Senator the Hon Murray Watt, Minister for the Environment and Water
The Hon Lucy Hood MP, South Australian Minister for Climate, Environment and Water
A vital wetland for migratory birds has been restored in South Australia's Limestone Coast region, providing a critical resting and feeding spot for a range of important bird species.
The $11.7 million Lake Hawdon North project near Robe is now complete, restoring and expanding critical habitat for species in the Coorong and Limestone Coast region, including the sharp-tailed sandpiper, curlew sandpiper, common greenshank and red-necked stint.
In recent years, populations of shorebirds and waterbirds have declined due to the loss and fragmentation of their wetland habitats.
This project has made a significant contribution to addressing that decline by increasing the size and quality of a critical wetland habitat five-fold.
Through the project, a new water regulator has been installed at the western edge of Lake Hawdon North.
The regulator allows the water level in the lake to be managed to prolong periods of shallow inundation into the late summer and early autumn, which are ideal conditions for birds to safely rest, relax and feed in. When flows are high, water will pass uninterrupted through the regulator.
Fish will be able to bypass the regulator using a new rock-ramp fishway, which was constructed as part of the project. The project also installed new fencing, built new access tracks, and completed minor earthworks - all ahead of schedule.
As water availability shifts across seasons, waterbirds move through networks of wetlands in search of food and shelter.
Restoring Lake Hawdon North strengthens this network and supports the long-term health of bird populations in the Coorong region.
The project has also provided outcomes for a wide range of plants and animals that rely on the Coorong and South-East region.
The Lake Hawdon North project was jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian governments as part of the $77.8 million Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin program.
