Water Quality Improvement Plan catchment 2021 wetland system extents
Definition of Water Quality Improvement Plan catchment
based on wetland mapping version 7.0
2021 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
166,009
400,378
3,812
17,668
20,205
32
252,295
63,989
699,293
1,623,680
Abbot Bay catchments (Burdekin) 118,919
342
3,716
1,736
17
39
968
4,420
11,238
Alligator Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 20,918
106
1,008
32
2
237
84
280
1,749
Allingham Creek (Burdekin) 109,324
3
72
2,196
3,911
6,183
Andromache River (Mackay Whitsunday) 40,599
84
1
92
2
836
1,015
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
18
15
12
647
691
Annie River, Saltwater Creek and Fifteen Mile Creek (Eastern Cape York) 269,719
7
68
< 1
6,850
2
1,930
8,858
Baffle (Burnett Mary) 408,475
1,025
13,438
13
144
3
10,722
333
7,189
32,867
Bakers Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,822
155
969
1
7
348
49
112
1,642
Balclutha Creek (Eastern Cape York) 42,008
1
30
409
433
873
Barratta Creek (Burdekin) 116,808
745
3,474
22
70
< 1
1,209
1,337
4,266
11,123
Barron (Wet Tropics) 218,801
4,713
974
< 1
56
109
< 1
297
116
4,116
10,382
Basalt River (Burdekin) 286,199
81
28
2,821
4
6,256
9,191
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
195
13
3,094
111
2,919
6,332
Black River (Burdekin) 147,723
1,164
3,207
3
31
683
608
4,453
10,148
Blackrock Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 23,930
169
1,622
4
31
2
231
2,059
Blacks Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 71,090
1,136
1,877
3,014
Bogie River (Burdekin) 227,541
1,143
12
133
33
14
10,128
11,463
Bowen River (Burdekin) 113,792
463
21
20
12
6,827
7,343
Boyne River (Fitzroy) 249,748
2,083
1,659
8
4,226
4
36
3,998
12,015
Broken River (Burdekin) 228,731
844
6,961
7,805
Burdekin Delta (Burdekin) 113,151
824
14,187
167
964
< 1
1,879
6,084
5,303
29,408
Burdekin River (below Dam) (Burdekin) 146,880
351
448
196
206
7,726
8,926
Burdekin River (Blue Range) (Burdekin) 272,356
308
98
209
79
10,369
11,064
Burdekin River (Dam) (Burdekin) 370,188
7,027
< 1
80
233
2
26,461
33,803
Burnett (Burnett Mary) 3,319,539
14,212
1,084
8
1,061
1,731
242
35,238
53,576
Burrum (Burnett Mary) 337,174
3,303
2,679
8
83
2
9,081
182
11,035
26,373
Callide Creek (Fitzroy) 766,479
3,035
67
30
725
61
3,777
7,694
Calliope River (Fitzroy) 217,716
632
4,090
26
22
160
< 1
49
34
975
5,989
Camel Creek (Burdekin) 157,869
90
772
30
108
6
4,336
5,342
Campaspe River (Burdekin) 674,667
379
490
138
< 1
1,028
164
25,785
27,984
Cape Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 15,032
21
4,830
< 1
1,078
56
24
6,008
Cape Flattery dune lakes (Eastern Cape York) 25,028
393
741
2,060
12
3,207
Cape River (Burdekin) 913,940
258
505
49
1,895
36
22,876
25,618
Carmichael River (Burdekin) 978,227
873
25
1,820
108
11,135
13,962
Carmilla Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 12,734
45
548
64
17
228
902
Chester River (incl. Scrubby Creek) (Eastern Cape York) 27,577
2
46
111
946
1,106
Clarke River (Burdekin) 646,961
155
47
94
2,348
18,833
21,477
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
828
1,200
1,657
3,687
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
6,226
3,026
853
2
4,272
311
14,978
29,667
Connors River (Fitzroy) 952,700
1,161
73
57
1,156
177
25,423
28,046
Constant Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 26,516
76
3,108
< 1
128
115
162
3,590
Curtis Island (Fitzroy) 58,456
10
14,459
112
941
4
174
15,700
Daintree (Wet Tropics) 210,670
8
3,273
3
< 1
2,285
2,052
7,621
Deighton River (Eastern Cape York) 67,273
10
91
617
718
Diamond Creek (Burdekin) 213,725
320
62
29
15
1,335
1,762
Don River (Burdekin) 120,812
400
1,702
14
15
< 1
60
45
6,352
8,589
Douglas Creek (Burdekin) 122,846
133
30
6
3,027
3,195
Dry River (Burdekin) 202,310
43
2
36
3,656
4,008
7,745
Eden Lassie Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 54,000
425
2,245
11
2
67
1,252
4,002
Endeavour River estuary (Eastern Cape York) 2,257
1,294
90
202
1,586
Endeavour River - lower (incl. Cameron, Poison creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 24,037
26
56
2
491
3
352
930
Endeavour River - north branch (incl. Isabella, Mango Tree creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 18,019
6
88
253
346
Endeavour River - right branch (Eastern Cape York) 38,771
4
1,054
630
1,689
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
33
20
195
1
5,683
5,932
Fitzroy River (Fitzroy) 1,133,947
8,336
24,281
46
503
1,064
8,345
8,108
14,156
64,837
Flaggy Rock Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,893
62
635
1
128
164
990
Fox Creek (Burdekin) 320,794
716
63
278
384
1,784
3,225
Gillinbin Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 13,107
32
425
2
1,690
398
2,547
Glenmore Creek (Burdekin) 160,911
40
54
6,844
6,938
Glennie Creek (Eastern Cape York) 36,334
244
244
Goanna, Breakfast, Whiphandle creeks (Eastern Cape York) 56,201
1
15
272
1,038
1,327
Gorge, Running creeks (Eastern Cape York) 41,345
20
991
582
1,594
Gray Creek (Burdekin) 169,505
129
29
87
5
3,598
3,849
Gregory River (Mackay Whitsunday) 31,028
383
2,150
136
81
565
3,316
Hann Creek (Burdekin) 185,299
86
34
2
1
6,975
7,098
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
645
15,858
281
70
329
< 1
1,975
2,080
8,848
30,087
Herbert (Wet Tropics) 984,235
1,438
13,659
2
98
206
7
12,540
1,249
27,707
56,906
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
359
3,551
12
4
5
4,645
43
1,707
10,326
Kangaroo River and coastal creeks (Eastern Cape York) 28,105
13
290
997
1,299
Keelbottom Creek (Burdekin) 164,284
90
51
99
6
5,258
5,503
Kennedy Inlet / Newcastle Bay (Eastern Cape York) 24,824
410
16
62
488
Kennedy River and Little Kennedy Creek (Eastern Cape York) 253,270
25
14
3,285
1,766
5,090
Kirk River (Burdekin) 135,590
175
47
8,208
8,430
Kolan (Burnett Mary) 290,449
6,435
1,520
238
502
35
5,009
13,740
Landers Creek (Burdekin) 106,730
54
20
25
82
5,292
5,473
Laura River (incl. Mosman River, Kennedy Creek) (Eastern Cape York) 203,164
443
< 1
657
863
1,964
Lethebrook (Mackay Whitsunday) 37,352
204
694
4
2,514
94
492
4,002
Little Bowen River (Burdekin) 147,193
25
64
10
47
2,477
2,623
Little Laura River (incl. Shepherd, Pine Tree creeks) (Eastern Cape York) 89,372
65
682
11
990
1,748
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
1,143
154
59
13
1,966
3,335
Lolworth Creek (Burdekin) 350,352
19
1,081
19
8,949
31
5,089
15,188
Lower Cape River (Burdekin) 298,561
6,983
11
9
154
142
5,380
12,679
Lower Dawson River (Fitzroy) 1,991,424
5,638
159
778
6,362
914
11,073
24,924
Lower Isaac River (Fitzroy) 272,514
545
170
495
21
4,222
5,451
Lower Suttor River (Burdekin) 268,899
4,026
81
294
8
7,161
11,569
Mackay City (Mackay Whitsunday) 17,126
49
1,580
6
530
74
213
2,453
Mackenzie River (Fitzroy) 1,297,741
4,389
140
1,070
< 1
3,441
1,016
14,894
24,950
Margaret Bay (Eastern Cape York) 833
3
3
Marion Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 11,201
84
674
20
134
347
1,258
Marrett River, Sandalwood and Birthday creeks (Eastern Cape York) 134,518
1
14
1,159
157
1,332
Mary (Burnett Mary) 946,581
3,579
4,286
393
7
6,618
403
15,525
30,810
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
1,530
1,399
867
15
7,228
11,038
Morehead River, Healy Creek and Hann River (Eastern Cape York) 425,766
4
8,242
2,864
11,109
Mossman (Wet Tropics) 47,285
87
1,608
9
12
< 1
181
1
414
2,313
Mulgrave-Russell (Wet Tropics) 198,027
1,660
5,018
164
94
< 1
8,393
5
2,046
17,380
Murray Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 46,631
128
2,793
< 1
45
659
3,626
Murray (Wet Tropics) 110,656
350
8,667
2
2
5,215
40
545
14,821
Myrtle Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 29,516
20
1,502
705
13
295
2,534
Native Companion Creek (Burdekin) 548,474
451
48
287
8
2,891
3,684
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
17,890
126
580
1,484
137
16,056
36,273
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
224
1
2,469
6,838
9,533
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
2
1
4,122
1
1,438
5,565
Oaky , Wallace, Lyon creeks (Eastern Cape York) 33,909
5
574
579
OConnell River (Mackay Whitsunday) 48,766
358
590
15
25
2
311
29
795
2,123
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
531
21
1
3,095
3,648
Pioneer River Main Channel (Mackay Whitsunday) 54,788
620
< 1
107
1,784
2,511
Plane Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 15,963
42
966
65
14
181
1,268
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
432
458
Reliance Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 10,662
12
1,544
5
< 1
66
10
92
1,729
Repulse Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 25,555
1,740
2
6
72
1,819
Rocky Dam Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 51,839
94
5,704
27
2,047
911
1,390
10,172
Rollston River (Burdekin) 144,919
108
36
52
6,035
6,231
Rosella Creek (Burdekin) 147,410
317
268
124
1,774
2,483
Rosetta Creek (Burdekin) 244,047
311
5
424
8
5,414
6,161
Ross River (Burdekin) 131,054
5,924
8,895
29
163
199
353
4,263
19,826
Running River (Burdekin) 110,538
19
1
3,600
3,621
Sandy Creek (Burdekin) 318,941
232
29
291
9
1,223
1,784
Sandy Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 49,935
1,219
846
13
< 1
538
27
709
3,353
Sarina Beaches (Mackay Whitsunday) 8,458
66
644
8
99
115
14
948
Sellheim River (Burdekin) 170,458
9,543
34
26
3,826
13,429
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
1,246
29,789
5
291
20,319
5,401
57,050
South Annan coastal creeks outside National Park (Eastern Cape York) 15,542
560
264
204
1,029
St Helens Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,566
40
1,457
13
11
228
1,749
Star River (Burdekin) 199,399
59
14
157
7,260
7,492
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
6
364
370
Stewart River, Terrible Creek (Eastern Cape York) 37,627
37
344
381
Stones Creek (Burdekin) 77,525
11
14
2,918
2,944
Styx River (Fitzroy) 299,512
1,341
26,098
919
26
87
< 1
858
7,433
5,031
41,795
Temple Bay and Hudson Bay (Eastern Cape York) 5,735
4
4
Theresa Creek (Fitzroy) 1,149,860
4,100
526
680
155
13,215
18,676
Thompsons Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,013
227
3,696
< 1
2
3,367
1,437
68
8,796
Trevethan Creek outside National Park (Eastern Cape York) 9,497
1
444
445
Tully (Wet Tropics) 168,340
1,618
1,946
8
19
4,449
79
1,631
9,749
Upper Belyando River (Burdekin) 583,589
499
182
156
129
2,549
3,515
Upper Burdekin River (Burdekin) 448,172
234
2,275
81
1
12,640
399
9,860
25,492
Upper Cattle Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,841
417
417
Upper Dawson River (Fitzroy) 2,315,530
2,043
2,047
1,135
2,667
300
14,307
22,499
Upper Isaac River (Fitzroy) 1,012,469
5,478
367
1,043
3
2,168
288
18,782
28,129
Upper Proserpine River (Mackay Whitsunday) 26,621
3,946
159
4,106
Upper Suttor River (Burdekin) 515,807
1,318
337
398
66
9,347
11,466
Upstart Bay catchments (Burdekin) 129,031
705
10,702
147
57
465
2,689
4,880
19,645
Walker Bay (Eastern Cape York) 246
10
10
Walsh Bay (Eastern Cape York) 189
1
1
Waterhole Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 21,131
46
1,347
3
194
24
80
1,694
Waterpark Creek (Fitzroy) 184,786
111
25,957
33
57
8,884
2,416
5,551
43,009
Weary Bay (Eastern Cape York) 540
0
West Hill Creek (Mackay Whitsunday) 18,396
19
1,413
< 1
1,139
165
202
2,938
Weymouth Bay (Eastern Cape York) 4,352
9
9
Whitsunday Coast (Mackay Whitsunday) 19,560
37
683
2
16
8
14
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 2021 wetland system extents, WetlandInfo website, accessed 8 May 2025 . Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ecology/statistics/wetland-extent/wqip.html
— Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation