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

Gulf State of the Environment Report drainage division

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Catchment stories info

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Wetland observations

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Wetland extents info metadata

Based on wetland mapping version 6.0

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Gulf State of the Environment Report drainage division wetland area by system 2019
System Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 2,101,589 100.0% 4.7%
Total excluding riverine and artificial/highly modified riverine 1,199,219 57.1% 2.7%
Artificial and highly modified 18,431 0.9% 0.0%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 619,848 29.5% 1.4%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 0 0.0% 0.0%
Lacustrine (natural) 4,505 0.2% 0.0%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 8,412 0.4% 0.0%
Palustrine (natural) 545,430 26.0% 1.2%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 2,596 0.1% 0.0%
Riverine 902,367 42.9% 2.0%
Gulf State of the Environment Report drainage division wetland area by habitat 2019
Habitat Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 1,162,365 100.0% 2.6%
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0.0% 0.0%
Mangroves - other 171,237 14.7% 0.4%
Salt marsh and salt flats 447,002 38.5% 1.0%
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 713 0.1% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 38 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 179 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 1,234 0.1% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 12 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 1,007 0.1% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 38,478 3.3% 0.1%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 1,362 0.1% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 14,392 1.2% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 102,508 8.8% 0.2%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 4,175 0.4% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 9,755 0.8% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 191,890 16.5% 0.4%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 258 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 87,068 7.5% 0.2%
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 16,035 1.4% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 74,012 6.4% 0.2%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 437 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 10 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 12 0.0% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 391 0.0% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 160 0.0% 0.0%

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

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.

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Wetland extent changes

Gulf State of the Environment Report drainage division wetland extent change by system
System 2019 area
(ha)
2017 area
(ha)
2013 area
(ha)
2009 area
(ha)
2005 area
(ha)
2001 area
(ha)
pre-clear area
(ha)
2019/pre-clear
percentage
Total 2,101,589 2,101,292 2,104,936 2,104,244 2,102,926 2,101,736 2,085,101 * 99.9%
Artificial and highly modified 18,431 18,029 17,308 16,624 15,263 13,892 0 n/a
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 619,848 619,852 619,855 619,855 619,854 619,854 620,566 99.9%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a
Lacustrine (natural) 4,505 4,505 4,505 4,505 4,505 4,505 4,886 92.2%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 8,412 8,410 8,412 8,398 8,451 8,448 0 n/a
Palustrine (natural) 545,430 545,436 545,708 545,789 545,824 545,959 549,442 99.3%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 2,596 2,595 2,574 2,563 2,551 2,538 0 n/a
Riverine 902,367 902,465 906,573 906,510 906,478 906,540 910,208 99.1%

* Total 2019/pre-clear percentage excludes artificial and highly modified

Gulf State of the Environment Report drainage division wetland extent change by habitat
Habitat 2019 area
(ha)
2017 area
(ha)
2013 area
(ha)
2009 area
(ha)
2005 area
(ha)
2001 area
(ha)
Total 1,162,365 1,161,141 1,161,394 1,161,464 1,161,487 1,161,619
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mangroves - other 171,237 171,237 171,237 171,233 171,233 171,233
Salt marsh and salt flats 447,002 447,006 447,009 447,013 447,013 447,013
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 713 713 713 713 713 713
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 38 38 38 38 38 38
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 179 179 179 179 179 179
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 1,234 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 12 12 12 12 12 12
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 1,007 1,007 1,007 1,007 1,007 1,007
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 38,478 38,478 38,478 38,481 38,484 38,484
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 1,362 1,362 1,362 1,362 1,362 1,362
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 14,392 14,393 14,393 14,393 14,393 14,431
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 102,508 102,513 102,516 102,520 102,526 102,594
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 4,175 4,175 4,175 4,175 4,175 4,175
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 9,755 9,755 9,755 9,755 9,755 9,769
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 191,890 191,890 191,890 191,945 191,955 191,956
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 258 258 258 258 258 258
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 87,068 87,068 87,071 87,071 87,072 87,076
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 16,035 16,035 16,217 16,226 16,228 16,235
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 74,012 74,011 74,075 74,074 74,074 74,074
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 437 437 437 437 437 437
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 10 10 10 10 10 10
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 12 12 12 12 12 12
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 391 391 391 391 391 391
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 160 160 160 160 161 161

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

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.

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Australian Land Use and Management Classification (ALUMC) metadata

Gulf State of the Environment Report drainage division land use
ALUMC code and description
Area (ha)
% total area
Total 45,139,570 100.0%
2.1 Grazing native vegetation 35,869,568 79.5%
1.2 Managed resource protection 4,191,381 9.3%
1.1 Nature conservation 2,543,546 5.6%
6.5 Marsh/wetland 1,985,268 4.4%
6.1 Lake 180,100 0.4%
6.3 River 145,732 0.3%
1.3 Other minimal use 94,574 0.2%
5.8 Mining 30,762 0.1%
4.3 Irrigated cropping 19,808 0.0%
6.2 Reservoir/dam 16,640 0.0%
5.4 Residential and farm infrastructure 12,410 0.0%
6.6 Estuary/coastal waters 9,482 0.0%
5.5 Services 7,769 0.0%
2.2 Production native forests 7,632 0.0%
5.7 Transport and communication 6,320 0.0%
4.4 Irrigated perennial horticulture 5,910 0.0%
3.3 Cropping 4,914 0.0%
3.6 Land in transition 4,713 0.0%
5.3 Manufacturing and industrial 814 0.0%
5.2 Intensive animal production 619 0.0%
4.2 Grazing irrigated modified pastures 595 0.0%
4.5 Irrigated seasonal horticulture 461 0.0%
5.9 Waste treatment and disposal 302 0.0%
3.1 Plantation forests 110 0.0%
5.6 Utilities 87 0.0%
5.1 Intensive horticulture 17 0.0%
3.2 Grazing modified pastures 16 0.0%
6.4 Channel/aqueduct 10 0.0%
4.1 Irrigated plantation forests 7 0.0%
3.4 Perennial horticulture 3 0.0%

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Wildlife

Kingdom
Class
Native Introduced Wetland
indicator
species
Rare or
threatened
species
All
TOTAL 7,855 580 712 402 8,435
Animals 1,392 35 304 118 1,427
Mammals 170 18 7 28 188
Birds 540 10 98 45 550
Reptiles 351 2 35 27 353
Amphibians 87 1 28 16 88
Ray-finned fishes 93 3 95 0 96
Cartilaginous fishes 3 0 3 1 3
Insects 141 1 38 0 142
Malacostracans 6 0 0 1 6
Arachnids 1 0 0 0 1
Bacteria 18 0 0 0 18
Chromists 10 0 0 0 10
Fungi 599 1 0 0 600
Plants 5,835 544 408 284 6,379
Protozoans 1 0 0 0 1

Note: Wildlife statistics are based on information that has been submitted to the DETSI WildNet database and converted to a 10km² grid. The grid information has been intersected with the mapping polygons to determine the species lists. Click here to view the species grid metadata.

Information from WildNet can also be accessed via Wildlife Online and WetlandMaps.

Rare or threatened includes species listed as extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or conservation dependent under either the Nature Conservation Act or Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act

Disclaimer: While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this product, the Queensland Government and Australian Government make no representations or warranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaim all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which might be incurred as a consequence of reliance on the product, or as a result of the product being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason.

AreaType-soe-drainage-division

This page should be cited as:

Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2013) Gulf State of the Environment Report drainage division — facts and maps, WetlandInfo website, accessed 30 March 2025. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/soe-drainage-division-gulf/