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

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Water resource planning areas

Wet Tropics water resource planning area

Access wetland mapping in PDF and KML format by selecting the desired 100K map tile below or download the data via the Queensland Government Information Service.

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Name: Wet Tropics
Area type: Water resource planning area
Total area: 1,949,368 ha
% total Qld: 1.1%

Get more detailed information about Wet Tropics water resource planning area

Page table of contents
Catchment stories
Wetland observations
Wetland extents
Wetland extent changes
Australian Land Use and Management Classification (ALUMC)
Drainage divisions
Drainage basins
Drainage sub-basins
Regional natural resource management (NRM) bodies
Local government areas
100K map tiles
Climate zones
Bioregions
Biogeographic subregions
IBRA bioregions
IBRA subregions
Bioregional assessment areas
Marine meso-scale bioregions
Marine provincial bioregions
Regional plans
World Heritage areas
Ramsar internationally important wetlands
DIWA nationally important wetlands
National parks
Marine parks (Queensland)
Study areas
Report cards
Conservation parks
State forests
Forest reserves
Resources reserves
Timber reserves
Fish habitat areas
Coastal management district
Nature refuges
Freshwater biogeographic provinces
Aquatic Conservation Assessments (AquaBAMM) and others
Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—conceptual models
Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—management profiles
Groundwater dependent ecosystem type—conceptual models
Healthy Land and Water conceptual models
Aquatic ecosystem monitoring programs
Point source monitoring
Wetland soil indicator case studies
Wetland management case studies
Wetland projects
Area specific conceptual model case studies
Paddock to Reef (P2R) report cards
Water Quality Improvement Plan catchments
EPP (Water) scheduled environmental values and water quality objectives
Shorebird zones
Biopassage structures
Related legislation/policies
Wildlife

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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 7.0

Display areas in

Wet Tropics water resource planning area wetland area by system 2021
System Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 118,969 100.0% 6.1%
Total excluding riverine and artificial/highly modified riverine 82,959 69.7% 4.3%
Artificial and highly modified 5,511 4.6% 0.3%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 37,713 31.7% 1.9%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 190 0.2% 0.0%
Lacustrine (natural) 212 0.2% 0.0%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 242 0.2% 0.0%
Lacustrine (unknown degree of modification) 7 0.0% 0.0%
Palustrine (natural) 37,678 31.7% 1.9%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 1,417 1.2% 0.1%
Riverine 36,000 30.3% 1.8%

View wetland system extents for all water resource planning areas

For definitions of artificial, highly modified, modified, slightly modified and natural wetlands, see the Queensland Wetland Mapping Method - A Method to Provide Baseline Mapping of Wetland Extent and Changes in Wetland Extent in Queensland (PDF, 0.6 MB).

Wet Tropics water resource planning area wetland area by habitat 2021
Habitat Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 76,790 100.0% 3.9%
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0.0% 0.0%
Mangroves - other 33,464 43.6% 1.7%
Salt marsh and salt flats 4,217 5.5% 0.2%
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 107 0.1% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 0 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 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 548 0.7% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 3,025 3.9% 0.2%
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 6,976 9.1% 0.4%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 2,297 3.0% 0.1%
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 249 0.3% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 15,673 20.4% 0.8%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 6,159 8.0% 0.3%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 505 0.7% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 33 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 3,376 4.4% 0.2%
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 0 0.0% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 161 0.2% 0.0%

View wetland habitat area for all water resource planning areas

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

Wet Tropics water resource planning area wetland extent change by system
System 2021 area
(ha)		 2019 area
(ha)		 2017 area
(ha)		 2013 area
(ha)		 2009 area
(ha)		 2005 area
(ha)		 2001 area
(ha)		 pre-clear area
(ha)		 2021/pre-clear
percentage
Total 118,969 118,957 118,946 119,031 119,040 119,033 119,318 167,398 * 67.8%
Artificial and highly modified 5,511 5,488 5,471 5,462 5,452 5,401 5,442 0 n/a
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 37,713 37,713 37,713 37,714 37,711 37,704 37,708 40,139 94.0%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 190 190 190 190 190 190 190 0 n/a
Lacustrine (natural) 212 212 212 212 212 212 212 203 104.4%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 242 241 241 236 236 234 232 0 n/a
Lacustrine (unknown degree of modification) 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 0 n/a
Palustrine (natural) 37,678 37,687 37,704 37,788 37,812 37,869 38,096 79,241 47.5%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 1,417 1,417 1,404 1,398 1,401 1,401 1,390 0 n/a
Riverine 36,000 36,002 36,004 36,023 36,020 36,016 36,041 47,815 75.3%

* Total 2021/pre-clear percentage excludes artificial and highly modified

metadata View 2021 wetland system extents for all water resource planning areas

metadata View 2019 wetland system extents for all water resource planning areas

metadata View 2017 wetland system extents for all water resource planning areas

metadata View 2013 wetland system extents for all water resource planning areas

metadata View 2009 wetland system extents for all water resource planning areas

metadata View 2005 wetland system extents for all water resource planning areas

metadata View 2001 wetland system extents for all water resource planning areas

metadata View pre-clear wetland system extents for all water resource planning areas

metadata View 2021/pre-clear wetland system extent percentages for all water resource planning areas

Wet Tropics water resource planning area wetland extent change by habitat
Habitat 2021 area
(ha)		 2019 area
(ha)		 2017 area
(ha)		 2013 area
(ha)		 2009 area
(ha)		 2005 area
(ha)		 2001 area
(ha)
Total 76,790 76,799 76,803 76,882 76,906 76,955 77,176
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mangroves - other 33,464 33,464 33,464 33,466 33,464 33,457 33,463
Salt marsh and salt flats 4,217 4,217 4,217 4,217 4,216 4,215 4,213
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 107 107 107 107 107 107 107
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 548 548 548 548 548 548 548
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 3,025 3,025 3,025 3,025 3,025 3,025 3,025
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 6,976 6,979 6,985 6,988 6,999 7,011 7,074
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 2,297 2,297 2,297 2,299 2,299 2,299 2,302
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 249 249 249 249 249 249 249
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 15,673 15,676 15,673 15,718 15,721 15,731 15,849
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 6,159 6,159 6,159 6,185 6,196 6,232 6,260
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 505 505 505 505 505 505 507
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 33 33 33 33 33 33 33
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 3,376 3,379 3,380 3,383 3,384 3,383 3,386
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 161 161 161 161 161 161 161

metadata View 2021 wetland habitat area for all water resource planning areas

metadata View 2019 wetland habitat area for all water resource planning areas

metadata View 2017 wetland habitat area for all water resource planning areas

metadata View 2013 wetland habitat area for all water resource planning areas

metadata View 2009 wetland habitat area for all water resource planning areas

metadata View 2005 wetland habitat area for all water resource planning areas

metadata View 2001 wetland habitat area for all water resource planning areas

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

Wet Tropics water resource planning area land use
ALUMC code and description
Area (ha)
% total area
Total 1,947,689 99.9%
1.1 Nature conservation 739,903 38.0%
2.1 Grazing native vegetation 625,266 32.1%
1.3 Other minimal use 166,774 8.6%
3.3 Cropping 157,404 8.1%
1.2 Managed resource protection 60,986 3.1%
6.5 Marsh/wetland 59,890 3.1%
2.2 Production native forests 38,511 2.0%
5.4 Residential and farm infrastructure 26,644 1.4%
4.3 Irrigated cropping 18,499 0.9%
4.4 Irrigated perennial horticulture 14,217 0.7%
3.1 Plantation forests 12,327 0.6%
6.3 River 9,769 0.5%
3.2 Grazing modified pastures 4,523 0.2%
5.5 Services 4,287 0.2%
6.2 Reservoir/dam 2,456 0.1%
5.2 Intensive animal production 1,116 0.1%
4.2 Grazing irrigated modified pastures 961 0.0%
5.3 Manufacturing and industrial 879 0.0%
3.6 Land in transition 799 0.0%
5.7 Transport and communication 761 0.0%
5.8 Mining 756 0.0%
4.5 Irrigated seasonal horticulture 227 0.0%
5.9 Waste treatment and disposal 222 0.0%
6.1 Lake 138 0.0%
5.1 Intensive horticulture 126 0.0%
5.6 Utilities 80 0.0%
3.4 Perennial horticulture 49 0.0%
4.1 Irrigated plantation forests 49 0.0%
4.6 Irrigated land in transition 44 0.0%
6.6 Estuary/coastal waters 21 0.0%
3.5 Seasonal horticulture 6 0.0%

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Drainage divisions info metadata

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Drainage basins info metadata

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Drainage sub-basins info metadata

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Regional natural resource management (NRM) bodies info metadata

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Local government areas info metadata

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100K map tiles info metadata

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Climate zones info metadata

  • map Subtropical
  • map Tropical

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Bioregions info metadata

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Biogeographic subregions info metadata

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IBRA bioregions info metadata

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IBRA subregions info metadata

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Bioregional assessment areas info metadata

none

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Marine meso-scale bioregions metadata

  • map Lucinda-Mackay Coast (LMC)
  • map Wet Tropic Coast (WTC)

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Marine provincial bioregions metadata

  • map Northeast Shelf Province

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Regional plans info metadata

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World Heritage areas info metadata

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Ramsar internationally important wetlands info metadata

none

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DIWA nationally important wetlands info metadata

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National parks info metadata

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Marine parks (Queensland) info metadata

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Study areas metadata

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Report cards metadata

none

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Conservation parks info metadata

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State forests info metadata

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Forest reserves info metadata

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Resources reserves info metadata

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Timber reserves info metadata

none

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Fish habitat areas info metadata

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Coastal management district info metadata

  • map Available (all have been combined since February 2012)

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Nature refuges info metadata

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Freshwater biogeographic provinces info metadata

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Aquatic Conservation Assessments (AquaBAMM) and others info metadata

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Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—conceptual models info metadata

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Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—management profiles info metadata

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Groundwater dependent ecosystem type—conceptual models info metadata

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Healthy Land and Water conceptual models info metadata

none

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Aquatic ecosystem monitoring programs info metadata

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Point source monitoring info metadata

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Wetland soil indicator case studies info metadata

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Wetland management case studies info metadata

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Wetland projects info metadata

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Area specific conceptual model case studies info metadata

none

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Paddock to Reef (P2R) report cards info metadata

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Water Quality Improvement Plan catchments info metadata

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EPP (Water) scheduled environmental values and water quality objectives info metadata

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Shorebird zones info metadata

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Biopassage structures info metadata

Name Construction year Structure types Stream name
map Dundonald Ck Hamlin Rd 2023 Removal Dundonald Creek
map Five Mile Creek Fishway 2023 Rock Ramp Five Mile Creek
map Insulator Creek Fishway 2023 Rock Ramp Insulator Creek
map Lagoon Creek Fishway 2023 Rock Ramp Lagoon Creek
map Lannercost Creek Fishway 2023 Rock Ramp Lannercost Creek
map Lannercost Cristaldis Rd 2023 Removal Lannercost Creek
map Lower Insulator 2023 Removal Insulator Creek
map Moody Creek 2010 Culvert Moody Creek
map One Mile Creek 2010 Rock Ramp One Mile Creek
map Tully Lagoon Fishway 2020 Rock Ramp
map Tyto Wetlands Fishway 2023 Rock Ramp Log Bridge Creek
map Upper Insulator 2023 Rock ramp Insulator Creek
map Victoria Mill 2019 Rock ramp Palm Creek
map Waterview Yuruga Rd 2023 Culvert Waterview Creek

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Wildlife

Kingdom
Class
 Native Introduced Wetland
indicator
species		 Rare or
threatened
species		 All
TOTAL 6,571 717 588 412 7,291
Animals 1,113 36 271 92 1,149
Mammals 132 13 7 24 145
Birds 475 10 96 33 485
Reptiles 188 2 23 10 190
Amphibians 67 1 22 16 68
Ray-finned fishes 91 8 94 7 99
Cartilaginous fishes 3 0 3 0 3
Insects 150 2 26 1 152
Malacostracans 5 0 0 1 5
Arachnids 2 0 0 0 2
Bacteria 19 0 0 0 19
Chromists 22 0 0 0 22
Fungi 826 0 0 0 826
Plants 4,589 681 317 320 5,273
Protozoans 2 0 0 0 2

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-water-resource-planning-area

This page should be cited as:

Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2013) Wet Tropics water resource planning area — facts and maps, WetlandInfo website, accessed 30 May 2025. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/water-resource-planning-area-wet-tropics/