Lake Eyre Basin and its importance

Kyabra Creek, southeast of Windorah, Qld

The Lake Eyre Basin covers about 1.2 million square kilometres, almost one-sixth of Australia, and is among the world's largest internally draining river systems. Lake Eyre itself is the fifth largest terminal lake in the world.

The Basin includes large parts of South Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and some of western New South Wales. About 57,000 people live and work in the Basin. The Basin supports a range of nationally important natural, social and economic values.

The Lake Eyre Basin is considered one of the world's last unregulated wild river systems. The vegetation of the Basin reflects the patterns of arid and semi-arid regions that rely on variable water flows. As a consequence the Basin is an area of high conservation significance that supports wetlands such as the Ramsar listed Coongie lakes, grasslands (Astrebla Downs National Park) and deserts (such as the Simpson Desert National Park).

The Basin is also home to many rare and endangered species of plants and animals such as the Greater Bilby, the Kowari and Waddi Waddi trees (Acacia peuce). Mound springs, wetland areas of natural water seepage from the Great Artesian Basin also support a number of rare and highly restricted endemic species.