65:
117:
that regulated the flow of water in the estuary from about 1907 inadvertently created the freshwater wetland, were listed on the
Western Australian Register of Heritage Places in 2005. The estuary covers a total surface area of 17.8 square kilometres (7 sq mi) with the central basin having
220:
have occurred in the estuary in 2009, 2011 and 2013. In the 2013 event an estimated 7,000 fish died over the course of two days, calling into question the health of the waterway. It is thought that low flows, poor water quality and high
145:
The catchment of the estuary is 52% cleared and is used primarily for crops and pastures but also for plantations. The waters are susceptible to pollution from run-off as houses in
Busselton have been built adjacent to the estuary. The
100:
on 7 June 1990 when an area of 1,115 ha (2,760 acres) was designated Ramsar Site 484 as an important dry-season habitat for waterbirds. It is also the main part of the 2,038 ha (5,040-acre) Busselton
Wetlands
807:
923:
947:
185:
It is estimated that over 20,000 waterbirds use the estuary as habitat with over 80 species of waterbird being found. Some of the species found in the area include
169:
catchment. The coastal plain area is composed of sandy and duplex soils that are easily water-logged. An extensive drainage network has been constructed to protect
484:
1001:
676:
93:
900:
739:
845:
350:
986:
477:
860:
532:
744:
704:
681:
445:
419:
991:
470:
709:
557:
509:
493:
273:
225:
levels were to blame. Rainfall washed nutrients downstream to the estuary then a warm spell sparked the growth of
855:
661:
623:
913:
537:
81:
1011:
298:
114:
918:
792:
501:
170:
89:
996:
714:
527:
174:
118:
an area of 7.5 square kilometres (3 sq mi) In winter, wide areas of open water are fringed by
777:
582:
113:
The estuary is wave dominated and has been severely modified from its natural state. The site of the
165:
The catchment covers a total area of 961 square kilometres (371 sq mi) and is part of the
797:
628:
375:
547:
812:
787:
729:
666:
194:
835:
724:
441:
870:
767:
605:
8:
875:
198:
102:
376:"Estuary Assessment Framework for Non-Pristine Estuaries - Estuary 651 - Vasse-Wonnerup"
1006:
633:
592:
186:
840:
827:
600:
562:
250:
202:
97:
85:
27:
759:
397:
782:
749:
653:
572:
542:
519:
928:
802:
643:
398:"Aggregated nutrient emissions to the WA Vasse-Wonnerup water catchment report"
980:
962:
949:
933:
885:
671:
166:
462:
96:. It was also recognised as a wetland of international importance under the
908:
817:
772:
734:
719:
552:
190:
155:
151:
880:
638:
577:
567:
159:
615:
222:
206:
147:
865:
850:
686:
351:"Site of Ballarat Bridge, Vasse Floodgates & Wonnerup Floodgates"
217:
127:
123:
696:
323:
134:
130:
119:
245:
64:
77:
226:
274:"Swan Coastal Plain 2 (SWA2 – Swan Coastal Plain subregion)"
209:
in
Western Australia (over 150 pairs) is in the estuary.
355:
State
Heritage Council, Government of Western Australia
420:"Caring for our Country priority coastal hotspots"
229:depleting the water of oxygen, killing the fish.
978:
677:Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Wetland
348:
177:from flooding and to create agricultural land.
68:Vasse-Wonnerup Estuary Wetlands near Busselton
492:
478:
485:
471:
1002:Important Bird Areas of Western Australia
808:Port Phillip Bay and Bellarine Peninsula
63:
442:"Another fish kill stinks out Wonnerup"
342:
979:
133:occurs behind the samphire belt, with
710:Cape Barren Island east coast lagoons
466:
318:
316:
446:Australian Broadcasting Corporation
349:Heritage Council (1 January 2017).
13:
313:
14:
1023:
929:Hosnies Spring (Christmas Island)
205:. The largest breeding colony of
162:all discharge into the estuary.
662:Banrock Station Wetland Complex
987:Estuaries of Western Australia
846:Forrestdale and Thomsons Lakes
538:Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps
434:
412:
390:
368:
291:
266:
238:
108:
92:. The estuary is listed with
1:
924:Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs
232:
212:
115:Vasse and Wonnerup Floodgates
919:The Dales (Christmas Island)
502:Australian Capital Territory
140:
7:
715:Interlaken Lakeside Reserve
137:woodland on higher ground.
