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

Catchment constrictions

Catchment constrictions

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Catchment constrictions are a narrowing in the width and/or depth of the catchment resulting in the formation of a catchment ‘throat’ which acts as a bottle-neck. Often groundwater above a catchment constriction is shallower due to the restriction of groundwater flow through the constriction point. There may also be a widening of the floodplain up-gradient of a catchment constriction due to the restriction of sediment flow through the constriction point.

Unconsolidated sedimentary aquifers may provide a range of ecosystems with water required to support their faunal and floral communities, ecological processes and delivery of ecosystem services.

  • Palustrine (e.g. swamps), lacustrine (e.g. lakes) and riverine (e.g. streams and rivers) wetlands located up-gradient of a catchment constriction may depend on the surface expression of groundwater from these underlying alluvial aquifers.
  • Terrestrial vegetation located up-gradient of a catchment constriction may depend on the subsurface presence of groundwater, typically using deep roots to access groundwater in the capillary zone above the water table of underlying alluvial aquifers.

Pictorial conceptual model PDF (PDF, 0.7 MB)


Last updated: 18 December 2015

This page should be cited as:

Queensland Government, Queensland (2015) Catchment constrictions, WetlandInfo website, accessed 5 January 2025. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ecology/aquatic-ecosystems-natural/groundwater-dependent/catchment-constrictions/