Lake Muir

Infobox lake
lake_name = Lake Muir
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location = Western Australia
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basin_countries = Australia
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Lake Muir is a lake within an important wetlands area in the South west region of Western Australia, known as the "Lake Muir - Unicup System". It is located near the Muirs Highway North of Walpole and South East of Manjimup and is 46 square kilometres in area.

The region provides one of the few natural habitats for the Red and Green Kangaroo Paw which is the floral emblem [http://www.anbg.gov.au/emblems/wa.emblem.html] of Western Australia.

Historically the area was a Game Fowl Reserve, with a duck shooting season managed on bird numbers. CALM started monitoring the wetlands system in 1980 in order to better manage the duck shooting. However, within a few years the area was added to the Directory of Important Wetlands, acknowledging it's rich ecological diversity.

It is reputedly a good area for bird watchers to study the Western Corella, a Cockatoo.

In October 2005, evidence of damage to the wetlands area was published in WA Science. PDFlink| [http://www.ecu.edu.au/pa/rswa/Past_Proceedings/RSWA_October_Proceedings_2005.pdf] :

"..clearing of the land, and agriculture, have resulted in changes to the natural ecological processes in the waterways, and threaten the Muir-Unicup system."

External links

* [http://www.deh.gov.au/water/wetlands/database/directory/wa.html Australian Government Directory of Important Wetlands]
* [http://www.ramsar.org/wn/w.n.australia_newsites_2001.htm Muir-Byenup System]