Water Quality Improvement Plan catchment 2005 wetland system extents
Definition of Water Quality Improvement Plan catchment
based on wetland mapping version 7.0
2005 wetland system extent by Water Quality Improvement Plan catchment Download this table in .CSV format
WQIP catchment
Total areaha )
Wetland area by system
Totalha )
artificial and highly modified
intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural)
intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified)
lacustrine (natural)
lacustrine (slightly modified)
lacustrine (unknown degree of modification)
palustrine (natural)
palustrine (slightly modified)
riverine
Total
42,620,437
151,486
401,267
3,709
17,757
19,708
34
254,263
63,367
703,267
1,614,859
Abbot Bay catchments (Burdekin) 118,919
260
3,719
1,736
17
39
968
4,439
11,177
Alligator Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 20,918
102
998
32
2
241
84
280
1,738
Allingham Creek (Burdekin) 109,324
3
72
2,196
3,911
6,183
Andromache River (Mackay Whitsunday) 40,599
77
1
92
2
843
1,016
Annan River estuary (Eastern Cape York) 1,883
48
732
205
5
152
1,142
Annan River - lower, outside National Park (incl. Esk River, Hardwicke Creek) (Eastern Cape York) 18,005
13
32
8
24
25
653
755
Annan River - upper (above gorge) outside National Park (Eastern Cape York) 35,739
14
19
12
647
692
Annie River, Saltwater Creek and Fifteen Mile Creek (Eastern Cape York) 269,719
1
68
< 1
6,852
2
1,930
8,854
Baffle (Burnett Mary) 408,475
954
13,451
13
143
3
10,871
330
7,235
33,000
Bakers Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,822
120
970
< 1
3
361
44
115
1,612
Balclutha Creek (Eastern Cape York) 42,008
30
409
433
872
Barratta Creek (Burdekin) 116,808
717
3,482
22
43
5
1,226
1,331
4,268
11,094
Barron (Wet Tropics) 218,801
4,622
974
2
56
92
297
116
4,125
10,284
Basalt River (Burdekin) 286,199
66
28
2,821
4
6,253
9,172
Bathurst and Ninian Bays (Eastern Cape York) 24,974
7
< 1
7
Bathurst Bay draining creeks (incl. Muck River) (Eastern Cape York) 53,352
1,825
240
306
2,371
Belyando floodplain (Burdekin) 203,024
179
13
3,094
111
2,922
6,318
Black River (Burdekin) 147,723
1,071
3,233
11
27
708
607
4,517
10,175
Blackrock Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 23,930
152
1,622
4
31
2
231
2,043
Blacks Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 71,090
1,129
1,881
3,010
Bogie River (Burdekin) 227,541
1,063
12
131
33
14
10,163
11,415
Bowen River (Burdekin) 113,792
424
21
20
12
6,831
7,309
Boyne River (Fitzroy) 249,748
1,725
1,662
8
4,226
4
36
4,025
11,687
Broken River (Burdekin) 228,731
841
6,961
7,803
Burdekin Delta (Burdekin) 113,151
765
14,206
167
962
< 1
1,878
6,081
5,314
29,374
Burdekin River (below Dam) (Burdekin) 146,880
348
448
249
99
7,735
8,878
Burdekin River (Blue Range) (Burdekin) 272,356
294
98
212
79
10,371
11,054
Burdekin River (Dam) (Burdekin) 370,188
7,020
< 1
80
300
2
26,569
33,971
Burnett (Burnett Mary) 3,319,539
13,636
1,094
8
1,061
1,755
222
35,537
53,313
Burrum (Burnett Mary) 337,174
3,022
2,679
8
66
2
9,161
164
11,111
26,213
Callide Creek (Fitzroy) 766,479
2,891
67
30
727
53
3,760
7,528
Calliope River (Fitzroy) 217,716
567
4,390
4
22
31
< 1
49
34
975
6,073
Camel Creek (Burdekin) 157,869
85
772
25
108
6
4,336
5,331
Campaspe River (Burdekin) 674,667
310
490
134
< 1
1,030
164
25,825
27,954
Cape Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 15,032
