What are wetlands? Where are they in NSW?
A wetland is exactly what the name suggests: wet land. This covers a wide range of habitats, including lakes, lagoons, estuaries, rivers, floodplains, swamps, bogs, billabongs, marshes, coral reefs and seagrass beds. Wetlands can be fresh, brackish or saline.
However, an area doesn't need to be permanently wet to qualify as a wetland. It just needs to be wet long enough for its plants and animals to be adapted to - or even dependent on - wet conditions for at least part of their life cycle.
Wetlands in New South Wales
In New South Wales, approximately 4.5 million hectares, or 6 per cent of the state, is wetland. In the fertile coastal areas, annual rainfall is generally high and water flows are regular. But this is not the way for most of the continent.
In inland areas, rainfall is irregular, often falling as sporadic downpours over a couple of stormy days. For many months of the year, inland rivers are dry or mere trickles.
After floods or rain, inland wetlands come to life. Plants, insects, micro-organisms, waterbirds, frogs, fish and mammals suddenly sprout, hatch or arrive in their thousands.
These plants and animals are adapted to - and depend on - the unpredictable periods of flood and drought, 'boom and bust', for their survival. Wetting and drying drives many important wetland processes. For example, many waterbirds and other animals can only breed after rain or during floods, when there is enough food in the wetland.
More information
Plants and animals in NSW wetlands
See some examples of the biodiversity found in the state's wetlands.
Distribution of wetlands in NSW
Download this report, which uses satellite image research to map the distribution and extent of the state's 20,000 wetlands.