About the Marree–Innamincka District
Communities
The permanent population of the district is approximately 400 people. A further 300 transient workers service the petroleum industry and 45 000 tourists visit the region annually. Townships include Innamincka, Marree, Lyndhurst and Moomba.
Climate
The climate is characterised by long dry periods, highly unpredictable and variable rainfall, summer storms and extreme summer temperatures (36-45oC). Average annual rainfall is 125mm but can range between 0 and 500mm. Evaporation is extremely high, exceeding 3, 800 mm in some areas.
Land Forms
The district is dominated by three main land forms. These include stony tablelands and gibber downs, the dunefields and sandplains of the Simpson, Tirari and Strezlecki Deserts and the floodplains, channels and emphemeral lakes of the major river systems. Minor landforms include arid ranges and playa lakes.
Vegetation
Major vegetation types include:
Dunes: canegrass, spinifex, sandhill wattle, needlebush, whitewood, narrow-leaf hopbush
Watercourses & Floodplains: river red gum, coolibah, river cooba, Broughton Willow, lignum, oldman saltbush, bluebush, Mitchell grass, cottonbush, swamp canegrass
Salt Lake Surrounds: samphire, sea-heath, nitre-bush, bladder saltbush, bluebush
Ranges: mulga, red mallee, dead-finish, fuschia bush, emu-bush, bluebush, bladder saltbush, rock sida
Tablelands & Gibber Downs: bladder saltbush, bluebush, cottonbush, copperburr, Mitchell grass, emubush
Water
The two major water resources in the district are the Great Artesian Basin and the river systems of the Cooper Creek and Diamantina/Warburton River. Irregular flood waters terminate in an extensive network of swamps and lakes such as Goyders Lagoon, Coongie Lakes and Lake Eyre in extreme flows.
Land Use & Industry
The major land use within the district is beef cattle production, with some sheep production south of the dog fence. Other land use includes oil, gas and geothermal exploration/production, parks and reserves, tourism and Aboriginal managed lands.
Land management Issues
Land management issues include: feral animals; pest plants; exploration impacts; tourist impacts; wind erosion; water management.