The quality and availability of waterbird habitat throughout the Ramsar-listed Coorong and Lower Lakes is to be improved under a new project by the Department for Environment and Water (DEW).
Manager of the project at DEW, Angus MacGregor said the new Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin on-ground works project would provide foraging habitats for seven target waterbird species, including the common greenshank, curlew sandpiper, sharp-tailed sandpiper and red-capped plover.
Mr MacGregor said that to maintain and improve the health of priority wetlands habitat for migratory and non-migratory shorebirds it was critical interventions were made to improve food availability across key wetlands.
“By working to increase the availability of shallow wading habitats, this project will provide jobs and support greater numbers of shorebirds by providing important refuge habitat for species that would otherwise use the Coorong South Lagoon,” Mr MacGregor said.
He said small-scale wetland management infrastructure would be constructed at three priority wetland sites at Tolderol, Waltowa and Teringie with regulators, pumps, pipes and earthworks put in place to manage water levels to improve the extent, quality and duration of inundation.
“Upon completion, we expect this will provide more than 260 hectares of high-quality habitat with carrying capacity for more than 15,000 of the seven target species,” he said.
Mr MacGregor said the project was part of South Australia’s Project Coorong initiative which was taking action to restore the health, vitality and visitor experience of the Coorong through environmental projects to get the Coorong back on track and initiatives to boost eco-tourism.
He said construction works for the project were expected to commence later next year.
