Little Waterhouse Lake is located seven kilometres south-west of Waterhouse Point, and lies between the towns of Bridport and Tomahawk on the north-east coast of Tasmania. The site forms part of the Waterhouse Point wetlands complex which incorporates Blackmans Lagoon, lakes, marshlands, and creeks with active sand dunes along the coast. The lake is a coastal freshwater lagoon that has formed in a depression between two sand dune systems after drainage to the sea was blocked by some mobile coastal dunes. Little Waterhouse Lake is brackish and has a maximum depth of 2-4 m. Lake levels fluctuate depending on rainfall, with water losses controlled by the rate of surface flow in the outflow stream, seepage through the sand, and evaporation. Little Waterhouse Lake has dense aquatic growth and high species richness. Around the fringes of the lake, freshwater aquatic sedgeland and rushland vegetation communities are dominant. Other vegetation communities at the site include open Coastal scrub, Marram grassland, Sharp Clubsedge sedgeland and Acacia longifolia coastal scrub. Tiny Duckweed also occurs on the site and has limited distribution in Tasmania. The Ramsar site provides habitat for the threatened Dwarf Galaxias, and the lake has a high diversity of crustacean species, such as the Burrowing Freshwater Crayfish. Three of Tasmania’s eleven frog species are known to occur in the site. The area around the Little Waterhouse Lake was significant to Indigenous groups. The North East people used the heaths and plains behind the coast, which they kept open and clear by burning. The Ramsar site is currently used for various recreational activities, particularly fishing for the introduced Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout.
Little Waterhouse Lake
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Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government, Little Waterhouse Lake Ramsar Site, Ecological Character Description
Changes to the hydrologic regime through climate change (e.g. less rainfall and more evaporation); groundwater abstraction or damming of surface water up catchment may lead to less water being delivered to the site.
The hydrology has been changed due to climate change and also upstream landuse change such as clearing and forestry practices. ÅŒ The Lake’s water regime is also aÅ¿tered via a dam 6 wall.
These threats include O changes to the lake’s water quality through inappropriate land use in the Tobacco Creek catchment; upstream of the site changes to the site’s hydrology through groundwater extractions elsewhere within the aquifer O change to the site’s hydrology through breaching of the dam wall O alien fish stocking O vegetation clearance on site and in surrounding areas O vehicle and Recreational use at the site O weeds O duck hunting and; O climate change.
Changes to the hydrologic regime through climate change (e.g. less rainfall and more evaporation); groundwater abstraction or damming of surface water up catchment may lead to less water being delivered to the site.
The hydrology has been changed due to climate change and also upstream landuse change such as clearing and forestry practices. ÅŒ The Lake’s water regime is also aÅ¿tered via a dam 6 wall.
These threats include O changes to the lakes water quality through inappropriate land use in the Tobacco Creek catchment; upstream of the site changes to the site’s hydrology through groundwater extractions elsewhere within the aquifer O O change to the site’s hydrology through breaching of the dam wall O alien fish stocking O vegetation clearance on site and in surrounding areas O vehicle and Recreational use at the site weeds O animal and plant diseases and pathogens O duck hunting and; O climate change.
Climate change Climate change could also change the ecological character of the site through changes to rainfall and temperatures; potentially altering the hydrology and the nature of the vegetation cover of the site.
Although climate change projections contain a high level of uncertainty in terms of magnitude; climate modelling predicts higher temperatures and increased evaporation across south eastern Australia (Timbal and Jones 2008).
Changes to the hydrologic regime through climate change (e.g. less rainfall and more evaporation); groundwater abstraction or damming of surface water up catchment may lead to less water being delivered to the site.
The hydrology has been changed due to climate change and also upstream landuse change such as clearing and forestry practices. ÅŒ The Lake’s water regime is also aÅ¿tered via a dam 6 wall.
These threats include O changes to the lake’s water quality through inappropriate land use in the Tobacco Creek catchment; upstream of the site changes to the site’s hydrology through groundwater extractions elsewhere within the aquifer O change to the site’s hydrology through breaching of the dam wall O alien fish stocking O vegetation clearance on site and in surrounding areas O vehicle and Recreational use at the site O weeds O duck hunting and; O climate change.
Changes to the hydrologic regime through climate change (e.g. less rainfall and more evaporation); groundwater abstraction or damming of surface water up catchment may lead to less water being delivered to the site.
The hydrology has been changed due to climate change and also upstream landuse change such as clearing and forestry practices. ÅŒ The Lake’s water regime is also aÅ¿tered via a dam 6 wall.
These threats include O changes to the lakes water quality through inappropriate land use in the Tobacco Creek catchment; upstream of the site changes to the site’s hydrology through groundwater extractions elsewhere within the aquifer O O change to the site’s hydrology through breaching of the dam wall O alien fish stocking O vegetation clearance on site and in surrounding areas O vehicle and Recreational use at the site weeds O animal and plant diseases and pathogens O duck hunting and; O climate change.
Climate change Climate change could also change the ecological character of the site through changes to rainfall and temperatures; potentially altering the hydrology and the nature of the vegetation cover of the site.
Although climate change projections contain a high level of uncertainty in terms of magnitude; climate modelling predicts higher temperatures and increased evaporation across south eastern Australia (Timbal and Jones 2008).
Fire Fire is potentially a very high risk to all components of the site.
Potential loss of the site’s vegetation cover through either very hot or frequent burning would impact landform stability; and therefore ultimately the site’s geomorphology and hydrology.
Fire Fire is potentially a very high risk to all components of the site.
Potential loss of the site’s vegetation cover through either very hot or frequent burning would impact landform stability; and therefore ultimately the site’s geomorphology and hydrology.
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