Waterways

Rivers and Wetlands

Rivers, wetlands and their associated anabranches and floodplains are a defining feature of the Mallee region, as the health of these waterways and floodplains are fundamental to the region’s environmental, social and economic future.

The north and east of the Mallee region is dominated by the Murray River, its anabranches, distributor channels and associated wetland systems. In the south east of the region north-flowing intermittent streams, including the Yarriambiack Creek and Outlet Creek terminate in a number of ephemeral wetland complexes including the Wirrengren Plain, Lake Corrong and Lake Lascelles. In the east, two effluent streams of the Avoca River system, Tyrrell Creek and Lalbert Creek, empty into a number of large terminal saline wetlands, including lakes Timboram and Tyrrell.

The wetlands, river channels and riparian vegetation of the region’s waterways and floodplains provide diverse habitat for a variety of aquatic and terrestrial species and also provide important ecological services. The protection of these assets from a range of threatening processes, and their restoration, are ongoing priorities.