18
4,830
< 1
1,078
56
24
6,006
Cape Flattery dune lakes (Eastern Cape York) 25,028
393
741
2,060
12
3,207
Cape River (Burdekin) 913,940
253
505
49
1,895
36
22,882
25,620
Carmichael River (Burdekin) 978,227
741
25
1,838
97
11,303
14,005
Carmilla Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 12,734
10
548
65
17
230
869
Chester River (incl. Scrubby Creek) (Eastern Cape York) 27,577
2
46
111
946
1,106
Clarke River (Burdekin) 646,961
133
47
92
2,349
18,833
21,453
Claudie River (incl. Deep, Swamp creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 15,927
< 1
165
70
628
864
Coastal creeks and dunes (north of Nesbit) (Eastern Cape York) 44,836
2
822
1,200
1,657
3,681
Coastal creeks (Eastern Cape York) 48,061
401
60
2,939
47
3,446
Coastal dunes north shore of Endeavour River (Eastern Cape York) 5,863
21
151
< 1
172
Comet River (Fitzroy) 1,729,049
5,723
3,025
845
4,433
311
15,139
29,477
Connors River (Fitzroy) 952,700
753
73
57
1,163
177
25,657
27,879
Constant Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 26,516
71
3,112
< 1
129
115
162
3,590
Curtis Island (Fitzroy) 58,456
14,499
112
941
4
174
15,730
Daintree (Wet Tropics) 210,670
1
3,273
3
2,289
2,053
7,619
Deighton River (Eastern Cape York) 67,273
9
91
617
717
Diamond Creek (Burdekin) 213,725
284
62
29
15
1,341
1,732
Don River (Burdekin) 120,812
323
1,703
14
15
< 1
60
42
6,366
8,523
Douglas Creek (Burdekin) 122,846
124
30
6
3,027
3,187
Dry River (Burdekin) 202,310
38
2
36
3,656
4,010
7,742
Eden Lassie Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 54,000
54
2,252
11
2
90
1,289
3,698
Endeavour River estuary (Eastern Cape York) 2,257
1,295
90
209
1,593
Endeavour River - lower (incl. Cameron, Poison creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 24,037
23
57
1
490
3
359
933
Endeavour River - north branch (incl. Isabella, Mango Tree creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 18,019
5
88
253
345
Endeavour River - right branch (Eastern Cape York) 38,771
< 1
1,054
630
1,685
Endeavour River - south branch (Eastern Cape York) 14,720
0
Escape River (Eastern Cape York) 32,685
457
214
3,455
4,126
Estuaries draining into Temple Bay, Hudson Bay (Eastern Cape York) 4,110
3,467
7
4
3,479
Estuaries (incl. Jacky Jacky, Escape, Harmer) (Eastern Cape York) 26,482
24,035
187
< 1
24,223
Estuaries (incl. Stewart, Rocky, other estuaries) (Eastern Cape York) 9,927
6,227
203
13
6,443
Fanning River (Burdekin) 110,772
29
20
195
1
5,681
5,925
Fitzroy River (Fitzroy) 1,133,947
8,096
24,284
46
503
1,049
8,537
8,082
14,222
64,817
Flaggy Rock Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,893
55
635
< 1
134
164
989
Fox Creek (Burdekin) 320,794
453
63
281
384
1,908
3,089
Gillinbin Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 13,107
32
425
2
1,666
399
2,524
Glenmore Creek (Burdekin) 160,911
39
54
6,847
6,940
Glennie Creek (Eastern Cape York) 36,334
244
244
Goanna, Breakfast, Whiphandle creeks (Eastern Cape York) 56,201
15
272
1,038
1,325
Gorge, Running creeks (Eastern Cape York) 41,345
20
991
582
1,594
Gray Creek (Burdekin) 169,505
111
27
87
5
3,601
3,831
Gregory River (Mackay Whitsunday) 31,028
201
2,155
136
46
591
3,129
Hann Creek (Burdekin) 185,299
82
34
2
1
7,003
7,123
Hann Creek (Eastern Cape York) 28,672
2
2
Harmer, Little Harmer Creeks (Eastern Cape York) 108,898
161
359
1,778
312
2,610
Haughton River (Burdekin) 232,550
400
16,082
280
70
333
< 1
1,961
1,852
8,878
29,855
Herbert (Wet Tropics) 984,235
1,421
13,656
2
98
201
7
12,594
1,238
27,715
56,932
Hinchinbrook Island (Wet Tropics) 39,543
7,945
514
178
8,637
Indian Bay (Eastern Cape York) 863
0
Jack River and Beattie Creek (Eastern Cape York) 148,352
1,963
1,958
3,921
Jacky Jacky Creek (Eastern Cape York) 31,041
46
5,753
135
5,934
Jeannie estuaries (incl. Horwick, Starcke, Dead Dog and other estuaries) (Eastern Cape York) 9,543
8,530
0
< 1
3
8,533
Jeannie River (Eastern Cape York) 46,942
100
28
710
838
Johnstone (Wet Tropics) 232,153
353
3,546
12
4
4
4,653
43
1,710
10,324
Kangaroo River and coastal creeks (Eastern Cape York) 28,105
13
290
997
1,299
Keelbottom Creek (Burdekin) 164,284
84
51
98
6
5,258
5,498
Kennedy Inlet / Newcastle Bay (Eastern Cape York) 24,824
405
16
62
483
Kennedy River and Little Kennedy Creek (Eastern Cape York) 253,270
14
14
3,289
1,766
5,082
Kirk River (Burdekin) 135,590
122
47
8,228
8,397
Kolan (Burnett Mary) 290,449
6,409
1,523
235
522
35
5,047
13,770
Landers Creek (Burdekin) 106,730
43
20
25
82
5,298
5,468
Laura River (incl. Mosman River, Kennedy Creek) (Eastern Cape York) 203,164
268
657
925
1,850
Lethebrook (Mackay Whitsunday) 37,352
170
694
4
2,522
94
503
3,987
Little Bowen River (Burdekin) 147,193
24
64
10
47
2,478
2,622
Little Laura River (incl. Shepherd, Pine Tree creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 89,372
30
683
11
990
1,714
Lloyd Bay (Eastern Cape York) 5,422
518
518
Lockhart, Claudie and adjacent estuaries (Eastern Cape York) 9,537
7,782
11
26
7,819
Lockhart River (incl. Eden, Arroto and Scrubby creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 82,829
6
9
343
2,875
3,233
Lockhart town and surrounds (incl. dunes) (Eastern Cape York) 4,018
69
< 1
370
440
Logan Creek (Burdekin) 403,627
1,085
151
59
13
1,967
3,275
Lolworth Creek (Burdekin) 350,352
19
1,081
19
8,955
31
5,090
15,195
Lower Cape River (Burdekin) 298,561
6,975
11
9
154
142
5,381
12,672
Lower Dawson River (Fitzroy) 1,991,424
4,480
159
777
6,556
914
11,113
24,000
Lower Isaac River (Fitzroy) 272,514
428
170
486
21
4,236
5,340
Lower Suttor River (Burdekin) 268,899
4,012
81
297
8
7,297
11,695
Mackay City (Mackay Whitsunday) 17,126
31
1,589
5
572
74
220
2,490
Mackenzie River (Fitzroy) 1,297,741
3,020
140
1,022
< 1
3,771
1,000
15,224
24,178
Margaret Bay (Eastern Cape York) 833
3
3
Marion Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 11,201
84
674
20
139
348
1,264
Marrett River, Sandalwood and Birthday creeks (Eastern Cape York) 134,518
14
1,159
157
1,331
Mary (Burnett Mary) 946,581
3,424
4,284
392
7
6,655
401
15,631
30,794
Massy Creek, Rocky River (Eastern Cape York) 48,405
< 1
1
349
2,621
2,972
McIvor, Morgan rivers and coastal creeks (Eastern Cape York) 58,801
501
321
2,999
637
4,458
Middle and West Claudie Rivers (incl. Gordon, Scrubby creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 17,736
0
Mistake Creek (Burdekin) 587,421
1,102
1,399
867
15
7,420
10,803
Morehead River, Healy Creek and Hann River (Eastern Cape York) 425,766
3
8,242
2,864
11,108
Mossman (Wet Tropics) 47,285
49
1,608
9
11
< 1
188
1
431
2,299
Mulgrave-Russell (Wet Tropics) 198,027
1,665
5,017
164
94
< 1
8,404
5
2,041
17,390
Murray Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 46,631
112
2,792
45
660
3,609
Murray (Wet Tropics) 110,656
