The park protects part of what is now the largest continuous tract of river red gum forest in the world.

The inclusion of forested wetlands in the national park system is significant given they occur only in riverine corridors and floodplains on rich alluvial soils prized for their timber and an agricultural production.

The river red gum forests are an important component of the broader Murrumbidgee floodplain ecosystem.

They contribute valuable ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, in the otherwise heavily cleared bioregion.

The Murrumbidgee River is highly modified due to irrigation in the region which has altered natural flooding regimes.