Native Vegetation Group 18 - Wetlands
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Wetlands Native Vegetation Map
High resolution map of Simplified Native Vegetation Group 18 (PDF - 500 Kb) - includes major roads and towns.
Ecological Vegetation Class Descriptions
Bioregional Conservation Status and EVC benchmarks
18.1 Wetlands – Freshwater
EVC 11 Coastal Lagoon Wetland
Collective label for the various zones of vegetation associated with sedge-fringed aquatic vegetation of near coastal lagoons. Components include Aquatic Sedgeland, Aquatic Herbland and Swamp Scrub.
EVC 12 Wet Swale Herbland
Wetland vegetation of coastal barrier lagoons, including mixture of aquatic grasses, sedges and herbs.
EVC 74 Wetland Formation
Herbland of permanent to semi-permanent wetlands, dominated by sedges (especially on shallower verges) and/or aquatic herbs. Occurs on fertile paludal soils, typically heavy clays beneath organic accumulations.
EVC 104 Lignum Swamp
A relatively heterogeneous group of species-poor wetlands dominated by robust and often dense lignum.
EVC 107 Lake Bed Herbland
Herbland dominated by species adapted to drying mud within lake beds. Some evade periods of prolonged inundation as seed, others as dormant tuberous rootstocks.
EVC 125 Plains Grassy Wetland
Grassy-herbaceous shallow seasonal wetlands of lowland plains, characteristically species-rich (at least on verges) when relatively intact. Zones interpreted as representing complexes between Plains Grassy Wetland and several other wetland EVCs are frequently present.
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EVC 136 Sedge Wetland
Occupies seasonal wetlands and consists of generally treeless vegetation dominated by sedges. May contain a fringe of shrubs and isolated shrubs may also be present throughout. Usually of low diversity in central areas, but richer on verges and in some more ephemeral forms of the EVC. Frequently on soils of high organic content, in depressions within sandy terrain.
EVC 172 Floodplain Wetland Aggregate
Collective label for the various zones of vegetation associated with wetlands of riparian floodplains, best developed in association with Floodplain Riparian Woodland. Potentially includes mosaics of scrub/shrubland, reedbed, sedgeland, rushland, grassland and/or herbland zones. The following components are variously recognisable within Floodplain Wetland: Aquatic Herbland, Aquatic Sedgeland, Tall Marsh, Swamp Scrub, Floodway Pond Herbland and Dwarf Floating Aquatic Herbland. Billabong Wetland is also an aggregate EVC including many of these components.
EVC 200 Shallow Freshwater Marsh
Herbland of permanent to semi-permanent wetlands, dominated by sedges (especially on shallower verges) and/or aquatic herbs. Occurs on fertile paludal soils, typically heavy clays beneath organic accumulations.
EVC 239 Alpine Creekline Herbland
Dense herbaceous mats occurring along snow patch drainage-lines and upper creeklines in alpine areas, on thin organic/soils of Quaternary organic origin, associated with gravel and rock.
EVC 281 Sedge-rich Wetland
Treeless (or nearly so) vegetation of small swamps on seasonal drainage-lines, characterised by a diversity of small sedges, the extent of bare earth and lack of shrubs. Habitat prone to shallow seasonal inundation and extreme summer dryness. Typically species-rich, with many seasonal species present at very low frequencies.
EVC 284 Claypan Ephemeral Wetland
Herb-dominated vegetation, in shallow seasonally inundated habitat on cracking silty clays (within Alluvial Terraces Herb-rich Woodland), with a range of small herbs indicative of wetness, in particular ephemeral monocots.
EVC 288_61 Alpine Valley Peatland (Raised Bog)
A dwarf heathland of intermittently wet high altitude valley floors and terraces associated with creeks and bogs. Typically dominated by Epacris glacialis and Empodisma minus growing on former peatland on the margins of alpine wetlands, streams and bogs. Alpine Valley Peatland is a bog that has dried out such that it can no longer support Sphagnum, a non-vascular plant species that is intolerant of the drying out of wet peat soils.
EVC 288_62 Alpine Valley Peatland (Valley Bog)
Sphagnum Moss and sedge dominated vegetation of alpine and some sub-alpine valley floors. Waterlogging and cold air drainage are important environmental variables determining the extent of this extremely rare EVC as is the in-situ development of peat – soils comprising the undecomposed remains of plant materials. Shrubs may be present but emerge from a more or less continuous cover of Sphagnum moss. Other prominent life-forms are also herbaceous and include various forbs, lilies, and tussock grasses. Much of the habitat has been lost to the construction of water impoundments and stock grazing has degraded remaining areas.
EVC 289 Moira Plain Wetland
Species-poor vegetation dominated by Southern Cane Grass occurring in association with seasonal wetlands of low rainfall plains areas, typically on extremely heavy, grey clay soils.
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EVC 291 Cane Grass Wetland
Species-poor vegetation dominated by Southern Cane Grass occurring in association with seasonal wetlands of low rainfall plains areas, typically on extremely heavy, grey clay soils.
EVC 292 Red Gum Swamp
Woodland of swampy depressions of lowland plains, with sedgy-herbaceous understorey including aquatic species.
EVC 300 Reed Swamp - see EVC 821 Tall Marsh
EVC 306 Aquatic Grassy Wetland
Seasonal wetland on plains, dominated by rhizomatous to stoloniferous floating grasses, in association with mainly aquatic species. Turf grassland under drier conditions. Treeless or with scattered River Red-gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis present.
EVC 308 Aquatic Sedgeland
Very species-poor vegetation dominated by one to several species of robust inundation-tolerant rhizomatous sedges, typically with culms septate or otherwise including large air-spaces, with vegetative growth extending into virtually permanent water.
EVC 334 Billabong Wetland Aggregate
Collective label for the various zones of vegetation associated with lagoons/billabongs on floodplains. Relevant EVCs are Floodplain Wetland Aggregate; and terrestrial EVCs Floodplain Riparian Woodland; Floodplain Riparian Woodland/Floodplain Wetland Mosaic; Floodplain Riparian Woodland/Billabong Wetland Aggregate. Recognisable components of Billabong Wetland Aggregate include Aquatic Herbland, Aquatic Sedgeland, Tall Marsh, Dwarf Floating Aquatic Herbland and Floodway Pond Herbland.
EVC 369 Black Box Wetland
Black Box Eucalyptus largiflorens with sedgy - herbaceous understorey including species indicative of wetland habitats. Seasonally swampy woodland, aquatics present within Black Box dominated vegetation.
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EVC 591 Calcareous Wet Herbland
Low wetland vegetation dominated by inundation tolerant herbs. The floristics are indicative of calcareous conditions.
EVC 647 Plains Sedgy Wetland
Sedge-dominated wetland vegetation of lowland plains, with conspicuous and potentially diverse herbaceous component, including species characteristically associated with wet sites on fertile soils. Moisture supply appears to be more reliable (e.g. associated with springs/seepage) than for sites supporting Plains Grassy Wetland.
EVC 653 Aquatic Herbland
Semi-permanent to seasonal wetland vegetation, treeless (or nearly so), dominated by herbaceous aquatic species (typically with at least rootstocks tolerant of dry periods).
EVC 655 Lignum-Cane Grass Swamp
Shrubland typically very species-poor except on outer verges. May include species typical of more saline areas. Occurs in low rainfall areas in shallow depressions, on very heavy grey clay soils, prone to turbidity when inundated and extreme cracking when dry.
EVC 678 Ephemeral Drainage-line Grassy Wetland
Ephemeral wetlands in gilgai systems along poorly defined drainage lines within native grassland, with patchy local variation of the balance between wetland and dryland elements of flora.
EVC 680 Freshwater Meadow
Herbland of shallow, semi-permanent wetlands, dominated by sedges (especially on shallower verges) and/or aquatic herbs. Occurs on fertile paludal soils, typically heavy clays beneath organic accumulations.
EVC 681 Deep Freshwater Marsh
Herbland of permanent wetlands, dominated by sedges (especially on shallower verges) and/or aquatic herbs. Occurs on fertile paludal soils, typically heavy clays beneath organic accumulations.
EVC 718 Freshwater Lake Aggregate
Collective label for the various zones of vegetation associated with the floors and verges of freshwater lakes. Central deeper areas support Aquatic Herbland, Submerged Aquatic Herbland or open water (and bare earth or Lake Bed Herbland when dry). A range of communities can occur on the fringes (see landscape profile key). Variants of Tall Marsh (e.g. Reed Swamp) are often present in more sheltered verges.
EVC 721 Fern Swamp
Ferny (to sedgy-ferny) swampy drainage-line vegetation of high-rainfall areas (mostly occurring along drainage systems which support Riparian Thicket or Cool Temperate Rainforest in more free-draining areas). Woody species are generally confined to sparse emergent tall shrubs /small trees, but sparse emergent Eucalyptus ovata are sometimes present.
EVC 723 Forest Bog
Wetland comprising an open, frequently pedestalled shrubland with open clumps of large graminoids (notably restiads), and with the lower strata dominated by semi-aquatic herbs or sphagnum moss.
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EVC 728 Forest Creekline Sedge Swamp
Sedge-dominated wetlands of drainage-line terraces within moist to wet forest areas.
EVC 800 Riparian Forest Wetland
Small herbaceous/grassy wetlands within variants of Riparian Forest or (Riparian) Damp Forest, extending to minor occurrences as a component of Gallery Rainforest. Occurs in small low-lying areas or depressions on riparian terraces of cooler areas of the State, mostly associated with floodways and former stream channels, but sometimes fed by seepage or run-off from adjacent slopes. Soils are characteristically Quaternary alluvium.
EVC 804 Rushy Riverine Swamp
Collective label for the various zones of vegetation associated with semi-permanent wetlands with (turf/aquatic) grassy species co-dominating in mosaic or association with components of tall rushland and aquatic herbs. Concentrically zoned wetland with lawn-like grassy centres during drier periods or as patchy structural mosaic. Can be viewed as an aggregate or a set of variously represented components, variously including species poor components of Tall Marsh, Floodplain Grassy Wetland, Aquatic Sedgeland, Aquatic Herbland and Dwarf Floating Aquatic Herbland.
EVC 807 Disused Floodway Shrubby Herbland
Low open chenopod shrubland (to herbland) occurring along floodway channels which are disused under current river flows. Vegetation comprises mixtures of small chenopods that have colonised under drier conditions and at least sparse remnant component of herb species associated with floodways.
EVC 809 Floodplain Grassy Wetland
Wetland dominated by floating aquatic grasses (which persist to some extent as turf during drier periods), occurring in the most flood-prone riverine areas. Typically treeless, but sometimes with thickets of saplings or scattered more mature specimens of River Red-gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis.
EVC 810 Floodway Pond Herbland
Low herbland on the drying mud of floors of ponds on floodway systems (mainly riverine floodplains). The floristics (and diversity) can be quite variable (both spatially and temporally), according to the traits of the relevant individual pond. The floristics also vary in temporal cycles with the ‘unvegetated’ unit and probably between seasons at some locations.
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EVC 819 Spike-sedge Wetland
Low sedgy vegetation of seasonal or intermittent wetlands, dominated by spike-sedges and usually species-poor. Typically treeless, but sparse eucalypts (mostly E. camaldulensis) can be present in marginal sites.
EVC 821 Tall Marsh
Wetland dominated by tall emergent graminoids, typically in thick species-poor swards. Rushland, sedgeland or reedbed - locally closed or in association or fine-scale mosaic with Aquatic Herbland (e.g. along floodway lagoons). At optimum development, the vegetation is treeless, but sparse Eucalyptus camaldulensis (or in higher rainfall areas, E. ovata) are dispersed through some sites where sufficient dry periods occur to allow their survival.
EVC 857 Stony Rises Pond Aggregate
Collective label for the various zones of wetland vegetation associated with more permanent ponds of basaltic stony rises (notably near Camperdown). Components include Dwarf Floating Aquatic Herbland and Wet Verge Sedgeland / Tall Marsh.
