Fortescue Marshes

Fortescue Marsh (or marshes) is a part of the upper reaches of the Fortescue River in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The night parrot has been recorded from the Fortescue Marshes

The catchment area at the headwaters of the river is particularly flat and marshy where the Western Creek, Warrawanda Creek and Fortescue River converge, the river then flows through a poorly defined channel as far as Gregory Gorge when the river starts to form a well defined channel and flows through a number of pools before reaching the estuarine area.

Important Bird Area

The 960 km2 (370 sq mi) Fortescue Marshes (22°26′44″S 119°26′38″E) have been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because, when the area is flooded it supports up to 270,000 waterbirds, including over 1% of the world populations of 14 species. The site is also the location for one of the only two records made since 1990 of the critically endangered night parrot.[1]

Iron ore mining

The area is also within the range of iron ore mine operations.[2][3][4][5]

The area is also regularly visited and issues assessed due to the sensitivity of the area and its geomorphology.[6][7][8]

The operations include the Roy Hill Iron Mine[9] and the Christmas Creek Iron Ore Mine.

Notes
  1. "IBA: Fortescue Marshes". Birdata. Birds Australia. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
  2. http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/133780/20120712-1424/fortescue+public+environment+report+201066.pdf
  3. http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23604/20070213-0000/www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/media/media.nsf/d3ea7ba6c70aeaae48256a7300318397/00ce09e525abb0ec4825715a00199c7702ec.html
  4. Western Australia. Environmental Protection Authority (2013), Environmental and water assessments relating to mining and mining-related activities in the Fortescue Marsh management area : advice of the Environmental Protection Authority to the Minister for Environment under Section 16(e) of the Environmental Protection Act 1986, [Perth, Western Australia] Environmental Protection Authority, retrieved 20 June 2015
  5. http://edit.epa.wa.gov.au/EPADocLib/Rep1484%20Fortescue%20Marsh%20s16e%20010713.pdf <
  6. Humphreys, W; Waldock, J (2000), Subterranean aquatic fauna downstream of the Fortescue Marsh : preliminary report, Western Australian Museum, retrieved 20 June 2015
  7. Van Leeuwen, Stephen (2004), Background documentation : Fortescue Marsh visit : Conservation Commission, Western Australia, Friday 1 July 2005, Dept. of Conservation & Land Management, retrieved 20 June 2015
  8. Jackson, Jennifer; Kern, Stephen; Pinder, Adrian; Nowicki, Anna; Daniel, Glen (2009), Resource condition report for significant Western Australian wetland : wetlands of the Fortescue River system, Dept. of Environment & Conservation, retrieved 20 June 2015
  9. SMEC Australia Pty Ltd (2009), Roy Hill 1 iron ore mining project : draft public environmental review : appendices : appendix 6 : Fortescue Marsh management plan, SMEC Australia Pty Ltd, retrieved 20 June 2015
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