Lake Bryde wetland complex nominated as a recovery catchment

13/4/99
The Lake Bryde wetland complex south-east of Lake Grace has been nominated as a recovery catchment for natural diversity under the State Salinity Action Plan.
Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes said the nomination had been endorsed by the National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority and the State Salinity Council following a proposal from the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM).
Mrs Edwardes said the move brought to four the number of recovery catchments for natural diversity under the Salinity Action Plan. The others were the Lake Warden complex near Esperance, Toolibin Lake east of Narrogin and the Muir-Unicup complex between Manjimup and Mt Barker.
"The effective management of these recovery catchments in partnership with the local community is not only vital to protect natural assets, it also provides an important means of developing techniques to combat salinity," the Minister said.
"These catchments also enable conservation to be integrated with other land uses which in turn helps conserve the natural biodiversity within the local region."
The Lake Bryde complex consists of a chain of freshwater and naturally saline lakes in the headwaters of the Lochardt catchment that is a subcatchment of the Swan-Avon basin. The catchment is approximately 110,770ha of which 30 per cent is in reserves.
Lake Bryde and East Lake Bryde act as drainage sinks, collecting salt and other sediments and are habitat for a threatened ecological community comprising unwooded freshwater swamps of the southern Wheatbelt dominated by lignum and samphire species. This community is listed as critically endangered and extends over 145ha.
The wetlands and their associated vegetation are an important sample of woodlands with species more typical of further north and to the south. They also have quite different characteristics from other wetlands such as Toolibin Lake, 120km to the
west-north-west.
Mrs Edwardes said the complex met the criteria under the Salinity Action Plan whereby CALM would develop and implement a co-ordinated Natural Diversity Recovery Program to ensure that critical and regionally significant natural areas, particularly wetlands, were conserved in perpetuity.
The lakes also contain more than 80 species of aquatic invertebrates, a relatively high level of diversity. Monitoring by CALM also has revealed up to 69 species of birds including the threatened malleefowl and 19 species of waterbirds, 10 reptiles, three frogs and four species of native mammals.
Dominant tree species include salmon gum, red morrel, gimlet, Kondinin blackbutt, flat topped yate, tall sand mallee, red mallee and paperbark.Mrs Edwardes said that until the early 1980s, Lake Bryde was considered fresh and provided a water supply to the local community during droughts as well as being a popular local recreation area.
By the early 1990s, salinity was becoming more evident leading to significant changes in the vegetation of the wetlands.
Degradation of natural bushland and surrounding cleared farmland appeared to be the result of surface water flooding and rising saline groundwater.
Mrs Edwardes said there was strong local community support for the area to be a recovery catchment.
"Most landholders are aware of the issues and are keen to be actively involved," she said.
"There is also community interest in recreation on Lake Bryde and this adds to the support for work that enhances the water quality of the wetlands.
"CALM's Land for Wildlife scheme, which helps landowners manage remnant bushland for conservation, is becoming increasing popular throughout the catchment and a local landholder has been appointed a Land for Wildlife officer."
National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority chairman Tom Day welcomed the adoption of the wetlands as a recovery catchment.
"Conservation of our natural biodiversity is not something that can be achieved just by drawing lines on maps and declaring nature reserves or conservation parks," Mr Day said.
"In areas such as the Wheatbelt, it requires a co-operative effort among shires, land conservation district committees, land managers, landcare groups and Government agencies.
"The nomination of Lake Bryde and surrounding lakes as a recovery catchment will not only have major conservation benefits, it also will assist the local community in restoring an area that will have important social impacts in terms of recreation and potential nature-based tourism.
"The viability of agricultural production also will be improved."
Media contacts: Ministerial - Nicole Trigwell 9421 7777
CALM - Ken Wallace 9881 1444 and Bruce Bone 9821 1296