In 1988 70,800 ha of rainforest, almost 45 % of the catchment, were permanently protected as part of the World Heritage listing of 894,000 ha of North Queensland Rainforests.

The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is managed by the Wet Tropics Management Authority. The Authority is responsible to both the Queensland and Commonwealth governments, has an independent Board of Directors and is a unit within the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection.