Wenlock River

Conservation and cultural values

Rising in the dense rainforested slopes of the Great Diving Range, the Wenlock traverses Cape York north-westwards through savanna country before spilling out into the Gulf of Carpentaria at Port Musgrave just north of Mapoon.

The Wenlock has the richest diversity of freshwater fish of all Australian rivers, with some 48 species, many of these shared with the southern streams of Papua New Guinea. This includes the rare Rainbow Fish, Fimbriate Gudgeon and Buffon's River Garfish, as well as the elusive Freshwater Sawfish and unique freshwater crab species. Of course the more common Barramundi and Saratoga are also abundant in the healthy waters of the Wenlock.

The lush gallery rainforests hugging the major tributaries of the Wenlock River catchment provide critical habitat and wildlife corridors for many rainforest creatures, including the Spotted Cus-Cus, the White-tailed Rat, Palm Cockatoo and numerous bat species. This wetter forest is also an important refuge for other wildlife during the dry season.

The Wenlock is also home to one the largest breeding populations in Queensland of the Saltwater Crocodile. The habitat of this wild river is ideal because its estuaries and wetlands are not prone to the extensive flooding events typical of the southern Gulf Plains areas and the river health is excellent.

The blanket of water at the Port Musgrave wetlands near the mouth of the Wenlock – rich in food and replenishing nutrients – attract a stunning array of bird life. This includes the Magpie Geese, Australian Pelican, Royal Spoonbill and Brolga. So significant are these wetlands, that they are recognised by the Australian Government as one of the most diverse and least fragmented natural wetland aggregations in Australia.

The endangered Red Goshawk also nests on the lower reaches of the Wenlock, while in the wet upper middle reaches of the Wenlock, the distinct and rare Nypa Palm stands in thick clusters.

The Kaanju, Yinwum, Luthig, Teppathiggi, Yupangathi, Tjungandi and Thanakwithi people are the Traditional Owners of the Wenlock River catchment area and maintain strong cultural and spiritual connections with the land and rivers. The traditional ecological knowledge and health of these communities is in turn critical to the ongoing health of this wild river system.

Threats

One of the greatest threats to the Wenlock River is the extensive bauxite strip-mining. Rio Tinto currently has the authority to build dams and extract significant amounts of water for their mining operations. Cape Alumina plans to mine part of the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve, which covers an important part of the Wenlock River catchment. Wild Rivers will play a part in quarantining mining from rivers and wetlands, with large buffer zones. Ultimately these mine plans should be stopped to ensure there is no impact on the Wenlock River.

Other threats to the health of the Wenlock River catchment are feral animals like wild pigs, invasive weeds and inappropriate fire management (non-Indigenous traditional burning). Wild River protection, as well as the Indigenous Wild River Ranger program, will help address these impacts.