EVC 875 Blocked Coastal Stream Swamp
Dense sedgeland, dominated by Cladium procerum, associated with blocked streams of calcareous coastal habitats.
EVC 899 Plains Freshwater Sedge Wetland
Occurs in seasonally wet depressions on volcanic and sedimentary plains, typically associated with fertile, silty, peaty or heavy clay paludal soils. Primarily sedgy-herbaceous vegetation, sometimes with scattered or fringing eucalypts or tea-tree/paperbark shrubs in higher rainfall areas. A range of aquatic herbs can be present, and species-richness is mostly relatively low to moderate, but higher towards drier margins.
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EVC 905 Alpine Short Herbland
Dwarf herbland to sedgeland in localised dense clumps, occurring on wet alpine soils in sites with a short growing season. Associated with snow patch soaks and terraces on upper creek heads, on peaty-stony soils. Soils are constantly water-logged and variously subject to intermittent deeper inundation.
EVC 908 Sink-hole Wetland
Collective label for the various zones of wetland vegetation associated with near-coastal sink-holes in limestone. The central ‘sink-hole’ portions of the relevant wetlands are species-poor, with mats of aquatics. This inner zone is fringed by a sedgy verge, which is fringed by Swamp Scrub at the few known sites.
EVC 912 Stony Knoll Pond
Open tussock grassland to grassy herbland of extremely small ephemeral wetlands associated with seepage ponds / soaks on and around stony knolls.
EVC 913 Alpine Pond Herbland
Herbland occurring on systems of small temporary ponds in alpine areas within the EVCs Sub-alpine Wet Heathland, Alpine Damp Heathland and/or Alpine Damp Grassland. These habitats are poorly understood and the known sites are on granitic geologies, typically with humified peat soils.
EVC 917 Sub-alpine Wet Sedgeland
Treeless tussocky (grassy-sedgy) vegetation of wet plains on sub-alpine (apparently to alpine) creek flats, with patchy inter-tussock matting of Sphagnum spp. (with few large Sphagnum hummocks, and patchy Callistemon shrubland, both primarily on upper margins). Relatively species-poor where tussocks or sward density is moderate to high.
EVC 918 Submerged Aquatic Herbland
Extensive submerged beds of Eel Grass (Vallisneria americana var. americana) in lakes and watercourse ponds.
EVC 920 Sweet Grass Wetland
Very species-poor wetland vegetation, dominated by Sweet Grass (distinguished from Plains Grassy Wetland by extremely low diversity - it is frequently mono-specific or virtually so). Sweet Grass Wetland can form an inner zone to Plains Grassy Wetland and in some (but not all) instances a pragmatic approach may treat Sweet Grass as a very species-poor phase of Plains Grassy Wetland.
EVC 932 Wet Verge Sedgeland
Tussock Sedge wetland component of cooler areas, occasionally occurring as main wetland vegetation present, typically dominated by Carex appressa.
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EVC 949 Dwarf Floating Aquatic Herbland
Surface layer of dwarf free-floating plants, usually as component of more diverse aquatic systems, but sometimes comprising the only life-form present, and potentially expanding over broad areas during inundation.
EVC 951 Ephemeral Gilgai Wetland
Low herbland occurring on heavy clay soils on deep gilgai pits within drier habitats such as the driest woodlands and mallee communities of the northern Wimmera to southern Mallee.
EVC 954 Freshwater Lignum-Cane Grass Swamp
Open shrubland to grassy shrubland of Muehlenbeckia florulenta and Eragrostis infecunda dominated wetland, usually very species-poor in central deeper areas, but potentially diverse and herb-rich on the outer fringes.
EVC 956 Herb-rich Gilgai Wetland
Herbland of very small, seasonally wet gilgai depressions on heavy soil plains, occurring within woodland or open woodland, to grassland. A high diversity of species and range of life-forms present in relatively intact examples.
EVC 961 Plains Rushy Wetland
Rush-dominated wetland with floristic affinities to Plains Grassy Wetland. Occurs as a shallow wetland on drier plains, only intermittently inundated and on heavy reddish brown to grey-brown or grey clay soils.
