Water Quality Improvement Plan catchment 2009 wetland system extents
Definition of Water Quality Improvement Plan catchment
based on wetland mapping version 7.0
2009 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
156,466
401,111
3,727
17,758
19,871
34
253,851
63,410
702,478
1,618,706
Abbot Bay catchments (Burdekin) 118,919
269
3,719
1,736
17
39
968
4,437
11,184
Alligator Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 20,918
105
997
32
2
240
84
280
1,740
Allingham Creek (Burdekin) 109,324
3
72
2,196
3,911
6,183
Andromache River (Mackay Whitsunday) 40,599
79
1
92
2
841
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
756
Annan River - upper (above gorge) outside National Park (Eastern Cape York) 35,739
34
3
12
647
694
Annie River, Saltwater Creek and Fifteen Mile Creek (Eastern Cape York) 269,719
2
68
< 1
6,852
2
1,930
8,855
Baffle (Burnett Mary) 408,475
976
13,452
13
144
3
10,809
333
7,213
32,942
Bakers Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,822
152
957
2
6
351
49
115
1,631
Balclutha Creek (Eastern Cape York) 42,008
30
409
433
872
Barratta Creek (Burdekin) 116,808
718
3,482
22
43
5
1,226
1,331
4,267
11,093
Barron (Wet Tropics) 218,801
4,648
974
2
56
107
296
116
4,121
10,320
Basalt River (Burdekin) 286,199
80
28
2,821
4
6,253
9,186
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
182
13
3,094
111
2,922
6,321
Black River (Burdekin) 147,723
1,095
3,220
11
27
693
607
4,475
10,128
Blackrock Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 23,930
154
1,622
4
31
2
231
2,045
Blacks Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 71,090
1,129
1,881
3,010
Bogie River (Burdekin) 227,541
1,066
12
131
33
14
10,161
11,418
Bowen River (Burdekin) 113,792
437
21
20
12
6,828
7,318
Boyne River (Fitzroy) 249,748
1,843
1,662
8
4,226
4
36
4,023
11,803
Broken River (Burdekin) 228,731
844
6,961
7,805
Burdekin Delta (Burdekin) 113,151
814
14,206
167
964
< 1
1,878
6,071
5,308
29,408
Burdekin River (below Dam) (Burdekin) 146,880
351
448
249
99
7,734
8,880
Burdekin River (Blue Range) (Burdekin) 272,356
302
98
209
79
10,369
11,058
Burdekin River (Dam) (Burdekin) 370,188
7,024
< 1
80
300
2
26,569
33,974
Burnett (Burnett Mary) 3,319,539
13,947
1,093
8
1,062
1,752
222
35,480
53,564
Burrum (Burnett Mary) 337,174
3,197
2,679
8
77
2
9,116
182
11,090
26,350
Callide Creek (Fitzroy) 766,479
2,943
67
30
719
61
3,760
7,580
Calliope River (Fitzroy) 217,716
568
4,389
4
22
29
< 1
49
34
975
6,070
Camel Creek (Burdekin) 157,869
90
772
26
108
6
4,336
5,338
Campaspe River (Burdekin) 674,667
358
490
134
< 1
1,029
164
25,808
27,983
Cape Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 15,032
20
4,830
< 1
1,078
56
24
6,007
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
747
25
1,838
97
11,302
14,009
Carmilla Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 12,734
20
548
65
17
229
878
Chester River (incl. Scrubby Creek) (Eastern Cape York) 27,577
2
46
111
946
1,106
Clarke River (Burdekin) 646,961
148
47
92
2,349
18,833
21,468
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
5,976
3,026
845
4,433
311
15,135
29,726
Connors River (Fitzroy) 952,700
966
73
57
1,157
177
25,608
28,038
Constant Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 26,516
73
3,112
< 1
129
115
162
3,592
Curtis Island (Fitzroy) 58,456
14,498
112
941
4
174
15,729
Daintree (Wet Tropics) 210,670
7
3,273
3
2,289
2,053
7,625
Deighton River (Eastern Cape York) 67,273
10
91
617
718
Diamond Creek (Burdekin) 213,725
316
62
29
15
1,341
1,764
Don River (Burdekin) 120,812
389
1,702
14
15
< 1
60
45
6,363
8,588
Douglas Creek (Burdekin) 122,846
125
30
6