327
8,667
2
2
5,294
34
547
14,873
Myrtle Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 29,516
18
1,498
705
13
295
2,530
Native Companion Creek (Burdekin) 548,474
314
48
287
8
2,925
3,582
Nesbit, Chester and adjacent estuaries (Eastern Cape York) 4,338
3,026
37
84
3,147
Nesbit River (incl. Leo Creek) (Eastern Cape York) 68,059
< 1
444
121
565
Nogoa River (Fitzroy) 1,616,991
17,710
126
578
1,484
137
16,101
36,136
Normanby estuarine waters (incl. Bizant, Normanby, Saltwater and others adjacent Princess Charlotte Bay) (Eastern Cape York) 54,162
27,805
866
82
28,753
Normanby /lower Laura rivers (incl. Brown, Cabbage Tree creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 205,565
3
78
4,519
986
5,586
Normanby River - lower and Bizant River (Eastern Cape York) 105,992
401
5,365
2,730
8,496
Normanby - upper (incl. West, East and Granite Normanby Rivers, Bridge Ck) (Eastern Cape York) 290,818
180
1
2,469
6,839
9,490
North Jacky Jacky Creek – dune lakes (Eastern Cape York) 13,858
142
154
745
289
1,330
North Jeannie coastal creeks outside National Park (incl. Horwick River, Wakooka Creek) (Eastern Cape York) 110,554
5,269
44
628
1,058
7,000
North Kennedy River (Eastern Cape York) 191,510
1
4,122
1
1,438
5,563
Oaky , Wallace, Lyon creeks (Eastern Cape York) 33,909
5
578
583
OConnell River (Mackay Whitsunday) 48,766
319
593
15
23
2
313
29
842
2,137
Olive River estuary (Eastern Cape York) 751
470
101
571
Olive River (incl. Horseshoe, Scorpion creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 124,133
< 1
< 1
3,504
374
3,879
Pascoe - headwaters (incl. Little Pascoe, Fall creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 64,780
74
3,274
3,348
Pascoe - lower, outside National Park (incl. Tin and coastal creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 36,638
622
832
1,454
Pascoe - mid (incl. Garraway, Brown creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 31,243
266
266
Pascoe - mid (incl. Hamilton Creek) (Eastern Cape York) 11,269
206
206
Pascoe River estuary and other estuaries draining into Wemouth Bay (Eastern Cape York) 1,325
112
8
4
124
Pascoe - upper (incl. Yam, One Mile creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 36,658
115
115
Pelican Creek (Burdekin) 148,083
200
6
1
3,176
3,383
Pioneer River Main Channel (Mackay Whitsunday) 54,788
613
113
1,789
2,514
Plane Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 15,963
42
966
68
14
181
1,272
Port of Cape Flattery (land side) (Eastern Cape York) 9,437
10
10
521
348
11
5
904
Port of Cape Flattery marine waters (Eastern Cape York) 14,707
22
22
Port of Cooktown marine waters (Eastern Cape York) 3,067
11
11
Port of Quintell Beach marine waters (Eastern Cape York) 1,364
2
2
Princess Charlotte Bay (Eastern Cape York) 137,329
25
25
Proserpine River Main Channel (Mackay Whitsunday) 8,490
26
444
470
Reliance Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 10,662
8
1,544
5
67
8
92
1,724
Repulse Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 25,555
1,740
2
6
72
1,819
Rocky Dam Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 51,839
78
5,701
19
2,149
911
1,394
10,252
Rollston River (Burdekin) 144,919
103
35
52
6,039
6,229
Rosella Creek (Burdekin) 147,410
185
268
151
1,775
2,379
Rosetta Creek (Burdekin) 244,047
271
5
424
8
5,414
6,121
Ross River (Burdekin) 131,054
5,836
8,892
29
163
