Wetlands – What Are They?
Wetlands at Mill Park Lakes estate
A wetland is an area of land covered by shallow water. Wetlands can be natural or artificial, permanent or temporary. The water in them can be still or flowing, and is either fresh, brackish or salty.
Vital to our environment
Although wetlands cover only about 3% of the Earth's surface, they are vital to our environment. They act as:
- sponges, storing and soaking up excess water; and
- filters, cleaning water as it flows through.
Carried by regular flows of water, minerals and nutrients enrich wetlands. Coastal wetlands, such as mangroves and seagrass meadows, are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth.
For a full description of how wetlands filter water, please visit the Areas within a wetland page.
Purple Swamp Hen
A refuge for wildlife
Each wetland has its own unique ecosystem that provides food, water, critical habitat and breeding grounds for a large range of plants and animals.
The wetlands at Melbourne Water's Western Treatment Plant at Werribee attract an amazing range of birdlife. Some 270 species have been recorded so far. The site is highly regarded and is listed under the Ramsar Convention for significant international wetlands.
We manage another Ramsar wetland on the other side of Port Phillip Bay, the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands. These are part of the Carrum Carrum Swamp which once covered a large area along the bay from Mordialloc to Frankston.
We also manage many other smaller wetlands. They include our stormwater quality wetlands and Sites of Environmental Significance.
Edithvale Wetlands from the air
A wetland case study
The Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands have been listed by the Ramsar Convention as a Wetland of International Importance, particularly as habitat for significant bird populations with over 190 bird species recorded, 25 international migratory birds and a resident population of Eastern Grey Kangaroos.