Located in inland
New South Wales and
Queensland, these are flat plains with some low hills and infertile sandy soil with a cover of grasses and shrubs with mulga and
eucalyptus trees. The region contains areas of wetland, most of them only seasonally flooded, these include
Lake Wyara and
Lake Numalla, the
Currawinya Lakes,
Lake Bindegolly and others on the
Warrego and the
Paroo Rivers, the latter of which in particular remains relatively unmanaged and in its natural state. The area has a very dry climate, with unpredictable low rainfall (450–650 mm per year). The plains are drained in three directions: the eastern side by the
Wallam,
Nebine and
Mungallala Creeks (tributaries of the
Culgoa River), and the Warrego and Paroo rivers into the
Murray-Darling basin; the southwest by the
Bulloo River into wetlands near the
Simpson Desert; and finally the northern side by the
Barcoo River towards
Lake Eyre. The
Great Artesian Basin lies below these plains and more rich patches of wildlife are found around
mound springs stemming from the basin. The Mulga Lands are defined by their plant life and poor soil and as such are distinct from neighbouring
ecoregions, the
Brigalow Belt to the east and the
Mitchell Grass Downs to the north, both of which have better soil and richer plant life. The
Southeast Australia temperate savanna ecoregion lies to the south and southeast. The drier
Simpson Desert and
Tirari-Sturt stony desert ecoregions lie to the west. The mulga lands are sparsely populated and mostly used for grazing sheep and cattle. ==Flora==