3,027
3,187
Dry River (Burdekin) 202,310
43
2
36
3,656
4,008
7,745
Eden Lassie Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 54,000
242
2,252
11
2
90
1,272
3,869
Endeavour River estuary (Eastern Cape York) 2,257
1,295
90
207
1,591
Endeavour River - lower (incl. Cameron, Poison creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 24,037
24
57
2
491
3
355
931
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
31
20
195
1
5,680
5,927
Fitzroy River (Fitzroy) 1,133,947
8,174
24,281
46
503
1,051
8,530
8,107
14,214
64,907
Flaggy Rock Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,893
62
635
< 1
128
164
990
Fox Creek (Burdekin) 320,794
547
63
278
384
1,908
3,181
Gillinbin Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 13,107
32
425
2
1,699
398
2,556
Glenmore Creek (Burdekin) 160,911
40
54
6,847
6,941
Glennie Creek (Eastern Cape York) 36,334
244
244
Goanna, Breakfast, Whiphandle creeks (Eastern Cape York) 56,201
< 1
15
272
1,038
1,326
Gorge, Running creeks (Eastern Cape York) 41,345
20
991
582
1,594
Gray Creek (Burdekin) 169,505
120
29
87
5
3,600
3,841
Gregory River (Mackay Whitsunday) 31,028
274
2,150
137
51
588
3,200
Hann Creek (Burdekin) 185,299
85
34
2
1
7,003
7,126
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
539
16,082
280
70
324
< 1
1,960
1,853
8,869
29,977
Herbert (Wet Tropics) 984,235
1,438
13,659
2
98
201
7
12,583
1,238
27,715
56,942
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
362
3,550
12
4
4
4,650
43
1,709
10,333
Kangaroo River and coastal creeks (Eastern Cape York) 28,105
13
290
997
1,299
Keelbottom Creek (Burdekin) 164,284
88
51
98
6
5,258
5,502
Kennedy Inlet / Newcastle Bay (Eastern Cape York) 24,824
405
16
62
483
Kennedy River and Little Kennedy Creek (Eastern Cape York) 253,270
21
14
3,285
1,766
5,086
Kirk River (Burdekin) 135,590
149
47
8,227
8,423
Kolan (Burnett Mary) 290,449
6,424
1,523
235
518
35
5,039
13,774
Landers Creek (Burdekin) 106,730
47
20
25
82
5,292
5,467
Laura River (incl. Mosman River, Kennedy Creek) (Eastern Cape York) 203,164
272
657
925
1,854
Lethebrook (Mackay Whitsunday) 37,352
190
694
4
2,535
94
494
4,011
Little Bowen River (Burdekin) 147,193
25
64
10
47
2,478
2,623
Little Laura River (incl. Shepherd, Pine Tree creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 89,372
52
683
11
990
1,737
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
1,123
151
59
13
1,967
3,313
Lolworth Creek (Burdekin) 350,352
19
1,081
19
8,955
31
5,090
15,195
Lower Cape River (Burdekin) 298,561
6,979
11
9
154
142
5,380
12,675
Lower Dawson River (Fitzroy) 1,991,424
4,804
159
777
6,532
914
11,113
24,300
Lower Isaac River (Fitzroy) 272,514
460
170
491
21
4,234
5,376
Lower Suttor River (Burdekin) 268,899
4,016
81
297
8
7,275
11,677
Mackay City (Mackay Whitsunday) 17,126
33
1,579
5
569
74
213
2,473
Mackenzie River (Fitzroy) 1,297,741
3,249
140
1,032
< 1
3,643
1,008
15,161
24,234
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
3,477
4,286
392
7
6,645
402
15,612
30,821
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
1,196
1,399
867
15
7,418
10,895
Morehead River, Healy Creek and Hann River (Eastern Cape York) 425,766
3
8,242
2,864
11,108
Mossman (Wet Tropics) 47,285
64
1,609
9
12
< 1
186
1
424
2,306
Mulgrave-Russell (Wet Tropics) 198,027
1,669
5,017
164
94
< 1
8,400
5
2,041
17,390
Murray Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 46,631
116
2,793
45
659
3,614
Murray (Wet Tropics) 110,656
327
8,667
2
2
5,263
34
547
14,842
Myrtle Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 29,516
18
1,498
705
13
295
2,529
Native Companion Creek (Burdekin) 548,474