EVC 962 Riparian Wetland
Aquatic herbaceous vegetation with medium to tall sedges and rushes on the verges of larger watercourses and their ponds and backwaters. In-stream wetland, extending to lower flood-prone banks on relatively quiet stretches of stream verge on various forms of alluvial soil.
EVC 965 Damp Swale Herbland
Low heathy, sedgy-mossy shrubland of boggy montane to sub-montane valley habitats. Can be fringed by or include sparse eucalypts (variously E. pauciflora, E. stellulata, E. dalrympleana, E. rubida and E. delegatensis).
EVC 966 Montane Bog
Low heathy, sedgy-mossy shrubland to herbland. Occurs in boggy valley habitats associated with the heads of drainage-systems in montane areas subject to cold-air accumulation.
EVC 974 Lava Plain Ephemeral Wetland
Low herbland of ephemeral wetlands on shallow brown loamy soils. Occurs on distinctive rocky plains substrate in an extremely restricted and localised area near Byaduk on lava flows from Mt Napier in the further south-west of the State.
EVC 975 Riverine Ephemeral Wetland
Herbland of floor of riverine depression, with a mixture of species from less inundation-prone riverine forest/woodland and species of shallow ephemeral wetland.
EVC 976 Coastal Ephemeral Wetland
Range of moisture requiring herbs in association with species of moister dryland grassy vegetation. The original structure was presumably a woodland with a grassy understorey, possibly with a shrubby component conspicuous, and including small dispersed areas of ephemeral to seasonal wetland. Occurs on fertile soils in close proximity to the coast.
EVC 1009 Montane Fen
A grassland/sedgeland occurring in broad, drainage areas of permanent water bodies in montane cold air drainage valleys. Montane Fen is usually found ‘nested’ within Montane Wet Heathland. It typically presents as a stand of large grass tussocks emergent from a shallow wetland. Shallow water may have a dense to discontinuous sward of sedges.
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18.2 Wetlands - Brackish/estuarine
EVC 10 Estuarine Wetland
Grows on anaerobic peat-rich muds on the edges of estuarine waterbodies such as creeks, rivers and lagoons with intermediate salinity conditions. Vegetation is determined by fluctuating salinity, which varies in time from occasionally fresh to brackish or occasionally saline according to river flood and marine tide events. Dominated by graminoids and halophytic herbs and often fringed by a tall scrub layer of Swamp Paperbark Melaleuca ericifolia at the landward edge.
EVC 13 Brackish Sedgeland
Medium to tall sedgeland, dominated by salt-tolerant sedges in association with low halophytic grassy / herbaceous ground-layer.
EVC 537 Brackish Aquatic Herbland
Submerged (to weakly emergent) aquatic herbland occurring in brackish to lightly saline shallow lakes. The herbland includes salt-tolerant aquatic species in semi-attached floating mats. Soils are usually grey to blue-grey clays, sometimes with an organic silty surface layer.
EVC 538 Brackish Herbland
Low herbland (sometimes with grassy/sedgy patches), dominated by species tolerant of mildly saline conditions and intermittent inundation. Occurs in brackish conditions associated with inland drainage-basins and lakes, and also estuarine locations. Inundation is mostly shallow and intermittent, but soils typically remain at least damp over much of the year.
EVC 539 Brackish Lake Bed Herbland
Low herbland of salt-tolerant species developing on drying lake beds. Floristics can vary seasonally (and can be in temporal phase with the open water / bare mud ‘unvegetated’ unit).
EVC 636 Brackish Lake Aggregate
Collective label for the various zones of vegetation associated with the floors and verges of brackish lakes. Identifiable components of the aggregate variously include Brackish Aquatic Herbland, Brackish Lake Bed Herbland, Brackish Herbland and Brackish Wetland.
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EVC 643 Brackish Drainage-line Aggregate
Treeless EVC dominated by sedges and herbs that are generally indicative of saline conditions. True halophytic species such as samphires, if present, only occur with very low cover. Occurs on heavy clay and organic alluvial soils along salinised minor drainage lines.
EVC 656 Brackish Wetland
Collective label for the various zones of sedgy-herbaceous vegetation associated with sub-saline wetlands. Components variously include wetter versions of Brackish Sedgeland, Brackish Herbland and Saline Aquatic Meadow.
