Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve
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Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve New South Wales |
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IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
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An image of a healthy marsh in Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve, taken in 2010
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 Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve
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| Nearest town or city | Dubbo |
| Coordinates | 30°38′24″S 147°41′31″E / 30.64000°S 147.69194°ECoordinates: 30°38′24″S 147°41′31″E / 30.64000°S 147.69194°E |
| Established | January 1971 |
| Area | 198.24 km2 (76.5 sq mi) |
| Website | Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve |
| See also | Protected areas of New South Wales |
The Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve is a protected natural wetland reserve that is located within the Macquarie Marshes, in the region along the lower Macquarie River in northwestern New South Wales, Australia. The 19,824-hectare (48,990-acre) reserve is situated approximately 600 kilometres (370 mi) northwest of Sydney and 100 kilometres (62 mi) north of Warren.
The Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve is the core of the Macquarie Marshes. It is the area most frequently flooded and contains samples of all the habitat types present in the Marshes. Nevertheless, there are large and significant wetland areas outside the nature reserve, including extensive river red gum areas and some of the largest rookeries in the Marshes.
The marshes are created by irregular flooding of the flat lands along the river. The nature reserve extends over an area of almost 20,000 hectares (49,000 acres), approximately 10% of the Macquarie Marshes floodplain. It consists of two main reserves, the North and South Marsh, and a third small reserve. The North and South Marsh Nature Reserves were listed as a wetland of international importance in 1986 under the Ramsar Convention of 1971. The Macquarie Marshes are also listed on the Register of the National Estate, the Register of the National Trust of Australia, and the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia. The reserve is part of the Macquarie Marshes Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance as a breeding site for waterbirds.
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