Vegetation

Lake Cowal lies within the botanical subdivision of the Central Western Slopes of NSW. Nine major vegetation alliances have been identified from the Lake Cowal area. These include:

1. Remnant woodland of Eucalyptus dwyeri (Dwyer's Red Gum) - Acacia doratoxylon (Spearwood) - Callitris endlicheri (Black Cypress Pine); 
2. Eucalypt woodland dominated by  E. dwyeri (Grey Box), E. populnea (Bimble Box), E. microcarpa (Grey Box),  Callitris glaucophylla (White Cypress Pine) and Casuarina cristata (Belah);
3. Cleared agricultural land with scattered Eucalyptus populnea (Bimble Box) - E. microcarpa (Grey Box) woodland;
4. Fringing E. camaldulensis (River Red Gum) woodland;
5. Muehlenbeckia florulenta (Lignum);
6. Eragrostis australasica (Swamp Canegrass) and the exotic, Medicago polymorpha (Burr Medic);
7. Acacia pendula (Myall) - Casuarina cristata mixed woodland;
8. Geijera parviflora (Wilga) woodland; and
9. Casuarina cristata (Belah) woodland.

Surveys conducted in 1993 for the proposed gold development recorded 411 plants species comprising 21% weeds. Five of the weeds species were declared noxious in the Bland Shire.