Murtnaghurt Lagoon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Murtnaghurt Lagoon |
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| Murtnaghurt Swamp, Lake Murtnaghurt | |
View from south-east
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 Murtnaghurt Lagoon
Location in Victoria
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| Location | Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 38°16′51″S 144°28′8″E / 38.28083°S 144.46889°E |
| Type | Ephemeral saline lagoon |
| Primary inflows | local |
| Primary outflows | none |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Max. length | 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) |
| Max. width | 350–600 m (1,150–1,970 ft) |
| Surface area | 81 hectares (200 acres) |
Murtnaghurt Lagoon is a special natural area in Victoria, Australia. It's also known as Murtnaghurt Swamp or Lake Murtnaghurt. This shallow body of water is a type of wetland located west of Barwon Heads on the Bellarine Peninsula.
What makes it special? It's an ephemeral wetland. This means it doesn't always have water. It can dry up completely during dry periods and fill up again when it rains. The lagoon is made of two main dips in the land. It stretches about 2 kilometers long and can be up to 600 meters wide. It covers an area of about 81 hectares. A small, ancient channel connects it northwards to the Barwon River.
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Amazing Birds of Murtnaghurt Lagoon
Murtnaghurt Lagoon is a very important place for many different birds. It's part of the Bellarine Wetlands Important Bird Area. This area is recognized for helping protect many bird species.
Threatened Bird Species
Some of the birds you might see here are quite rare. They include the little tern and the fairy tern. You might also spot the orange-bellied parrot and the swift parrot. Another special bird found here is the hooded plover. These birds need places like Murtnaghurt Lagoon to survive.
Wading Birds
Many waders also use this wetland. Waders are birds with long legs that walk through shallow water looking for food. They use Murtnaghurt Lagoon and other wetlands nearby. It's like a big network of homes for them.
Protecting Murtnaghurt Lagoon
Murtnaghurt Lagoon is very important, so it has special protection. It's listed under the Ramsar Convention. This is an international agreement that protects important wetlands around the world.
Ramsar Site and State Game Reserve
The lagoon is part of a larger protected area called the Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site. It's also part of the Lake Connewarre State Game Reserve. This means it's public land. Parks Victoria helps manage and look after it.
Challenges for the Lagoon
Even with protection, the lagoon faces some challenges. It's not very big and is surrounded by farms, golf courses, and houses. This can lead to "edge effects." Edge effects happen when activities outside a protected area impact the natural environment inside it. For example, pollution from stormwater run-off can flow into the lagoon. This can harm the plants and animals that live there.
Protecting Murtnaghurt Lagoon is important for its unique landscape and the many birds it supports.
