Feature Urban Park: Herdsman Lake Regional Park

Herdsman Lake Photo:Parks & Wildlife

Herdsman Lake is an extremely important wetland on the Swan Coastal Plain, as it supports a wide diversity of wildlife species, serves as an important bird breeding ground and is a summer refuge for trans-equatorial migratory birds.

The natural features of the Herdsman Lake in association with the grassed areas of Maurice Hamer Park and Glendalough Open Space attract many people to the Park. A range of recreation opportunities is provided for Park visitors. The Herdsman Lake Wildlife Centre is also a popular attraction in the Park for environmental education.

Herdsman Lake Regional Park is only seven kilometres northwest of central Perth, and at approximately 400 hectares in size, it is the largest wetland within Perth’s inner metropolitan region. It is part of a chain of wetlands that extends north to south, parallel to the coast, in the Spearwood Dune System. The Park comprises a variety of landscapes including permanent water bodies, seasonally dry wetlands and open parklands.

Herdsman Lake. Photo: Ron D’Raine

Herdsman Lake has high nature conservation value, supporting a diversity of wildlife. Herdsman Lake and its surrounds are of significance as a bird breeding and summer refuge supporting many waterfowl, bush birds and birds of prey. Over 100 species of birds have been recorded at Herdsman Lake, of which about one-third breed at the lake. Some of these birds are trans-equatorial migratory waders. Such an abundance and diversity of birdlife in an urban setting is very uncommon and provides the opportunity for visitors to appreciate the wildlife and habitat values of the Park.

The main threats to the biodiversity conservation values of the Lake are water pollution and increasing nutrients in the wetland system, sustained changes in water levels and weed invasion.

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