Directory of Important Wetlands Spatial Database including Wetlands Type and Criteria

This is a polygon coverage representing the wetlands cited in the "A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia" Third Edition (EA, 2001), plus various additions for wetlands listed after 2001. This dataset includes attribute information showing the wetlands type and criteria for listing for each wetland. This coverage is a compilation of various data sources and has been collected using a variety of methods. This dataset should therefore be used as an indicative guide only to wetland boundaries and locations. The data has been collated by the Australian Government Department of the Environment from various datasets including those supplied by the relevant State agencies. State agency contributors include the Queensland Environmental Protection Authority, NSW Department of Environment and Conservation and the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment. For the identification of wetland boundaries or locations in regard to the compliance of activities with relevant State legislation, the relevant State authority should be contacted to obtain the most recent and accurate wetland boundary information available. The criteria for the definition of a wetland used in this dataset is that adopted by the Ramsar Convention, namely: "areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters." Attributes in the dataset include: WNAME: the name of the wetland site as listed in the Directory. REFCODE: an individual reference number including a cross reference to the State in which it occurs. The first 2-3 characters relate to the State or Territory of origin followed by the 3 digit sequential wetland numeric code. (eg. "NSW001": NSW=New South Wales; 001=wetland number). WET_TYPE: The wetland type code. Definitions are shown below. CRITERIA: The criteria for listing code. Definitions are shown below. WETLAND TYPE CODES: A-Marine and Coastal Zone wetlands 1. Marine waters-permanent shallow waters less than six metres deep at low tide; includes sea bays, straits 2. Subtidal aquatic beds; includes kelp beds, seagrasses, tropical marine meadows 3. Coral reefs 4. Rocky marine shores; includes rocky offshore islands, sea cliffs 5. Sand, shingle or pebble beaches; includes sand bars, spits, sandy islets 6. Estuarine waters; permanent waters of estuaries and estuarine systems of deltas 7. Intertidal mud, sand or salt flats 8. Intertidal marshes; includes saltmarshes, salt meadows, saltings, raised salt marshes, tidal brackish and freshwater marshes 9. Intertidal forested wetlands; includes mangrove swamps, nipa swamps, tidal freshwater swamp forests 10. Brackish to saline lagoons and marshes with one or more relatively narrow connections with the sea 11. Freshwater lagoons and marshes in the coastal zone 12. Non-tidal freshwater forested wetlands B-Inland wetlands 1. Permanent rivers and streams; includes waterfalls 2. Seasonal and irregular rivers and streams 3. Inland deltas (permanent) 4. Riverine floodplains; includes river flats, flooded river basins, seasonally flooded grassland, savanna and palm savanna 5. Permanent freshwater lakes (more than 8 ha); includes large oxbow lakes 6. Seasonal/intermittent freshwater lakes (more than 8 ha), floodplain lakes 7. Permanent saline/brackish lakes 8. Seasonal/intermittent saline lakes 9. Permanent freshwater ponds ( 8 ha) 10. Ponds, including farm ponds, stock ponds, small tanks (generally