 Marshes near the river support an extensive range of waterbirds, including migratory waders and is used for education and interpretation purposes.The wetlands surrounding the Gippsland Lakes are listed for international significance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.There are a number of Australian Aboriginal names for the river including the same phrase or word meaning a "spoon-billed duck" spelled variously as Wangan in the Ganai language; Wy-yung in Brabralung language; and Wahyang in no defined language group.