10:
1028:
861:Lakes Argyle and Kununurra
778:Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands
992:Ramsar sites in Australia
899:
826:
758:
750:Pittwater–Orielton Lagoon
695:
652:
614:
591:
558:Little Llangothlin Lagoon
518:
500:
494:Ramsar sites in Australia
324:"IBA: Busselton Wetlands"
253:Sites Information Service
58:
50:
42:
34:
25:
20:
180:
548:Hunter Estuary Wetlands
299:"Vasse-Wonnerup System"
246:"Vasse-Wonnerup System"
813:Western District Lakes
740:Lower Ringarooma River
730:Little Waterhouse Lake
667:Bool and Hacks Lagoons
533:Central Murray Forests
195:Australasian shoveller
74:Vasse-Wonnerup Estuary
69:
891:Vasse-Wonnerup System
836:Becher Point Wetlands
88:close to the town of
67:
38:Vasse-Wonnerup System
1012:DIWA-listed wetlands
901:External territories
876:Peel-Yalgorup System
871:Ord River Floodplain
793:Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes
606:Kakadu National Park
959: /
199:Australian shelduck
103:Important Bird Area
997:Swan Coastal Plain
963:33.633°S 115.400°E
914:Coral Sea Reserves
866:Muir-Byenup System
856:Lake Warden System
634:Great Sandy Strait
593:Northern Territory
301:. 12 November 2019
187:black-winged stilt
70:
51:Reference no.
942:
941:
841:Eighty Mile Beach
828:Western Australia
682:Piccaninnie Ponds
624:Bowling Green Bay
601:Cobourg Peninsula
563:Macquarie Marshes
330:. Birds Australia
203:red-necked avocet
98:Ramsar Convention
86:Western Australia
62:
61:
1019:
974:
973:
971:
970:
969:
968:-33.633; 115.400
964:
960:
957:
956:
955:
952:
818:Western Port Bay
629:Currawinya Lakes
487:
480:
473:
464:
463:
458:
457:
455:
453:
438:
432:
431:
429:
427:
416:
410:
409:
407:
405:
394:
388:
387:
385:
383:
372:
366:
365:
363:
361:
346:
340:
339:
337:
335:
320:
311:
310:
308:
306:
295:
289:
288:
286:
284:
278:
270:
264:
263:
261:
259:
242:
18:
17:
1027:
1026:
1022:
1021:
1020:
1018:
1017:
1016:
977:
976:
967:
965:
961:
958:
953:
950:
948:
946:
945:
943:
938:
895:
822:
798:Kerang Wetlands
788:Gunbower Forest
783:Gippsland Lakes
754:
745:Moulting Lagoon
691:
654:South Australia
648:
610:
587:
573:Narran Wetlands
543:Gwydir Wetlands
520:New South Wales
514:
496:
491:
461:
451:
449:
448:. 16 April 2013
440:
439:
435:
425:
423:
418:
417:
413:
403:
401:
396:
395:
391:
381:
379:
374:
373:
369:
359:
357:
347:
343:
333:
331:
322:
321:
314:
304:
302:
297:
296:
292:
282:
280:
276:
272:
271:
267:
257:
255:
244:
243:
239:
235:
215:
183:
143:
111:
30:
12:
11:
5:
1025:
1015:
1014:
1009:
1004:
999:
994:
989:
940:
939:
937:
936:
931:
926:
921:
916:
911:
905:
903:
897:
896:
894:
893:
888:
883:
878:
873:
868:
863:
858:
853:
848:
843:
838:
832:
830:
824:
823:
821:
820:
815:
810:
805:
803:Lake Albacutya
800:
795:
790:
785:
780:
775:
770:
764:
762:
756:
755:
753:
752:
747:
742:
737:
732:
727:
722:
717:
712:
707:
705:Apsley Marshes
701:
699:
693:
692:
690:
689:
684:
679:
674:
669:
664:
658:
656:
650:
649:
647:
646:
644:Shoalwater Bay
641:
636:
631:
626:
620:
618:
612:
611:
609:
608:
603:
597:
595:
589:
588:
586:
585:
580:
578:Paroo Wetlands
575:
570:
565:
560:
555:
550:
545:
540:
535:
530:
524:
522:
516:
515:
513:
512:
506:
504:
498:
497:
490:
489:
482:
475:
467:
460:
459:
433:
411:
389:
367:
341:
312:
290:
265:
236:
234:
231:
214:
211:
182:
179:
142:
139:
110:
107:
60:
59:
56:
55:
52:
48:
47:
44:
40:
39:
36:
32:
31:
28:Ramsar Wetland
26:
23:
22:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1024:
1013:
1010:
1008:
1005:
1003:
1000:
998:
995:
993:
990:
988:
985:
984:
982:
975:
972:
935:
932:
930:
927:
925:
922:
920:
917:
915:
912:
910:
907:
906:
904:
902:
898:
892:
889:
887:
886:Toolibin Lake
884:
882:
879:
877:
874:
872:
869:
867:
864:
862:
859:
857:
854:
852:
849:
847:
844:
842:
839:
837:
834:
833:
831:
829:
825:
819:
816:
814:
811:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
774:
771:
769:
768:Barmah Forest
766:
765:
763:
761:
757:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
736:
733:
731:
728:
726:
723:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
702:
700:
698:
694:
688:
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
672:Coongie Lakes
670:
668:
665:
663:
660:
659:
657:
655:
651:
645:
642:
640:
637:
635:
632:
630:
627:
625:
622:
621:
619:
617:
613:
607:
604:
602:
599:
598:
596:
594:
590:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
525:
523:
521:
517:
511:
508:
507:
505:
503:
499:
495:
488:
483:
481:
476:
474:
469:
468:
465:
447:
443:
437:
421:
415:
399:
393:
377:
371:
356:
352:
345:
329:
325:
319:
317:
300:
294:
275:
269:
254:
252:
247:
241:
237:
230:
228:
224:
219:
210:
208:
204:
200:
196:
192:
188:
178:
176:
172:
168:
167:Geographe Bay
163:
161:
157:
153:
149:
138:
136:
132:
129:
125:
121:
116:
106:
104:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
75:
66:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
35:Official name
33:
29:
24:
19:
16:
944:
934:Pulu Keeling
909:Ashmore Reef
890:
773:Corner Inlet
735:Logan Lagoon
720:Jocks Lagoon
553:Lake Pinaroo
510:Ginini Flats
450:. Retrieved
436:
424:. Retrieved
414:
402:. Retrieved
392:
380:. Retrieved
370:
358:. Retrieved
354:
344:
332:. Retrieved
327:
303:. Retrieved
293:
281:. Retrieved
268:
256:. Retrieved
249:
240:
216:
191:banded stilt
184:
164:
156:Sabina River
152:Ludlow River
144:
112:
73:
71:
21:Designations
15:
966: /
881:Roebuck Bay
639:Moreton Bay
583:Towra Point
568:Myall Lakes
360:20 December
207:black swans
160:Vasse River
109:Description
46:7 June 1990
981:Categories
616:Queensland
426:15 October
305:2 November
233:References
223:phosphorus
218:Fish kills
213:Fish kills
148:Abba River
84:region of
82:South West
43:Designated
1007:Busselton
851:Lake Gore
687:Riverland
528:Blue Lake
171:Busselton
141:Catchment
128:Paperbark
90:Busselton
954:115°24′E
760:Victoria
697:Tasmania
452:27 April
404:16 April
382:16 April
283:16 April
258:25 April
201:and the
175:Wonnerup
135:eucalypt
131:woodland
120:samphire
951:33°38′S
725:Lavinia
328:Birdata
80:in the
78:estuary
422:. 2008
400:. 2004
378:. 2007
334:8 June
279:. 2002
251:Ramsar
124:rushes
76:is an
277:(PDF)
227:algae
181:Birds
454:2013
428:2010
406:2009
384:2009
362:2018
336:2011
307:2020
285:2009
260:2018
173:and
158:and
122:and
94:DIWA
72:The
54:484
983::
444:.
353:.
326:.
315:^
248:.
197:,
193:,
189:,
154:,
150:,
126:.
105:.
486:e
479:t
472:v
456:.
430:.
408:.
386:.
364:.
338:.
309:.
287:.
262:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