201
353
4,302
19,776
Running River (Burdekin) 110,538
9
1
3,600
3,611
Sandy Creek (Burdekin) 318,941
179
29
291
9
1,223
1,731
Sandy Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 49,935
1,139
835
13
< 1
533
24
712
3,256
Sarina Beaches (Mackay Whitsunday) 8,458
54
644
8
99
115
14
936
Sellheim River (Burdekin) 170,458
9,534
34
26
3,832
13,426
Shelburne Bay dune lakes (Eastern Cape York) 49,236
70
2,754
889
1
3,714
Shelburne Bay (Eastern Cape York) 25,164
24
< 1
24
Shoalwater Creek (Fitzroy) 361,610
900
29,872
5
291
20,236
5,428
56,731
South Annan coastal creeks outside National Park (Eastern Cape York) 15,542
560
264
205
1,029
St Helens Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,566
40
1,457
13
12
243
1,765
Star River (Burdekin) 199,399
55
14
157
7,260
7,487
Starcke River (Eastern Cape York) 50,093
66
38
990
462
1,556
Stewart River - headwaters outside National Park (incl. Little Stewart, Station creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 38,767
364
364
Stewart River, Terrible Creek (Eastern Cape York) 37,627
37
344
381
Stones Creek (Burdekin) 77,525
4
14
2,918
2,937
Styx River (Fitzroy) 299,512
1,249
26,279
831
26
83
859
7,348
5,058
41,734
Temple Bay and Hudson Bay (Eastern Cape York) 5,735
4
4
Theresa Creek (Fitzroy) 1,149,860
3,323
523
692
157
13,328
18,023
Thompsons Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,013
218
3,684
< 1
2
3,370
1,457
69
8,800
Trevethan Creek outside National Park (Eastern Cape York) 9,497
1
444
445
Tully (Wet Tropics) 168,340
1,592
1,946
8
19
4,480
79
1,635
9,761
Upper Belyando River (Burdekin) 583,589
289
44
156
263
2,587
3,339
Upper Burdekin River (Burdekin) 448,172
232
2,275
81
1
12,640
399
9,861
25,490
Upper Cattle Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,841
415
415
Upper Dawson River (Fitzroy) 2,315,530
1,413
2,137
1,129
2,749
229
14,545
22,201
Upper Isaac River (Fitzroy) 1,012,469
3,484
367
1,045
3
2,199
289
18,980
26,367
Upper Proserpine River (Mackay Whitsunday) 26,621
3,945
162
4,107
Upper Suttor River (Burdekin) 515,807
899
324
403
66
9,532
11,224
Upstart Bay catchments (Burdekin) 129,031
503
10,703
147
57
485
2,666
5,025
19,588
Walker Bay (Eastern Cape York) 246
10
10
Walsh Bay (Eastern Cape York) 189
1
1
Waterhole Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 21,131
43
1,349
2
208
24
95
1,721
Waterpark Creek (Fitzroy) 184,786
77
25,957
33
46
8,890
2,415
5,563
42,981
Weary Bay (Eastern Cape York) 540
0
West Hill Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,396
12
1,413
1,143
165
205
2,939
Weymouth Bay (Eastern Cape York) 4,352
9
9
Whitsunday Coast (Mackay Whitsunday) 19,560
33
686
2
17
8
15
760
Wilson Creek, Portland Road coastal creeks (Eastern Cape York) 13,471
1
373
3
27
215
619
Note that these totals may be lower than the Queensland totals due to incomplete coverage of Water Quality Improvement Plan catchments.
Disclaimer
Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
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.
This page should be cited as:
Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2022) Water Quality Improvement Plan catchment 2005 wetland system extents, WetlandInfo website, accessed 8 May 2025 . Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ecology/statistics/wetland-extent-2005/wqip.html
— Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation