Document Actions
What are Wild Rivers?
A ‘Wild River’ is a free flowing river – a healthy river free of major dams and weirs and free of the typical pollution from large-scale irrigation operations. They are the arteries that bring the nourishment of fresh water and food to country and communities and are increasingly rare in an era of unprecedented pressure on water resources and rivers.
Photo: The Wilderness Society Collection
Only about 40% of the world’s rivers could still be classed as ‘wild’. Most rivers are clogged with large dams and weirs and degraded from extensive land clearing and intensive agriculture in the surrounding catchment.
As distinct from such seriously degraded rivers like the Murray in southern Australia, wild rivers still have their natural flows and ecological functions in tact, supporting a range of special natural and cultural values:
· Ecological – providing freshwater, nutrients and habitat for wildlife and plants
· Aesthetic – are naturally ‘beautiful’ and have scenic appeal
· Recreational – provide places to swim, fish and enjoy with family and friends
· Educational – living examples of ‘natural’, thriving river systems
· Economic – support multi-million dollar fishing and tourism industries
· Intrinsic – are valuable for their own sake
As a result of successful campaigning by The Wilderness Society, The Queensland Conservation Council and the Environmental Defenders Office, the Queensland Government introduced the groundbreaking Wild Rivers Act in 2005 – a law that helps protect Queensland’s remaining wild rivers by regulating environmentally destructive activities in declared river catchments.
By prohibiting the construction of large dams and weirs; large-scale irrigation; the deliberate introduction of invasive weeds and pest fishes; in-stream mining; and new aquaculture farms close to streams, wild river protection will ensure declared river catchments are spared the immense environmental impacts that so many of the world’s rivers have suffered .
Wild river protection will also help boost local economies by ensuring the future of multi-million dollar sustainable fishing and nature-based tourism industries, as well as providing new employment opportunities through initiatives like the Indigenous Wild River Ranger program.
With the framework in place, it is now critical that the Queensland Government declares all wild rivers in Queensland, and that our other States and Territories adopt the same progressive approach to protecting the best of the best of our magnificent wild rivers.