EVC 842 Saline Aquatic Meadow
Submerged herbland of thin grass-like plants, occurring within brackish to saline waterbodies (shallow lakes and swamps and intermittent wetland ponds). The vegetation is characteristically extremely species-poor, comprising one or more species of Lepilaena and/or Ruppia.
EVC 845 Sea Grass Meadow
Aquatic meadow dominated by stands of Sea-grass Zostera spp. often in association with Mangrove Shrubland. Associated with sheltered marine shallows, intertidal flats and estuarine inlets.
EVC 891 Plains Brackish Sedge Wetland
A closed sedgeland occurring on flat to very gently sloping terrain around the edges of brackish lakes and dominated by Sharp Club-sedge Schoenoplectus pungens with herbs of brackish sites and a component of Common Spike-sedge Eleocharis acuta.
EVC 914 Estuarine Flats Grassland
Closed to open grassland with occasional shrubs occurring on estuarine flats often associated with current or old beach berms or sand sheets that are occasionally inundated by high tides. Occupies areas on marginally higher ground inland from Coastal Saltmarsh.
EVC 934 Brackish Grassland
Grassland or sedgeland occurring on silts in low-lying areas within brackish floodplains. Often occurs in association with Brackish Wetland.
EVC 947 Brackish Lignum Swamp
Wetland dominated by Muehlenbeckia florulenta (variously with Eragrostis infecunda), with a component or patches of salt-tolerant herbs (at least at low to moderate levels of salinity) and usually also with some species common to freshwater habitats. Can be very species-poor apart from introduced annuals. Sites with a higher diversity of salt-tolerant native species, at least around the drier outer verges, are generally presumed to have been somewhat saline prior to European settlement. However, species-poor character does not necessarily imply that the site is degraded or highly modified.
EVC 952 Estuarine Reedbed
Reedbed with a sparse herbaceous ground-layer of salt-tolerant herbs. Occurs in sub-saline situations of coastal estuaries that are sometimes periodically blocked by sand bars. The habitat is subject to surface salinity as well as flushing by freshwater, including via ground-water, but is beyond direct inundation from normal tidal inputs. Distinguished from Estuarine Wetland by the vigour and total dominance of the reeds, as well as the absence of samphires in the ground layer.
EVC 953 Estuarine Scrub
Myrtaceous shrubland to scrub with shared Swamp Scrub species occurring in association with a ground-layer dominated by halophytic herbs. Occurs in estuaries and seepage zones at the rear of saltmarshes, notably on the verges of Estuarine Wetland (peripheral or further upstream), where fresh-water inputs (in particular via ground-water) are sufficient to sustain shrubs but saline surface inputs maintain a halophytic ground-layer. Soils are typically of high organic content, often silty/peaty, with a thick surface layer of organic detritus.
EVC 964 Shell Beach Herbland
Turf grassland to herbland mounds within largely unvegetated areas on shell deposits on a saline lake verge, over grey clay soils. Extremely localised, recorded only from the fringe of Lake Corangamite near Cundare in the Western District of Victoria.
EVC 968 Gahnia Sedgeland
Species-poor, tall and usually dense sedgeland with component of smaller sedges dominant in ground-layer. Occurs on near coastal wet flats and soaks at elevations near sea-level. Soils are sandy with high organic content to variously silty-peaty on calcareous substrates.
EVC 973 Brackish Shrubland
Shrubland vegetation fringing claypans and shallow salt lakes, with dominant species tolerant of lower levels of salinity, but ground-layer with sparse grassy - herbaceous ground-layer with few if any halophytic species. Ephemerals are prevalent and indicative of seasonal water-logging. Rare and localised in south-west Victoria.
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Bioregional Conservation Status and EVC benchmarks
An EVC may have a different conservation status in each bioregion in which it is found. To look up an EVC's Bioregional Conservation Status (BCS), download the spreadsheet on the Simplified Native Vegetation Groups page.
You can also use this spreadsheet to help find the corresponding EVC benchmarks, which are listed by bioregion.
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