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Murray River Turtles laying eggs: Aroona Sanctuary

The introduced Murray River Turtles of Aroona Sanctuary dig a shallow hole above the banks of the Aroona Dam to house their eggs. In early November, they were seen in the act of digging nests. There were many other nests at the site, by which time, several were opened with egg shell remains. Incubation can take up to three months, or even the entire summer, with hatching happening after the rains of late summer or autumn. The opened eggs may have been preyed upon by native or introduced predators.

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Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby: Aroona Sanctuary

By the 1990s, Yellow-footed Rock-wallabies (Petrogale xanthopus) in the northern Flinders Ranges were under serious threat from predation, habitat degradation, historical hunting, and genetic isolation. In 1995, the area surrounding Aroona Dam was proclaimed a wildlife sanctuary. The following year, wallabies bred in captivity at Adelaide Zoo were reintroduced to the site. At the same time, major conservation measures were implemented, including fox and rabbit control, goat culling, and revegetation programs. Thanks to continued management and monitoring, the Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby population at Aroona Sanctuary has become self-sustaining and continues to breed successfully in the wild.

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Akurra Trail: Leigh Creek

The Akurra trail is a 10.5km (4hr) walk from Leigh Creek township to the picturesque Aroona Dam. Commencing at the health clinic, the path is clearly signposted and includes cultural information. It traverses the magnesite rich Myrtle Springs Formation, the colourful ridge of the Skillogalee Formation, and into the towering dam walls of the Copley Quartzite Formation.

Trail map can be downloaded, and you can also pick up an informative brochure at the Leigh Creek supermarket. On your way back, you can drop into the Leigh Creek Library geological display of local rock and mineral samples.

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Birds SA survey of Copley Retention Dam and Aroona Dam

On April 3-4th, 2018, 12 experienced birders with 5 spotting scopes, the usual binoculars and cameras with telephoto lens participated in a bird survey in waterways in the Copley Area.

69 species were recorded in two days.

Notes to accompany the  Bird Record Forms attached:

  1.  Retention Dam was surveyed twice. We did not walk around the whole dam but did walk from the northern “beach” end to the area where the creek flows in. The spotting scopes allowed us to scan the far side quite efficiently.
  2.  The “overflow” water over the main road north of Copley on the way to Lyndhurst was only surveyed once from midday or two hours. This was not an optimum time for birding.
  3. Aroona Dam was surveyed once – around the base of the dam wall and also from the top car park area.

Birds SA Reports

Copley – Leigh Creek Retention Dam 3 April 2018

Copley – Leigh Creek Retention Dam 4 April 2018

Copley – Leigh Creek Aroona Dam 4 April 2018

Copley – Leigh Creek Overflow 4 April 2018