Abstract
The Lakes Argyle and Kununurra Ramsar site is located in the north east of Western Australia, within the Timor Sea Drainage Division (bioregion). The site covers approximately 117 000 hectares and lies within the Shire of Wyndham – East Kimberley (see current Ramsar information sheet for precise area). The northern extent of the site (Lake Kununurra) is within the town of Kununurra (population in 2006; 5700) and Lake Argyle is immediately upstream (Figure E1). Lakes Argyle and Kununurra were formed by the construction of dams on the Ord River for the supply of irrigation water to the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA). Lake Kununurra was formed in 1963, with the construction of the 20 metres tall Lake Kununurra Diversion Dam, located approximately five kilometres east of Kununurra. Lake Argyle was formed following the construction of the Ord River Dam 55 kilometres upstream, which was completed in 1973 (DoW 2006). In 1996 the spillway from Lake Argyle was raised by six metres to improve reliability of water for hydroelectric power generation.