Bool Lagoon Game Reserve is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

located in the

Limestone Coast The Limestone Coast is a name used since the early twenty-first century for a South Australian government region located in the south east of South Australia which immediately adjoins the continental coastline and the Victorian border. The ...

region of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, about south of the town of Naracoorte.

History

The game reserve began as land in sections 223 and 224 of the cadastral unit of the

Hundred of Robertson The Hundred of Robertson is a Hundred of the County of Robe in South Australia. The hundred is located on the Limestone Coast region, south east of the state capital of Adelaide. The Hundred is located inland from the coast. References Rober ...

which acquired protected area status on 8 June 1967 simultaneously as a game reserve declared under the ''Fauna Conservation Act, 1964-1965'' and as a Fauna Conservation Reserve under the ''Crown Lands Act, 1929-1967'' in association with land in section 249. On 17 February 1972, section 356 was added to the game reserve. On 27 April 1972, land in sections 223 and 224 and 356 was reconstituted as the ''Bool Lagoon Game Reserve'' under the ''

National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 Protected areas of South Australia consists of protected areas located within South Australia and its immediate onshore waters and which are managed by South Australian Government agencies. As of March 2018, South Australia contains 359 separ ...

''. In 1980, it was listed on the now-defunct

Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heri ...

. In 1985, the area covered by both the game reserve and the Hacks Lagoon Conservation Park was added under the name "Bool and Hacks Lagoons" to the

List of Wetlands of International Importance This is the list of Wetlands of International Importance as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientif ...

maintained by the

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar site, Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on W ...

Ecology

While Bool Lagoon is officially a

game reserve A game reserve (also known as a wildlife preserve or a game park) is a large area of land where wild animals live safely or are hunted in a controlled way for sport. If hunting is prohibited, a game reserve may be considered a nature reserve; ...

, in dry years it attracts many waterbirds of many species, and is frequently a point of contention between

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a fo ...

hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, et ...

s and animal rights activists. 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 Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, b ...

. The lagoons are visited by up to 150 species of birds, many having migrated from the Northern Hemisphere. The reserve is classified as an IUCN class VI protected area. Another ecological issue is that in the past, hunters used much lead shot. In recent times, even when the lagoon is opened for hunting, only steel shot may be used.

Hydrology

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 Beachport is a small coastal town in the Australian state of South Australia about south-east of the state capital of Adelaide and about north-west of the municipal seat in Millicent, located at the northern end of Rivoli Bay. Beachport has ...

References

External links

Bool Lagoon Game Reserve and Hacks Lagoon Conservation Park official webpageBool Lagoon Game Reserve webpage on protected planet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bool Lagoon Game Reserve Limestone Coast Game reserves of South Australia Protected areas established in 1967 1967 establishments in Australia South Australian places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate Ramsar sites in Australia

History

Ecology

Hydrology

See also

References

External links