397
48
287
8
2,925
3,665
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
17,805
126
579
1,484
137
16,083
36,214
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
7
78
4,519
986
5,590
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
6,838
9,489
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
574
579
OConnell River (Mackay Whitsunday) 48,766
338
592
15
25
2
315
29
808
2,124
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
387
6
1
3,176
3,569
Pioneer River Main Channel (Mackay Whitsunday) 54,788
616
111
1,786
2,512
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
433
459
Reliance Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 10,662
10
1,544
5
66
10
92
1,726
Repulse Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 25,555
1,740
2
6
72
1,819
Rocky Dam Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 51,839
94
5,703
19
2,126
911
1,393
10,246
Rollston River (Burdekin) 144,919
103
35
52
6,039
6,229
Rosella Creek (Burdekin) 147,410
231
268
151
1,775
2,425
Rosetta Creek (Burdekin) 244,047
283
5
424
8
5,414
6,133
Ross River (Burdekin) 131,054
5,900
8,892
29
163
201
353
4,287
19,826
Running River (Burdekin) 110,538
15
1
3,600
3,617
Sandy Creek (Burdekin) 318,941
221
29
291
9
1,223
1,774
Sandy Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 49,935
1,203
832
13
< 1
532
27
712
3,318
Sarina Beaches (Mackay Whitsunday) 8,458
58
644
8
99
115
14
939
Sellheim River (Burdekin) 170,458
9,541
33
26
3,832
13,432
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
1,055
29,789
5
291
20,319
5,413
56,873
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
11
243
1,763
Star River (Burdekin) 199,399
58
14
157
7,260
7,490
Starcke River (Eastern Cape York) 50,093
< 1
66
38
990
462
1,557
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
1,278
26,241
849
26
83
859
7,364
5,045
41,745
Temple Bay and Hudson Bay (Eastern Cape York) 5,735
4
4
Theresa Creek (Fitzroy) 1,149,860
3,593
523
691
157
13,302
18,266
Thompsons Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,013
218
3,696
< 1
2
3,360
1,457
68
8,801
Trevethan Creek outside National Park (Eastern Cape York) 9,497
1
444
445
Tully (Wet Tropics) 168,340
1,595
1,946
8
19
4,473
79
1,641
9,762
Upper Belyando River (Burdekin) 583,589
381
180
156
129
2,585
3,430
Upper Burdekin River (Burdekin) 448,172
232
2,275
81
1
12,640
399
9,861
25,491
Upper Cattle Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,841
417
417
Upper Dawson River (Fitzroy) 2,315,530
1,496
2,137
1,131
2,748
229
14,500
22,240
Upper Isaac River (Fitzroy) 1,012,469
3,889
367
1,045
3
2,194
289
18,948
26,735
Upper Proserpine River (Mackay Whitsunday) 26,621
3,946
159
4,106
Upper Suttor River (Burdekin) 515,807
1,042
316
401
66
9,419
11,243
Upstart Bay catchments (Burdekin) 129,031
522
10,702
147
57
485
2,668
5,012
19,594
Walker Bay (Eastern Cape York) 246
10
10
Walsh Bay (Eastern Cape York) 189
1
1
Waterhole Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 21,131
44
1,348
3
196
24
85
1,699
Waterpark Creek (Fitzroy) 184,786
95
25,958
33
57
8,887
2,416
5,563
43,009
Weary Bay (Eastern Cape York) 540
0
West Hill Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,396
19
1,413
< 1
1,139
165
205
2,943
Weymouth Bay (Eastern Cape York) 4,352
9
9
Whitsunday Coast (Mackay Whitsunday) 19,560
36
683
2
16
8
14
759
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 2009 wetland system extents, WetlandInfo website, accessed 8 May 2025 . Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ecology/statistics/wetland-extent-2009/wqip.html
— Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation