1:Lake McLarty Shorebird Project

Watch for updates as the work goes on into 2007

"Lake McLarty added to national shorebird project" by Josephine Te Puni *

It's on! Lake Mclarty has been accepted into the Shorebird Project, contracts have been signed, and Bill Rutherford has agreed to take on the role of Project Officer and has started the rounds. Unfortunately, the lake has already dried out and the birds have departed, but the Birds Australia count this year exceeded 29,500 - how's that for coverage of a body of water approximately only 2.1km (N-S) and 1,25km (E-W) 29,500 birds!

After being advised in December that Lake McLarty had been accepted into the shorebird conservation project, the PPG went into overdrive to get the official paperwork underway and to look into employing a researcher part-time for this important national project. About six months ago, the PPG submitted Lake McLarty and Nairns, Goegrup and Black Lakes as areas worthy of inclusion into the project to protect shorebirds. PPG members Griselda Hitchcock, Marion Timms and I met with James Duggie, the WA project officer, Damian Postma, from the Peel Catchment Council, Kim Wilson, Landcare Development Officer and Murray Love and Tanya jackson from CALM, in early January for an on-site visit.

It was decided that Lake McLarty was indeed important and in need of protection from existing and planned development especially once the Peel Deviation goes through. This was the first stage in action to alert authorities, both national and regional, of the need to protect the migratory and local birds that visit every year. A month later, I returned at 6 am to experience, in almost silent surroundings, the gentle murmur of the birds, which to me was electrifying: a most magical place. The birds' survival is paramount. I also took Bianca Priest, the National Coordinator fro the Shorebird Project, out to Lake McLarty for a whirlwind visit when she flew in to Perth for a few days in February.

The lake's special attributes for the bird world were not wasted on her because Bianca was very impressed.

Work now starts in earnest to publicise and inform all and sundry of the importance and beauty of Lake McLarty and the protection the lake and birds need. The Shorebird Conservation Project, funded by the National Heritage Trust and managed by the World Wildlife Fund, aims to increase awareness, understanding and involvement by communities in conservation of shorebird habitat. Where possible, it will also enable communities to conserve and wisely manage important shorebird sites.

* Our Lake McLarty segment is dedicated to Josephine te Puni who passed away November 2005

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Early photo of Lake McLarty (extension of Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar site)Photo by G. Pearson Left: Looking South. Right: Looking North 23.11.05- Note water level -NB PPG were not responsible for the positioning of the trees.

2: Peel-Yalgorup System

From The Mandurah Mail Thursday November 16, 2006

AUSTRALIAN RAMSAR SITES - Site 36

I am presenting this information about the area even though it is not be totally up to date. For instance the Dawesville Channel is now in place and some changes have indeed taken place, some good some potentially disastrous. These will be discused later.

NAME: Peel-Yalgorup System, Western Australia

DESIGNATED: 7 June 1990

GEOGRAPHICAL COORDINATES: Latitude (approx) 320 32'S to 330 06'S - Longitude (approx) 1150 38'E to 1150 46'E

GENERAL LOCATION:Mandurah, south-western Australia.

AREA: Approximately 21,000

WETLAND TYPE: Dominant:* Marine and Coastal Wetland - 6; Inland Wetland - 7; Others:* Inland Wetland - 5

ELEVATION:

OVERVIEW: A large system of estuary and saline lakes. Up to 150 000 waterbirds have been recorded in the estuary, and the saline lakes have an interesting hydrology.

PHYSICAL FEATURES: Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary form a shallow estuarine system connected to the sea via a narrow channel at the northern end of the Inlet. The Murray and Serpentine Rivers drain into the north-eastern corner of the Inlet; the Harvey River enters the Estuary at its southern end. Several major drains from agricultural land empty into the eastern side of the Estuary and Inlet.

A large proportion of the Peel Inlet and southern end of the Harvey Estuary contains water less than 0.5 m deep; the maximum depth of the water is only about 2 metres. Salinity varies according to season and location in the system but, in general terms, varies from 10 ppt in winter to 45 ppt TDS in summer. Tidal flushing in summer is not great enough to prevent evaporation making the water slightly more concentrated than seawater.

The Yalgorup lakes vary from about 1-4 metres in depth and are saline (although they are principally supplied by fresh groundwater and precipitation) because of long-term concentration of salt by evaporation; they never overflow. The salinity regime in particular lakes varies according to their hydrology. Lake Clifton has very extensive areas of groundwater seepage, which result in pronounced horizontal salinity gradients; away from the shoreline the water varies from about 10 ppt in winter to 40 ppt TDS in summer. Large quantities of calcium carbonate precipitate out of seepage water as it enters Lake Clifton and Lake Pollard. Lake Hayward reaches about 200 ppt TDS in summer but is remarkable for exhibiting vertical stratification of salinity in winter when it is only about 2 metres deep. Surface water contains about 70 ppt, that on the bottom contains 180 ppt. This results in an inverse thermal stratification with water at the bottom of the lake reaching 350 C and, because of prolific growth of cyanophyta, being about 2 000% saturated with oxygen.

Parts of Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary and some of the lakes in the Yalgorup chain are fringed by samphire flats. Behind the samphire, or sometimes adjacent to the water where samphire is absent, rushes and sedges occur. Outside this is a zone of trees tolerant of water-logging while the higher ground away from the lake supports open forest. Large parts of the shoreline throughout the Peel-Yalgorup system have been cleared, usually for agriculture, thus altering or eliminating the tree zones.

Samphire vegetation around Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary is dominated by Halosarcia Halocnemoides. The dominant species of sedge is Bolboschoenus caldwellii, which grows both being samphire and to the water's edge where low trees of Melaleuca rhaphiophylla and M. hamulosa around the eastern side of the Inlet or M. cuticularis and M. rhaphiophylla along the Estuary. Melaleuca is sometimes replaced by Acacia saligna and Eucalyptus rudis farther from the water. As the ground begins to rise the vegetation changes to open forest dominated by Eucalyptus gomphocephala and Agonis flexuosa on the western side of the system or E. marginata and E. calophylla on the eastern side.

The vegetation around the Yalgorup lake is virtually the same. Around hypersaline lakes there is a narrow belt of samphire, behind which clumps of Juncus kraussii and Gahnia trifida occur. Hyposaline lakes lack samphire but have a dense belt of Melaleuca cuticularis and M. rhapiophylla in the cast of hyposaline lakes; samphire and rushes are replaced by M. cuticularis and Acacia cyclops in the case of hypoersaline ones. The surrounding woodland is dominated by Eucalyptus gomphocephala and Agonis flexuosa.

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ECOLOGICAL FEATURES: In terms of total number, Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary comprise the most important area for waterbirds in south-western Australia: over 150 000 were recorded in February 1977. It was conservatively estimated that 12 000-15 000 ducks and swans used the area each year between 1981-85; much higher usage occurred in 1976-77. Particularly abundant species of duck are:

• Black Swan - Cygnus atratus - 5 422 - Aug 1976
• Australian Shelduck - Tadorna tadornoides -5 644 - Dec 1984
• Pacific Black Duck - Anas superciliosus - 3 000 - Feb 1982
• Grey Teal - A. gibberifrons - 20 000 - Dec 1976
• Australasian Shoveler - A. rhynchotis - 500 - Feb 1982
• Blue-billed Duck - Oxyura australis - 1 200 - Jul 1983

Highest numbers of many species in southwestern Australia have been recorded in the Inlet and Estuary system, including the Little Egret Egretta garzetta and Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia, which are uncommon in the region. Species recorded in large numbers include:

• Hoary-headed Grebe -Poliocephalus poliocephalus - 1 000s -Jun 1977
• Australian Pelican - Pelecanus conspicillatus -2 102 - Dec 1976
• Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus - 2 703 - Nov 1977
• Banded Stilt - Cladorhynchus leucocephalus - 60000 Feb '77
• Red-necked Avocet - Recurvirostra novaehollandiae - l 100 - Apr 1977
• Red Knot - Calidris canutus - 1 000 Oct - 1976
• Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - C. acuminata - 2 119 - Jan 1983
• Red-necked Stint - C. ruficollis - 8 063 - Mar 1985
• Curlew Sandpiper - C. ferruginea -1 000s - Dec 1976

A total of 67 species of waterbird has been recorded in Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary. Many species also occur in the Yalgorup lakes, including large numbers of ducks, swans and waders. Over 2 200 Musk Duck (Biziura lobata) were counted in Lake Clifton in March 1986 and 11 000 Australian Shelduck were recorded there in November 1986

Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary contain large numbers of fish, Blue Manna Crabs (Portunus pelagicus) and Greasy-back Prawns (Metapeneas dalli). The area supports the biggest professional and amateur estuarine fishery in Western Australia.

