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Since most tourism in the Kimberley is currently unmanaged, and since
the most utilised areas are usually on waterholes and biologically
significant refuge areas across the region, tourism has the potential to
become a significant threat to biodiversity values at focal points. The
range of impacts and potential impacts includes the over-collecting of
firewood, water pollution from campers, faecal contamination of sites,
litter accumulation, track erosion, vegetation destruction, and other
damage. No better examples of this are found than the site of the
near-by Camballin Wier, an example that the Looma people would like to
reverse through tourist education and caravan park promotion.
Myrooda Crossing, Nine Mile and the Camballin Wier are all close sites!
“Camballin Floodplain Wetland” is a major post-breeding refuge for
waterbirds in the Kimberley region; a major breeding area for some
waterbirds; and a major migration stop-over area for shorebirds. It is a
riverine floodplain contiguous with the Fitzroy River floodplain.
Distinct wetlands include LeLievre Swamp, Moulamen Swamp, 17 Mile Dam,
several unnamed swamps and Snake Creek.
Sixty-seven waterbird species are recorded. Thirteen are migrant
shorebirds, particularly sharp-tailed sandpiper
Calidris
acuminata, little curlew
Numenius
minutus and oriental pratincole
Glareola
maldivarum, and wood sandpiper
Tringa
glareola.
Unforgettable Sunsets
Camballin Weir The Mighty Fitzroy
River
Protection
of freshwater fish, frogs and lizards is high in the Kimberley region,
which harbours significant ecological refuges. Not surprisingly, these
are the areas that nature lovers seek out and focus on while travelling,
particularly in this area of the Kimberley. Camballin and the reaches of
the mighty Fitzroy have many rare species of freshwater shark, crock and
even the threatened Dwarf Freshwater Sawfish (Pristis microdon). The
Wood Sandpiper, Little Curlew and Pelicans on the Fitzroy River &
Wetlands.
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