The Kowanyama Rangers manage the Kowanyama area located on the Mitchell River, on the west coast of the Cape York Peninsula. It is one of the largest and most ecologically diverse aquatic systems in Australia — its annual outflow rivals the Murray River system. The tidal mangrove swamps and waterways are an important fish breeding habitat that provides a basis for subsistence fisheries, and lucrative recreation and commercial fishing industries in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The region boasts Wetlands of National Significance, a number of threatened species and areas of cultural significance. However, some areas also suffer from Weeds of National Significance.
Activities of the Kowanyama Rangers include field-based burning trials, spraying invasive weeds, community education on feral pig control, ghost net recovery, wetland management, monitoring threatened species, re-establishing habitat, mapping cultural sites and managing visitors to the area.