WetlandUpdate May 2016

Walking the Landscape catchment stories

To effectively manage a catchment it is important to have a collective understanding of how the catchment works. Map journals provide a mechanism for integrating spatial information, photographs and animations with an informative narrative to demonstrate the features of the catchment.

The information in the ‘catchment stories’ was compiled with experts using the ‘walking the landscape’ process, where experts systematically worked through a catchment in a facilitated workshop, to incorporate diverse knowledge on the landscape.

The stories describe the location, extent and values of the Lockyer and Mid-Brisbane catchments. They demonstrate the key features which influence water flow, including geology, topography, rainfall and runoff, natural features, human modifications and land uses.

• Mid-Brisbane catchment story
• Lockyer catchment story

Additional catchment stories are under development. So watch this space!

Great Sandy Strait Regional Action Plan

The ISI report 3: Enhanced management of Ramsar site wetlands within the Great Sandy Strait catchments outlines the findings from an inventory of instream structures conducted in the Great Sandy Strait Ramsar site and five declared Fish Habitat Areas: Fraser Island, Susan River, Maaroom, Kauri Creek and Tin Can Inlet in 2012.

Waterhole refuge mapping and persistence analysis in the Lower Balonne and Barwon–Darling rivers

Waterhole refuge mapping and persistence analysis in the Lower Balonne and Barwon–Darling rivers informs the management of river systems consistent with the Murray–Darling Basin Plan, where there is a need to understand how long waterholes can persist and how the spatial distribution of persistent waterholes changes as a drought progresses. The waterholes project was commissioned by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority to improve understanding of the location and persistence of waterholes in the Lower Balonne and Barwon–Darling regions of the northern Basin as part of the Northern Basin review.

Updates, improvements and links

• Updates to WetlandSummary Tool
  • Species statistics for all areas using WildNet Species Grid
  • Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership (Mackay Whitsundays) and Healthy Waterways (South East Queensland) report card areas
  • Water Quality Improvement Plan areas for the Fitzroy, Burdekin, Mackay Whitsunday and the Wet Tropics
• New pages on identifying waterbirds and shorebirds
• Additional entries in the Wetlands Project Search Tool for the Mackay Regional Council, Fitzroy Basin Association and the Burnett Regional Management Group wetland projects
• Links to:
  • Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's vulnerability assessments for potentially at-risk habitats, species and groups of species
  • Gully Management Toolbox
  • Erosion sediment control information
  • Bioregional assessment areas (also on WetlandSummary)

WetlandUpdate

The WetlandUpdate is a regular bulletin sent to subscribers to provide them with the latest WetlandInfo resources and tools, as well as case studies, video information and new project fact sheets.

View all of the previous WetlandUpdates

Updated tools fact sheet

Queensland Wetlands Program tools fact sheet.

WetlandInfo feedback and improvements

Send us your useful wetland information and links to add to WetlandInfo. Do you have a wetland question you just can't answer? Email us

WetlandInfo feature frog—May

Litoria dentata

Photo by Harry Hines

Our WetlandInfo feature frog is Litoria dentata, commonly known as the bleating tree frog. This species is native to areas of Queensland and New South Wales, and is dependent on wetlands for their partial aquatic life.

WetlandInfo updates this section regularly, so keep your eyes and ears open!

For more information on frogs, visit Amphibiaweb or the Frogs of Australia website, or view species profiles in your area using WetlandSummary

Last updated: 29 January 2016