The Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar site is located in northern Victoria and lies within the Murray-Darling Basin. The site contains 12 floodplain lakes, representing wetlands classified as permanent freshwater lakes and seasonal intermittent freshwater lakes, which are subject to flooding from the Murray River with flows entering the site predominantly via Chalka Creek. This series of interconnected lakes is the most extensive lake system along the Murray River. The Ramsar site is part of the Hattah Lakes Icon Site under The Living Murray program. The Ramsar site supports a number of vegetation groups, the most dominant of which is Lake Bed Herbland. Other vegetation types include Riverine Grassy Woodland, Intermittent Swampy Woodland and Loamy Sands Mallee. Species such as river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and black box (Eucalyptus largiflorens) provide sheltering and nesting habitat for a range of fauna species, particularly bats, parrots, possums, snakes and waterbirds. The lake beds support submerged and aquatic plant communities when flooded and terrestrial species during dry phases. More than 200 native flora species and 183 native fauna species (excluding invertebrates) have been recorded at the site, including some that are nationally and/or internationally threatened such as the regent parrot (eastern) (Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides), Australian painted snipe (Rostratula australis) and winged peppercress (Lepidium monoplocoides). Twelve species of migratory birds listed under international agreements have been recorded, including white-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) and caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia). Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes is an important cultural heritage site. The lakes have been a focus for traditional Aboriginal society for thousands of years, as evidenced by over 1000 registered Aboriginal archaeological sites within the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park. The local Indigenous community maintains a strong connection to the area. The Ramsar site is part of a national park which has been reserved for nature conservation and recreational activities including bushwalking, driving, fishing, canoeing, swimming and nature study.
Hattah Kulkyne Lakes
* About the images
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
Close all
-
Australian Government, Hattah Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site, Ecological Character Description
Threats to the ecological character of the site include water resource development; climate change; grazing and invasive species.
Climate change may result in a decline in water quality; with a likely increase in the incidence of algal blooms.
It is likely due to a combination of factors that include water resource development; climate change and shorter term climatic cycles.
It is likely due to a combination of a number of factors that include water resource development; climate change and shorter term climatic cycles.
Climate change has the potential to exacerbate the impacts of river regulation through increased temperature and evaporation; as evidenced by the impact of the 2000 drought. . . .
The aspects of climate that most directly affect wetland ecology are rainfall (both local and in the catchment); temperature and evaporation as these all fundamentally affect wetland hydrology and the water budget.
The issue of climate change is dealt with under threats (see Section 5).
Water resource use; climate change; and invasive species are among the threats to the ecological character of the site.
Water resource use combined with climate change has significantly altered the inundation pattern in the decade 2000 to 2010.
This is particularly the case when regulation is combined with the impacts of long term drought and possible climate change.
More critically for Hattah Lakes; the impacts of climate change on the availability of environmental water may be significant.
The following are the general impacts from climate change predicted for the mallee region of Victoria (from DSE 2008) .
Composition of communities will change and climate change will exacerbate the impacts from invasive species (DSE 2008).
Low Current Climate change Declining rainfall and increased summer rainfall intensity will alter flood behaviour; but catchment conditions at the time of each rainfall event (soil moisture conditions and levels in major water storages) will affect the degree of change.
Threats to the ecological character of the site include water resource development; climate change; grazing and invasive species.
Climate change may result in a decline in water quality; with a likely increase in the incidence of algal blooms.
It is likely due to a combination of factors that include water resource development; climate change and shorter term climatic cycles.
It is likely due to a combination of a number of factors that include water resource development; climate change and shorter term climatic cycles.
Climate change has the potential to exacerbate the impacts of river regulation through increased temperature and evaporation; as evidenced by the impact of the 2000 drought. . . .
The aspects of climate that most directly affect wetland ecology are rainfall (both local and in the catchment); temperature and evaporation as these all fundamentally affect wetland hydrology and the water budget.
The issue of climate change is dealt with under threats (see Section 5).
Water resource use; climate change; and invasive species are among the threats to the ecological character of the site.
Water resource use combined with climate change has significantly altered the inundation pattern in the decade 2000 to 2010.
