Abbot Bay Wetlands
The following information is summarized from the ACTFR report: Assessing the condition of Wetlands in the Burdekin catchment using existing GIS and field knowledge for CCI by Mirjam Maughan, Damien Burrows, Barry Butler, Leo Lymburner and George Lukacs. 2006. This report can be accessed from the report section below.
The creek systems of this sub-division are ephemeral, only running for short periods after significant rainfall. The coastal freshwater wetlands are also mostly ephemeral or seasonal. Very little is known about these wetlands ecologically, and any permanent waterholes within the creeks are likely small in size and very vulnerable to disturbance. The Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia listing for this area is predominantly based on marine and estuarine wetlands. The freshwater fish fauna of the Don River was surveyed by Hogan and Vallance (1998) in relation to studies examining the possibility of building a water storage on the river. They found that freshwater fish diversity was limited, this probably being attributable to the ephemeral nature of the streams. This area supports a significant horticultural industry, based largely on groundwater extraction. It has and is still being examined for further irrigation development via a channel/pipeline from the Burdekin River. The potential impacts of such development require significant examination but Butler and Lukacs (1998) outlined some issues identified during a preliminary overview of the areas wetlands. Overall, the freshwater wetlands of the area are poorly known, but due to the types of developments that dominate the region (mostly cattle grazing) the departure from natural is considered to be relatively minor.
The creek systems of this sub-division are ephemeral, only running for short periods after significant rainfall. The coastal freshwater wetlands are also mostly ephemeral or seasonal. Very little is known about these wetlands ecologically, and any permanent waterholes within the creeks are likely small in size and very vulnerable to disturbance. The Directory of Important Wetlands listing for this area is predominantly based on marine and estuarine wetlands.
ABBOT BAY WETLAND CONDITION SUMMARY
Sources of data and definitions
| ID No. | Name | Type | Permanency of inundation | Flushing frequency / flow | No of water bodies | Prop of water bodies | Description |
| 1 | The Lake | Pal | Permanent | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown, DOIW |
| 2 | Euri Ck | Riv | Unknown | Ephemeral | Zero-few | VL | Dry ephemeral creek |
| 3 | Elliot River | Riv | Unknown | Ephemeral | Zero-few | VL | Dry ephemeral creek |
| 4 | Saltwater Creek | Riv | Unknown | Ephemeral | Zero-few | VL | Dry ephemeral creek |
| 5 | Abbot Bay coastal wetlands | Pal | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown, DOIW |
| No. | Water Quality | Aquatic habitat | Values | Degree of confidence | ||
| Departure from natural | Functionality | Departure from natural | Functionality | |||
| 1 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | 5 |
| 2 | Unknown | Unknown | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| 3 | Unknown | Unknown | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| 4 | Unknown | Unknown | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| 5 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | 5 |
