__NOTOC__ American River Aquatic Reserve was a

marine protected area Marine protected areas (MPA) are protected areas of seas, oceans, estuaries or in the US, the Great Lakes. These marine areas can come in many forms ranging from wildlife refuges to research facilities. MPAs restrict human activity for a conserv ...

in the Australian state of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

located on the north coast of

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta Pintingga (literally 'Island of the Dead' in the language of the Kaurna people), is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest ...

in waters of the coastal lagoon known as

Pelican Lagoon Pelican Lagoon is a seawater lagoon in the Australian state of South Australia located on the north coast of Kangaroo Island about south east of Kingscote. It was named by Matthew Flinders on 4 April 1802 after the large population of peli ...

, in existence from 1971 to 2016. From 2012, the Pelican Lagoon Sanctuary Zone has fallen within the

Encounter Marine Park Encounter Marine Park is a marine park in South Australia. It is in the Fleurieu Peninsula in state of South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the m ...

. Pelican Lagoon is probably the oldest marine protected area in South Australia, having been protected since 1914. It was classified as an

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

Category II protected area. On 20 October 2016, the reserve was abolished.

History and description

American River Aquatic Reserve, also called the Pelican Lagoon Aquatic Reserve in some sources, was declared on 30 November 1971 under the ''Fisheries Act 1971'' and was re-proclaimed in 2007 following the enactment of the ''Fisheries Management Act 2007''. In 1987, it was reported as being the oldest operating aquatic reserve created under fisheries legislation in South Australia. From 2012, it was located within the boundaries of a “sanctuary zone” within the Encounter Marine Park. The aquatic reserve was classified as an

Category II protected area. On 20 October 2016, the reserve was abolished.

Description

The purpose of the aquatic reserve was to "protect

seagrass Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae), all in the orde ...

mudflats and to provide a sanctuary for juvenile and adult fish, including whiting". This was achieved by the prohibition of both fishing and the collection of marine organisms within its waters. Access was permitted and activities such as

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, b ...

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

and

recreational diving Recreational diving or sport diving is diving for the purpose of leisure and enjoyment, usually when using scuba equipment. The term "recreational diving" may also be used in contradistinction to "technical diving", a more demanding aspect of r ...

(i.e.

snorkelling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a ...

and

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

) were also permitted. The aquatic reserve covered the full extent of the lagoon up including part of the inlet stopping at a line running from Picnic Point across to the adjoining shore just south of the

American River , name_etymology = , image = American River CA.jpg , image_size = 300 , image_caption = The American River at Folsom , map = Americanrivermap.png , map_size = 300 , map_caption ...

township.

Present

The Pelican Lagoon Sanctuary Zone lies within Encounter Marine Park and is managed by National Parks South Australia. Pelican Lagoon is probably the oldest marine protected area in South Australia, having been protected since 1914.

References

External links

Entry for American River Aquatic Reserve on the Protected Planet website
{{authority control Aquatic reserves of South Australia Protected areas established in 1971 1971 establishments in Australia Protected areas disestablished in 2016 2016 disestablishments in Australia Protected areas of Kangaroo Island

History and description

Description

Present

See also

References

External links