Western River Wilderness Protection Area
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Western River Wilderness Protection Area South Australia |
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IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
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 Western River Wilderness Protection Area
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| Nearest town or city | Parndana |
| Coordinates | 35°42′00″S 136°54′30″E / 35.70000°S 136.90833°ECoordinates: 35°42′00″S 136°54′30″E / 35.70000°S 136.90833°E |
| Established | 1 October 1993 |
| Area | 2,467 hectares (6,100 acres) |
| Managing authorities | Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources |
| See also | Protected areas of South Australia |
Western River Wilderness Protection Area, formerly the Western River Conservation Park, is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located on the north coast of Kangaroo Island about 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Parndana in the gazetted locality of Western River. It was originally proclaimed at a conservation park on 27 April 1972 to conserve a broad cross-section of vegetation from the main plateau area of the island to its coastal slopes and cliffs and the majority of its extent was proclaimed as a wilderness protection area on 1 October 1993 and with the remainder being added on the 5 October 2006.
The wilderness protection area has an area of 2,467 ha (6,100 acres). The topography is rugged, with numerous steep slopes and deep gullies. The vegetation consists mainly of open forest, woodland and scrub associations dominated by Eucalyptus cladocalyx, E. baxteri, E. diversifolia and E. cosmophylla. There are also areas of Allocasuarina muelleriana open heath and A. verticillata low open forest. It contains nesting and feeding habitat for Glossy Black Cockatoos. Scenic features include the coastal cliffs and the waterfall on Waterfall Creek.
The wilderness protection area is classified as an IUCN Category Ib protected area.
The following qualities have been identified by the government agency managing the wilderness protection area:
While there are some relatively minor impacts of modern technology, the area has distinctive wilderness attributes and warrants protection and restoration in accordance with the provisions of the Act. In addition to its rugged terrain and high coastal cliffs that are characteristic of the northern coast of Kangaroo Island, Western River Wilderness Protection Area is highly valued for the presence of habitat for the endangered Glossy Black-cockatoo. Plant species diversity is high and the vegetation exhibits a wide cross-section of Kangaroo Island vegetation.
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