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Low-lying coastal swamps

Low-lying coastal swamps

Cladium spp infiltration and percolation Corymbia spp Eucalypt spp Acacia spp Corymbia spp Eucalyptus spp Alluvia Alluvia unsaturated Estuarine deposits unsaturated Estuarine deposits unsaturated Terrestrial GDEs Terrestrial GDEs Melaleuca spp Eycalypt, acacia and corymbia spps Terrestrial GDEs Terrestrial GDEs Evapotranspiration Cladium spp Direction of marine water movement Direction of groundwater movement Clay low permeability Clay low permeability Direction of groundwater movement Clay low permeability Evapotranspiration Evapotranspiration Negligible groundwater movement Negligible groundwater movement Direction of groundwater movement (marine) Fresh groundwater and saline marine water interface Fresh groundwater and saline marine water interface Direction of groundwater movement Direction of groundwater movement Direction of groundwater movement infiltration and percolation Direction of groundwater movement Surface expression GDEs Surface expression GDEs Surface expression GDEs Surface expression GDEs (estuarine systems) Surface expression GDEs (near-shore marine systems) Subterranean GDEs stygofauna (groundwater fauna) Negligible groundwater movement Basement Estuarine deposits satuarated with saline marine water Dugong Fish Seagrass Estuarine deposits saturated with fresh groundwater Estuarine deposits saturated with fresh groundwater Groundwater table Cladium spp Cladium spp Eycalypt, acacia and corymbia spps Melaleuca spp Mangrove spp Estuarine deposits unsaturated Mangrove spp Eleocharis and cladium spp Clouds and rain

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Aquifers associated with low-lying coastal swamps
Low-lying coastal swamps occur sporadically along the Queensland coast in areas where alluvia was deposited during periods of higher sea level by fluvial processes in current river channels, floodplains, estuarine, delta and other near-shore environments. These low-lying coastal swamp environments include adjacent alluvia and are characterised as being near-permanently saturated by groundwater. These low-lying coastal swamp environments can contain one or more unconfined, unconsolidated sedimentary aquifers, where groundwater is stored and transmitted through inter-granular voids between gravel and sand particles.

Aquifers associated with low-lying coastal swamp environments may provide a wide range of ecosystems with water required to support their fauna and flora communities, ecological processes and delivery of ecosystem services.

  • Palustrine (e.g. swamps) and lacustrine (e.g. lakes) wetlands and riverine (e.g. streams and rivers) water bodies located in low-lying coastal swamp environments may depend on the surface expression of groundwater from these unconsolidated sedimentary aquifers.
  • Terrestrial vegetation located in low-lying coastal swamp environments may depend on the subsurface presence of groundwater in these unconsolidated sedimentary aquifers where groundwater is typically accessed through the capillary zone above the water table.
  • Unconsolidated sedimentary aquifers in low-lying coastal swamp environments may also support subterranean ecosystems within the aquifer itself, sometimes is indicated by the presence of stygofauna.
  • Estuarine and near-shore marine ecosystems located adjacent to low-lying coastal swamp environments may depend on the discharge of groundwater from these unconsolidated sedimentary aquifers.

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Additional information


Last updated: 18 December 2015

This page should be cited as:

Queensland Government, Queensland (2015) Low-lying coastal swamps, WetlandInfo website, accessed 18 March 2024. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ecology/aquatic-ecosystems-natural/groundwater-dependent/low-lying-coastal-swamps/

Queensland Government
WetlandInfo   —   Department of Environment, Science and Innovation