Project
Lake Warden Catchment Recovery Project

	Delivery Organisation
Esperance Regional Forum  (ERF)

	South Coast NRM Project Liaison
Cindee Hage                                                   9076 2204

	Project Status
Current

 The Lake Warden Catchment encompasses a total area of 171 000 hectares made up of four sub-catchments identified as:

·         Esperance Western Lakes (19 100 ha)

·         Coramup Creek (30 500 ha)

·         Bandy Creek (54 500 ha)

·         Neridup Creek (66 800 ha)

The Lake Warden Wetland system is listed as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. It is recognised by the international community as being a major ‘hot spot’ for biodiversity.

The wetland system plays host to thousands of waterbirds, some of which are rare, vulnerable or endangered, these include the Hooded Plover, Recherche’ Cape Barren Goose and Banded Stilt.

Vegetation types in the catchment include sandplain heath, banksia heath, transitional mallee, paperbark and flat-topped yate swamps and sedgelands.

With the help of South Coast NRM, the Department of Environment and Conservation, and Department of Agriculture and Food, Esperance Regional Forum (ERF) have implemented the Lake Warden Catchment Recovery project.

The 4 key actions of Lake Warden Catchment Recovery are:

·         Replant large areas of natural ecosystems using species, which are local to the area

·         Improve the protection of the natural environment through increased on-farm water use from economically attractive incentives

·         Explore potential engineering options to manage surface water impacts on the Lake Warden wetland system