The Coorong is part of a wetland region at the lower end of the
River Murray catchment. It is connected to the Lower Lakes and
Murray Mouth. This region is a nationally significant wetland
and is recognised as being of international importance under the
Ramsar Convention. The Coorong is a 2-3 km wide lagoon system
that follows the coast south for at least 100 km from the river
mouth. The Coorong
National Park was declared in 1966 to conserve the distinctive
landscape, coastal dune system, lagoons, wetlands and coastal
vegetation, and the great variety of birds, animals and fish that
live in, or visit, the area.
The Coorong is best characterised as ahypersaline estuary, and
is influenced by relatively freshwater from the River Murray and
local inflows from the Upper South East, as well as by seawater
entering through the Murray Mouth and through the sand dunes of
the Younghusband Peninsula. The main problem for the Coorong is
reduced freshwater flows from the River Murray. Nutrient concentrations
are frequently elevated and there is often a large amount of algae,
as indicated by the chlorophyll (a) concentrations. The CSIRO
have established a research program to explore the complexities
of the Murray lakes, estuary and Coorong and provide information
to help predict environmental, social and economic effects of
different management strategies and policy decisions. >>
More
>> Map showing the Coorong
monitoring sites (417KB PDF)
>>
Information on the Coorong natural attractions (courtesy of
the Department of Environment and Heritage, SA)
>> More on the Lower Lakes
and the Coorong
>> More photos of the
Coorong
The Department
for Environment and Heritage, SA coordinates quarterly water
quality sampling and analyses in the Coorong at 12 locations along
its length (see map (417KB
PDF)). The indicators that are measured are nutrients (nitrogen
and phosphorus), turbidity, chlorophyll (a), and salinity.
The concentrations of these indicators are used to classify the
water quality as being in good, moderate or poor condition, according
to the needs of aquatic ecosystem protection as an environmental
value. >> More
Water quality classification for April to September 2006