This is particularly the case when regulation is combined with the impacts of long term drought and possible climate change.
More critically for Hattah Lakes; the impacts of climate change on the availability of environmental water may be significant.
The following are the general impacts from climate change predicted for the mallee region of Victoria (from DSE 2008) .
Composition of communities will change and climate change will exacerbate the impacts from invasive species (DSE 2008).
Low Current Climate change Declining rainfall and increased summer rainfall intensity will alter flood behaviour; but catchment conditions at the time of each rainfall event (soil moisture conditions and levels in major water storages) will affect the degree of change.
Drying of lakes leads to concentration of salts and increasing salinity.
The timing of flooding has also been altered; with the most common month of flood initiation changing from August (pre regulation) to October (post regulation) (SKM 2003b). to Colignan Chalka Ck Cantala Ck Bitterang Cantala Kondardin Yelwell Chalka Ck Murray River Mournpall Yerang Lockie Bulla Brockie Hattah Arawak Kramen N Primary flow path Secondary flow path Ramsar lakes 2km Figure 28 Primary and secondary flow paths between Ramsar lakes (modified from SKM 2003a).
Large bodied fish such as golden perch and Murray cod may have suffered declines in the Ramsar site in the past decade due to poor habitat and drying of the wetlands in (Walters et al. 2010).
Drought inevitably leads to greater extraction from water supplies (i.e. greater proportion of available water going to consumptive use); which in turn reduces the availability of water for maintaining natural systems and compounding the impacts of drought (Bond et al. 2008).
Reduced inflows due to river regulation and the impacts of drought led to declining condition of ecological values of the Hattah Lakes Icon site.
Increases in the intensity of flood producing rainfall events are likely to change flood behaviour; but catchment conditions at the time of each rainfall event (soil moisture conditions and levels in major water storages) will affect the degree of change.
This critical service is linked to changes in the frequency of wetland wetting periods and drying as well as changes in extent and condition of wetland and floodplain vegetation.
This critical service is linked to changes in the frequency of wetland wetting and drying periods as well as changes in extent and condition of wetland and floodplain vegetation.
River red gum encroachment into the lakes occurred during the drought and has the potential to change habitat structure in the littoral zone of the lakes.
The extended period of drought from 2000 to 2010 may have impacted on the frequency of filling events.
The extended period of drought from 2000 to 2010 may have impacted on the frequency of filling events. xiv Critical Components; Processes and Services Limit of Acceptable Change Current conditions Lake Kramen No overbank filling events (152 000 megalitres per day for 30 days duration) since listing.
Drying of lakes leads to concentration of salts and increasing salinity.
The timing of flooding has also been altered; with the most common month of flood initiation changing from August (pre regulation) to October (post regulation) (SKM 2003b). to Colignan Chalka Ck Cantala Ck Bitterang Cantala Kondardin Yelwell Chalka Ck Murray River Mournpall Yerang Lockie Bulla Brockie Hattah Arawak Kramen N Primary flow path Secondary flow path Ramsar lakes 2km Figure 28 Primary and secondary flow paths between Ramsar lakes (modified from SKM 2003a).
Large bodied fish such as golden perch and Murray cod may have suffered declines in the Ramsar site in the past decade due to poor habitat and drying of the wetlands in (Walters et al. 2010).
Drought inevitably leads to greater extraction from water supplies (i.e. greater proportion of available water going to consumptive use); which in turn reduces the availability of water for maintaining natural systems and compounding the impacts of drought (Bond et al. 2008).
Reduced inflows due to river regulation and the impacts of drought led to declining condition of ecological values of the Hattah Lakes Icon site.
Increases in the intensity of flood producing rainfall events are likely to change flood behaviour; but catchment conditions at the time of each rainfall event (soil moisture conditions and levels in major water storages) will affect the degree of change.
This critical service is linked to changes in the frequency of wetland wetting periods and drying as well as changes in extent and condition of wetland and floodplain vegetation.
This critical service is linked to changes in the frequency of wetland wetting and drying periods as well as changes in extent and condition of wetland and floodplain vegetation.
Download