The Tuggerah Lake System - North of the Entrance, The Entrance North, NSW

The Tuggerah Lake system would best be described as an amalgamation of three lagoons, rather than a large tidal estuary.  In fact the tide only affects the system at The Entrance – it is barely a noticeable further inward.

Tuggerah Lake is the largest of the three interconnected lagoons – the other two being Budgewoi Lake and Lake Munmorah.

They cover a massive 80 sq km !!!

The three lagoons are separated from the Pacific Ocean by a large sand peninsula.  There is only one aperture to the Pacific Ocean which is located some 5 km from the southern-most point of the lake system at The Entrance.

The main feeders into the system are located on the western side of the lagoons, being:  Ourimbah Creek and Wyong River which feed into Tuggerah Lake, and, Wallarah Creek which feeds into Bugewoi Lake.  The deepest areas of the lagoons are in the middle to upper reaches of Ourimbah Creek and Wyong River, with one bend in Wyong River being 8 m deep !!  Wallarah Creek is much shallower . . .

The lagoons are generally less than 2 m deep, shark-free, and ideal for water pursuits such as:  waterskiing, canoeing, sailing, kayaking, fishing, rowing and sailboarding.

Over the years the natural function and condition of the Tuggerah lagoon system has been dramatically influenced by human activity.  The timeline extracted from a report prepared by Anthony Scott in 1999 ‘The Ecology of the Tuggerah Lakes Historical Records’, demonstrates the European influx, and hence the impact, on the lagoons.

The first Europeans to penetrate the region, where the Cedar cutters of the 1830’s.  The beautiful Australian Red Cedar trees – many of which were hundreds of years old, were already exhausted by the 1850’s.  The timber industry diversified and steadily expanded – transporting the timber logs to Sydney via the coastal steamers.

Commercial fishing began in the late 1850’s.  The first, was an enterprising group of Chinese fishermen who set up their works at Canton Beach.  They smoked their catch and exported it to the Goldfields and as far away as, China.

Settlement was relatively sparse until the Sydney to Newcastle Railway opened in 1889.

From this point farmers infiltrated and cleared the land.  The timber industry thrived – reaching its peak in the early 1900’s.

Bridges were built, land subdivided, services laid . . .  The population of the Wyong Shire exploded from a mere 13,100 in 1954 to 149,746 in 2011.  The suburban development had a huge impact on the lagoons.  Before paved roads and buildings, most of the catchment’s rainfall would have soaked into the ground.  However, urban development has significantly increased the amount and velocity of the runoff.  Stormwater is usually directed down concrete drains and watercourses carrying with it soil from building sites, leaves, fertilisers from gardens, litter from footpaths, oils from roadways and pollutants from factories – all of which culminates in the Tuggerah lagoon system.  This is one of the main causes of the high nutrient levels in the lagoons.

There has been a massive and continual clean up of the lagoons and their foreshores since the 1980’s.  Modified farming methods within the catchment areas, and major works on stormwater management from urban areas, have resulted in the reduced nutrient levels in the lagoons that we see today.  With the gradual improvement of the lagoon system, the vast underwater seagrass beds are returning.  The seagrass forms a huge haven and food source for prawns, shrimp, juvenile tailor, bream, blackfish, flathead and mullet.  Prawns are usually plentiful during mid Summer, and can be snared at night, armed with a lamp and net and wading into the shallows . . .

Commercial netting of fish ceased in 2002, which has also seen an increase of fish and the overall health of the lagoons.  Today, we can again enjoy the beauty of the Tuggerah lagoons – the birdlife, the flora, the fauna – from both water and land . . .

Plan your trip to Tuggerah Lake here

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