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Home > Water Management > Water for the environment > Wetlands > Wetlands

Wetlands

Types of Wetlands in NSW

Introduction

There are many different types of wetlands in NSW. They include swamps, lakes, estuaries, lagoons and floodplain forests.

The classification of wetlands is an important first step in wetland management. Different wetland types respond differently to management tools, and wetlands need to be managed for a variety of reasons. Wetland classification can guide landholders and community groups with wetland management, and promote an awareness of wetland management issues (Green, 1997).

In 1997, DLWC developed a Wetland Classification System to support and complement the Wetlands Management Policy.

Under this system wetlands are divided into three broad groups, coastal, tableland and inland, on the basis of geographic location. Within these groups, wetlands are divided into a further fourteen types based on broad hydrologic, geomorphic and vegetation characteristics.

Types of Wetlands in NSW

Please select a wetland type to find out more:

Coastal Wetlands

• Mangrove and saltmarsh swamps
• Estuarine lakes and lagoons
• Dune swamps and lagoons
• Coastal floodplain swamps and lagoons
• Coastal floodplain forest

Tableland Wetlands

• Upland lakes and lagoons
• Upland swamps

Inland Wetlands

• Permanent inland wetlands
• Inland floodplain lakes and lagoons
• Inland floodplain meadows
• Reed swamps
• Lignum swamps
• Inland floodplain forests and woodlands
• Arid wetlands

The report which documents the department's wetland classification system can be downloaded in pdf format. Please click here to download the Wetland Management Technical Manual: Wetland Classification (PDF 132KB).

This document is intended to complement and be read in conjunction with the NSW Wetlands Management Policy 1996 and Wetland Action Plan 2000 - 2003. It should be noted that there are many other systems are also available for classifying Australian wetlands. An overview of the alternative systems is provided in the Wetland Classification Document.

Factsheet on Wetland Classification

Download A4 Poster Sheet PDF Files:
Wetland Fauna (PDF 185 KB)
Groundwater (PDF 554KB)

References & Further Reading

Beadle N.C.W. (1981) The vegetation of Australia. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Briggs S.V. (1981) Freshwater wetlands. In: Groves R.H. (Ed) Australian vegetation. Cambridge University Press.

Cowardin L.M., Carter V., Golet F.C. and La Roe E.T. (1979) Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States. United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Cowling S.J. (1977) Classification of the wetland habitats of waterbirds. Australian Marine Science Bulletin 58:15-16.

DWR (1990) Issues in wetland management. Department of Water Resources, Sydney.

Goodrick G.N. (1970) A survey of wetlands of coastal New South Wales. CSIRO Division of Wildlife Research Technical Memorandum No. 5.

Goodrick G.N. (1983) A description of wetlands in New South Wales. In: Haigh C. (Ed) Wetlands in New South Wales. National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Goodrick G.N. (1984) Wetlands of northwestern New South Wales. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Occasional Paper No. 6.

Green D.L. (1992) Survey of wetlands of the Warrego River. Department of Water Resources, Technical Services Division Report 92.081.

Green D.L. (1997). Wetland Classification. Ecological Services Unit. In Department of Land and Water Conservation (Ed). NSW Wetland Management Policy - Management Guidelines. Parramatta.

Hocking P.J. (1989) Seasonal dynamics of production and nutrient accumulation and cycling by Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Stuedel in a nutrient-enriched swamp in inland Australia. I. Whole plants. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 40:421-44.

Jacobs S.W.L. (1983) Vegetation. In: Haigh C. (Ed) Wetlands in New South Wales. National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Jacobs S.W.L. and Brock M.A. (1993) Wetlands of Australia: Southern (temperate) Australia. In: Whigham D.F., Dykyjova D. and Henjy S. (Eds) Wetlands of the World. I: Inventory Ecology and Management Handbook of Vegetation Science 15/2. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.

Keith D.A. and Myerscough P.J. (1993) Floristics and soil relations of upland swamp vegetation near Sydney. Australian Journal of Ecology 18: 325-344.

Kingsford R.T., Bedward M. and Porter J.L. (1994) Waterbirds and wetlands in northwestern New South Wales. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Hurstville.

Maher M.T. (1991) An inland perspective on the conservation of Australian waterbirds. Ph.D. Thesis, University of New England.

Corrick A.H. and Norman F.I. (1980) Wetlands of Victoria I. Wetlands and waterbirds of the Snowy River and Gippsland Lakes catchment. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 91:1-15.

Paijmans K., Galloway R.W., Faith D.P., Fleming P.M., Haantjens H.A., Heyligers P.C., Kalma J.D. and Loffler E. (1985) Aspects of Australian wetlands. CSIRO Division of Land and Water Resources Technical Paper No. 44.

Pressey R.L. (1981) A review of literature on the floodplain wetlands of coastal New South Wales. Report prepared for National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Pressey R.L. (1986) Wetlands of the River Murray below Lake Hume. River Murray Commission Environmental Report 86/1.

Semeniuk C.A.(1987) Wetlands of the Darling System - A geomorphic approach to habitat classification. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 69: 95-112.

Sommerville J. (1988) Conservation of river red gums in New South Wales. National Parks Journal 32 (3): 31-33.

Timms B.V. (1988) Conservation of coastal dune freshwater lakes and ponds of eastern Australia. In: Gilligan B., Maddock M. and McDonald K. (Eds) Proceedings of international symposium of wetlands held at Shortland Wetlands Centre June 1986.

West R.J., Thorogood C.A., Walford T.R. and Williams R.J. (1985) Estuarine inventory for New South Wales, Australia. NSW Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Bulletin No. 2.

Winning G. (1992) North Coast Wetlands Survey. Report prepared for Department of Water Resources by Shortland Wetlands Centre.

Winning G. and King A.M. (1995) Upper Northeast Rivers region survey of freshwater wetlands. Shortland Wetlands Centre and Department of Water Resources, Technical Services Division Report 95.059.