Where is Warriparinga?

    Warriparinga is located on a 3.5 hectare reserve on the corner of Sturt Road and Marion Road (Laffer's Triangle) in the suburb of Sturt.

    Water is diverted into the wetlands from the Sturt River, which is fed upstream by two major creek systems ­? Minno and Chambers creeks.

    What is a wetland?

    Areas that are permanently or temporarily covered with fresh water on a regular basis are usually referred to as wetlands. Artificial wetlands, like Warriparinga, are being built in Adelaide to slow and retain stormwater flows and improve water quality.

    Why are wetlands important?

    Wetlands are important areas that support native animals and vegetation. They provide wildlife corridors that allow birds and animals to move freely.

    Wetlands also help to keep waterways clean and reduce the likelihood of algal blooms. They do this by filtering nutrients and sediments from rainwater collected from the catchment area.

    Warriparinga Wetlands and Sturt River also provides communities with recreation and leisure opportunities, including walking, bird watching and recreational fishing and cycling along the Linear Trail.

    The wetlands were built as one of a range of strategies to improve water quality in the Sturt River following an assessment by the Patawalonga Catchment Water Management Board (now part of the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board) in the mid-1990s.

    Warriparinga Wetlands is now under the management of the City of Marion.

    What is council currently doing to manage the wetlands?

    Gates to reduce the flow of water into Warriparinga Wetlands are being installed as the first phase of a long-term plan to improve water quality.

    Reducing the flow of water from Sturt River into the wetlands will encourage aquatic plants to grow. There will also be a noticeable drop in water levels during spring and summer. The combination of more plants and less water aims to create a more effective natural filtration system to improve the quality of the water.

    The gates will allow council to safely control the flow of water both into and out of the wetlands. This will help to protect the Sturt River by reducing erosion and improving the quality of water that is returned to the river.

    What are the management objectives of the site?

    The key objective of the wetlands is to improve water quality.

    The Wetland Advisory Group has been formed to guide council on a range of scientific and technical issues. The group comprises representatives from PIRSA, SARDI, the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board, the volunteer group Friends of Warriparinga, and council staff.

    What about mosquitoes?

    Mosquitoes are more likely to breed in still water than in a well-maintained wetland. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and small bodied native fish thrive in healthy, well-maintained wetlands and many are natural predators of mosquitoes.

    Mosquito populations are regularly monitored at Warriparinga and no significant increases in have been detected. Work is underway to further improve water quality and habitat to reduce the risk of high numbers of mosquitoes.