Lake Goegrup Nature Reserve will now be accessible to everyone with a new boardwalk open to the public.
The 292-metre-long boardwalk was designed to meet current mobility and accessibility standards, and includes three viewing nodes with benches and interpretive panels describing the area's environmental and Aboriginal cultural values.
Goegrup Lake has significant environmental and cultural value and is part of the Peel Yalgorup wetland system, which supports more than 20,000 migratory and resident shorebirds each year and is important habitat for the samphire plant.
The boardwalk has been designed to protect and enhance the environment, using modern building materials to maximise the boardwalk's life and minimise environmental disturbance during construction.
Consultation was undertaken with traditional owners to protect the environment surrounding the boardwalk. The old boardwalk was removed by hand and no mechanisation was used to construct the new one.
Environment Minister Reece Whitby attended the opening alongside Murray-Wellington MP Robyn Clarke and Mandurah MP David Templeman.
"The old boardwalk was very narrow so there was no area for people in wheelchairs or gophers to turn around," he said.
"It's a great community asset now - it's a way for people to really engage with the natural environment."
In coming months, a remotely operated, pole-mounted camera will be installed at the northern end of the boardwalk to assist with dolphin monitoring during low tides.
It will be the fourth Dolphin Watch monitoring camera deployed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions in the Mandurah area.
A lowered section will also be added so crabbers or kayakers can step down safely without disturbing the vegetation.
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Ms Clarke said the new boardwalk would make it "more accessible for those who want to enjoy this beautiful part of our state".
"Lake Goegrup Nature Reserve is a popular location for fishing, bird watching and enjoying the natural environment, and this new boardwalk will allow more people to safely enjoy this stunning lake and surrounds," Mr Templeman said.
The $750,000 boardwalk was funded by the WA Recovery Plan.