Lake Clifton is one of only two sites known in the world where "stromatolite-like" structures occur in hyposaline water. They are formed by calcium carbonate precipitating out of freshwater seepage and being incorporated in the mucilage secreted by the cyanophyta growing on the bottom of the lake. The hydrology of the Yalgorup lakes is extremely interesting: several types of salinity regime occur in lakes with similar physiognomy that are supplied by the same underground aquifer.

LAND TENURE:

The wetlands area in Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary extends to high water mark and mostly falls within the Shire of Murray; the southern tip of Harvey Estuary is in the Shire of Waroona. Various State Governments agencies, including the Peel Inlet Management Authority, Waterways Commission and Marine and Harbours Department, have statutory powers in the waters of Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary. There is a series of small Nature Reserves at the southern end of Harvey Estuary and Inlet (t2990, t23756, t24739, t2738, t2707, t2436, t4990), some of which are included in the wetland area. There is also an aquatic Nature Reserve (t28087) in the south- eastern corner of the Inlet. Yunderup National Park is located in the delta where the Murray River enters Peel Inlet.

Lake McLarty is a proposed Nature Reserve. Most of Lake Mealup is either Nature Reserve or is owned by the Lake Mealup Preservation Society. There areas are included in the proposed Wetland of International Importance.

The Yalgorup lakes are contained in Yalgorup National Park but in many cases only a very thin band of riparian land has been included in the Park. All Nature Reserves in the wetlands area and Yalgorup National Parks are vested in the National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority of Western Australia; Yalgorup National Park is vested in the Murray Shire. The reserves and Yalgorup National Parks are managed by the Department of Conservation and Land Management; Yunderup National Park is managed by the Murray Shire.

CONSERVATION MEASURES TAKEN: There are a series of Nature Reserves around Harvey Estuary and Peel Inlet (2990, 23756, 24739, 2738, 2707, 2436, 4990, 28087) and there is a National Park where the Murray River enters Peel Inlet. Yalgorup lakes are all within Yalgorup National Park. A management plan was prepared for Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary in 1982.

CONSERVATION MEASURES PROPOSED BUT NOT YET IMPLEMENTED:

There is a proposal to create another connection with the sea (the 'Dawesville Cut') on the western side of Peel Inlet to improve tidal flushing and reduce the build up nutrients (draining in from the catchment) in the system.

CURRENT LAND USE:

Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary are used extensively for public recreation, especially fishing. The town of Mandurah is on the northern edge of the Inlet and there are several small housing developments along the shores of the Inlet and the north-western part of the Estuary. The area to the east is used principally for cattle farming and there are many farmlets and holiday homes on the western side of the Estuary.

The Yalgorup lakes are in a National Park and are used only for passive recreation associated with their natural values. However, much of the surrounding land has been cleared for cattle farming and an area on the north-eastern shore of Lake Clifton has recently been sub-divided for housing.

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DISTURBANCES/THREATS:

A major management problem exists in Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary. Large amounts of phosphate leached from surrounding agricultural land into the estuarine system have caused it to become eutrophic and there is massive production of benthic and planktonic algae, which causes a variety of biological problems. There has been intensive investigation into ways of managing the system and the Peel Inlet Management Authority is implementing a management plan produced in 1982. As far as waterbirds are concerned, any further development around the deltas where rivers enter the Inlet and Estuary should be carefully controlled. Similarly, urban development around the Yalgorup lakes should be approached cautiously, especially in the case of Lake Clifton where it may interfere with the groundwater seepages producing the "stromatolites". Furthermore, intensive human activity on the shore of Lake Clifton would result in severe damage to these comparatively delicate structures.

HYDROLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL VALUES:

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL VALUES:

The major social values of Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary are fishing, both commercial and recreational, and other aquatic activities. There is extensive residential development on the shores of the Inlet and Estuary; there is also residential development on the eastern shore of Lake Clifton. Farming occurs adjacent to Lakes Clifton and Preston and parts of Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary.

NOTEWORTHY FAUNA:

See ECOLOGICAL FEATURES.

NOTEWORTHY FLORA:

See ECOLOGICAL FEATURES.

CURRENT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND FACILITIES:

Extensive research has been, and currently is being, conducted by the Environmental Protection Authority and universities on management of Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary. Limited research has been conducted on the lakes of the Yalgorup system, where the University of Western Australia operates the Neville Stanley Research Station.

CURRENT CONSERVATION EDUCATION:

An education program is being developed by Department of Conservation and Land Management.

CURRENT RECREATION AND TOURISM: Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary are used extensively for recreational fishing and boating. There is limited use of Yalgorup National Park for passive recreation.

MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY:

* Peel Inlet Management Authority

* Department of Conservation and Land Management, PO Box 104, Como WA 6152.

JURISDICTION:Government of Western Australia

REFERENCES:

Backshall, D.J. and Bridgewater, P.B. (1981). Peripheral vegetation of Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary, Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 63, 5-11.

Black, R.E. and Hodgkin, E.P. (1984). Management of Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary. Bulletin 170. Department of Conservation and Environment, Perth.

Burke, C.M. and Knott, B. (1989). Limnology of four groundwater-fed saline lakes in south-western Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 40, 55-68

Jaensch, R.P., Vervest, R.M. and Hewish, M.J. (1988). Waterbirds in nature reserves of south-western Australia, 1981-1985: reserve accounts. Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union Report 30, 1-290.

Moore, L.S. (1987). Water chemistry of the coastal saline lakes of the Clifton-Preston Lakeland System, south-western Australia, and its influence on stromatolite formation. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 38, 647- 660.

Moore, L., Knott, B. and Stnaley, N.F. (1984). The stromatolites of Lake Clifton, Western Australia. Search 14, 309-314.

REASONS FOR INCLUSION:

1, 2(d), 3(a) and 3(c). This chapter was downloaded and transferred, with some of the buttons and images removed, from the Ramsar Site

Citation: Jones, T A (compiler) 1993- A Directory of Wetlands of International Importance, Part Two: Asia and Oceania. Ramsar Convention Bureau, Gland, Switzerland. ISBN 2-940073-02-3; 2-940073-06-6

NB It has been pointed out that there are errors in the information supplied in the Ramsar download.

(1)The Yalgorup National Park is not vested in Murray Shire. It is vested in the Conservation Commission and is managed for that body by the Department of Conservation and Land Management.

(2) The reference to stromatolite-like structures in Lake Clifton was, presumably, made at a time when there was uncertainty about their actual identity. It is now known that these microbialites with a clotted internal appearance are, in fact, thrombolites. (see below: Page 2) (My thanks to Fiona who first noticed these mistakes. Fiona is a member of the newly appointed Recovery Team)

The Dawesville Cut is completed (opened April 1994).

The Ramsar Site

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Proposed Extensions to Ramsar Sites in the Peel-Yalgorup Area (after Ramsar Convention, San Jose, Costa Rica 10-18 May 1999).

PPG Field Trip to Dunes Area Adjacent to Yalgorup Park 1999; Photographs by Griselda Hitchcock

3:Coastal Caring

Article courtesy of Mandurah Telegraph, 10th July 2001

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Education Week was celebrated in a unique way at Singleton Primary School recently. Students took part in a ceremony to adopt part of Comet Bay, the nearest beach to the school, as part of the school's environmental awareness project.

Acting principal Leigh Liley said it was important for children living near the beach to learn how to look after the area and protect their own environment.They should be encouraged to look after their own beach and the maintenance of the dunes, Mrs Liley said.

As part of the program, a nursery will be set up at the school and students will germinate seedlings which will then be planted at the beach. Mrs Liley said the program would enable the school to forge closer links with groups such as Coastcare. The school should be able to carry their knowledge from the exercise throughout their lives. It is all part of a life-long learning process, Mrs Liley said. LINDA BOLT

(Apologies to The Coastal Times I had to type their main text instead of scanning it because my newspaper was caught by the watering system. Ed.)

This item was placed on this page rather than on the Visitors' Page with our other item from Singleton Primary because, although Singleton is not in the Peel Region, Comet Bay is.

Taken from Mandurah Mail July 2001

Item curtesy Mandurah Mail, July 2001

THE COASTLINE OVER THE YEARS