Bool Lagoon Game Reserve

Infobox_protected_area_of_Australia | name = Bool Lagoon Game Reserve
iucn_category = IV

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caption =
locator_x = 186
locator_y = 195
nearest_town_or_city = Naracoorte
coordinates = coord|37|07|S|140|41|E|region:AU-SA
area = 30.92 km²
established = 1967
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
managing_authorities = Department for Environment and Heritage
official_site =

Bool Lagoon is a game reserve in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, about 20 km south of Naracoorte, near Wrattonbully.

While Bool Lagoon is officially a game reserve, in dry years it attracts a lot of waterbirds of many species, and is frequently a point of contention between duck hunters and conservationists. The adjacent Hacks Lagoon Conservation Park also provides refuge for waterbirds. There are a number of boardwalks and bird hides at both lagoons to facilitate birdwatching. The lagoons are visited by up to 150 species of birds, many having migrated from the Northern Hemisphere. UNESCO have designated the wetlands as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Mosquito Creek flows into Hacks Lagoon, and any overflow flows into Bool Lagoon. Mosquito Creek used to continue out of Hacks Lagoon to spread out on the plains near Naracoorte, but is now blocked and any excess water is directed through a drain from Bool Lagoon to the coast near Beachport.

Another ecological issue is that in the past, a lot of lead shot was used by hunters. In recent times, even when the lagoon is opened for hunting, only steel shot may be used.

External links

* [http://www.deh.gov.au/water/rivers/nrhp/wetlands/chapter4-bool.html Department of Environment and Heritage]
* [http://www.postcards.sa.com.au/features/bool_lagoon_reserve.html Postcards]
* [http://www.wetlands.org/reports/ris/5AU026en.pdf Ramsar fact sheet]