Lake Conjola Entrance Management Plan


	Department of Environment and Climate Change	Manly Hydraulics Laboratory

Lake Conjola Entrance Management Plan

Community Access Site

Lake Conjola is located on the NSW south coast about 50km south of Nowra. The entrance of the lake is generally open although the entrance channel changes in response to ocean conditions and floods. Since 1937 the entrance has closed off completely eight times, often for several years. A number of studies of the lake and/or entrance have been undertaken. (References)

Following the Lake Conjola Entrance Study, undertaken in 1999, Shoalhaven City Council and the local community adopted a strategy of a "Managed Entrance" to maintain a sustainable open entrance. In late 2001 Council commissioned Manly Hydraulics Laboratory (MHL) to prepare a formal Entrance Management Plan and Review of Environmental Factors to enable effective implementation and on-going operation of the new strategy. These reports have been finalised and forwarded to Council as Report MHL1159, Lake Conjola Entrance Management Plan and Report MHL1161, Lake Conjola Entrance Management Dredging Works, Review of Environmental Factors. The project is described in two Newsletters - Newsletter 1 distributed at the commencement of the project and Newsletter 2 distributed at the end. A decision support system was produced as part of the project to provide warning of entrance closure. The decision support system may be viewed by clicking here.

The following links to MHL monitoring sites show other data relevant to Lake Conjola.
Lake Conjola water level and rainfall recorder
Jervis Bay water level recorder
Batemans Bay Waverider
Port Kembla Waverider
Sydney Waverider

The Entrance Management Plan will take into account:

environmental constraints, particularly migratory bird nestings;

beach access, recreational amenity and aesthetics

future maintenance

the Caulerpa taxifolia infestation

the active erosion of vegetated high dunes in the south-east corner of the lake

boating access to the launching ramp at Cunjurong Point.

This community access site has been developed to provide the community with information about development of the plan, about a future public meeting and to provide a forum for public input and comment. More information will be added as the work progresses Links:

Photo Gallery

Photo1

Photo2

Photo3

References

Bentley, K.W. (1976). Recent depositional morphology of a tidal inlet – Conjola Lake NSW. BA Hons. Thesis. University of Sydney, Dept. Geopgraphy, 57p.

Finley, A. (1988). The environmental history and trophic status of Pattimores Lagoon, Lake Conjola. BA Hons. Thesis, University of NSW, Dept. Geography and Oceanography, Canberra, 162p.

Gutteridge Haskins and Davey Pty. Ltd. (1996). Lake Conjola, Stage 1: Estuary Processes Study, prepared for Shoalhaven City Council and Department of Land and Water Conservation.

Heycox, G. (1994). Lake Conjola Seagrasses. B. App. Sc. Report. University of Western Sydney – Hawkesbury.

Hunter, T, (1989). Late quarternary evolution of two estuaries, southern New South Wales Australia with particular reference to central basin mud facies. BA Hons. Thesis, University of Sydney, Dept. Geography, 206p.

Kevin Mills and Associates Pty. Ltd. (1996). Supplementary Report Ecological Assessment Maintenance Dredging Conjola Lake Entrance City of Shoalhaven, Report prepared for Shoalhaven City Council, NSW.

Patterson Britton and Partners Pty. Ltd. (1999). Lake Conjola Entrance Study, prepared for Shoalhaven City Council.

Patterson Britton and Partners Pty. Ltd. (1999). Lake Conjola Entrance Stage 1 (Interim) Works, Review of Environmental Factors, prepared for Shoalhaven City Council.

Pollard, D.A. (1994). A Comparison of Fish Assemblages and Fisheries in Intermittently Open and Permanently Open Coastal Lagoons on the South Coast of New South Wales, Wetlands (Australia) 13:16-35.

Public Works Department. (1993). Conjola Lake Tidal Gauging 30th October 1992. Report MHL 637 (PWD Report 92092).