449 10,449 10,450 10,450
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 32,214 32,325 32,361 32,435 32,497 32,115
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 53,682 53,704 53,722 53,728 53,901 54,221
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 68,160 68,217 68,256 68,280 68,333 68,518
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 2,769 2,769 2,775 2,791 2,791 2,229
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 1,082 1,087 1,088 1,096 1,096 1,096
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 1 1 1 1 1 1
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 4,967 4,976 5,012 5,011 5,027 5,034
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 7,324 7,330 7,406 7,406 7,484 7,513
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 501 501 501 574 574 574
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 284 284 284 284 284 284
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 191 191 191 191 191 191
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 446 446 446 446 446 446

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

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Australian Land Use and Management Classification (ALUMC) metadata

Murray Darling State of the Environment Report drainage division land use
ALUMC code and description
Area (ha)
% total area
Total 26,247,821 99.7%
2.1 Grazing native vegetation 21,407,853 81.3%
3.3 Cropping 2,141,895 8.1%
2.2 Production native forests 1,058,445 4.0%
1.1 Nature conservation 718,268 2.7%
4.3 Irrigated cropping 344,457 1.3%
1.2 Managed resource protection 150,344 0.6%
6.1 Lake 109,200 0.4%
6.2 Reservoir/dam 83,938 0.3%
5.4 Residential and farm infrastructure 65,064 0.2%
1.3 Other minimal use 56,588 0.2%
6.5 Marsh/wetland 34,647 0.1%
5.5 Services 14,399 0.1%
3.2 Grazing modified pastures 9,199 0.0%
4.4 Irrigated perennial horticulture 8,490 0.0%
5.8 Mining 7,352 0.0%
6.3 River 6,446 0.0%
5.7 Transport and communication 5,617 0.0%
5.2 Intensive animal production 5,481 0.0%
3.1 Plantation forests 5,268 0.0%
5.3 Manufacturing and industrial 3,314 0.0%
6.4 Channel/aqueduct 2,805 0.0%
4.5 Irrigated seasonal horticulture 2,386 0.0%
5.6 Utilities 2,132 0.0%
3.4 Perennial horticulture 1,714 0.0%
3.6 Land in transition 1,126 0.0%
5.9 Waste treatment and disposal 750 0.0%
4.2 Grazing irrigated modified pastures 553 0.0%
3.5 Seasonal horticulture 67 0.0%
5.1 Intensive horticulture 26 0.0%

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Wildlife

Kingdom
Class
Native Introduced Wetland
indicator
species
Rare or
threatened
species
All
TOTAL 6,632 825 499 285 7,457
Animals 1,160 39 230 94 1,199
Mammals 128 18 3 17 146
Birds 447 11 79 45 458
Reptiles 225 1 13 17 226
Amphibians 56 1 28 6 57
Ray-finned fishes 31 4 35 2 35
Insects 257 4 72 3 261
Malacostracans 7 0 0 2 7
Branchiopods 1 0 0 0 1
Arachnids 3 0 0 0 3
Snails 5 0 0 2 5
Bacteria 33 0 0 0 33
Chromists 107 0 0 0 107
Fungi 1,081 3 0 0 1,084
Plants 4,246 783 269 191 5,029
Protozoans 5 0 0 0 5

Note: Wildlife statistics are based on information that has been submitted to the DETSI WildNet database and converted to a 10km² grid. The grid information has been intersected with the mapping polygons to determine the species lists. Click here to view the species grid metadata.

Information from WildNet can also be accessed via Wildlife Online and WetlandMaps.

Rare or threatened includes species listed as extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or conservation dependent under either the Nature Conservation Act or Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act

Disclaimer: While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this product, the Queensland Government and Australian Government make no representations or warranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaim all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which might be incurred as a consequence of reliance on the product, or as a result of the product being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason.

AreaType-soe-drainage-division

This page should be cited as:

Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2013) Murray Darling State of the Environment Report drainage division — facts and maps, WetlandInfo website, accessed 12 April 2025. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/soe-drainage-division-murray-darling/

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