Physical characteristics
Estuary type: Barrier river
Entrance
location |
Latitude (ºS) |
–29.43 |
Longitude (ºE) |
153.37 |
Catchment area (km2) |
22,055.1 |
Estuary area (km2) |
132.3 |
Estuary volume (ML) |
283,001.0 |
Average depth (m) |
2.2 |
Notes: km2 = square kilometres; m = metres; ML = megalitres.
Water depth and survey data
Bathymetric and coastal topography data for this estuary are available in our data portal.
Land use
Over half of the land within the large Clarence River catchment remains forested. About 20% of the catchment falls within national parks and 30% within Forestry Corporation land. Beef production and cleared land for various other forms of agriculture and rural residence make up the next largest land-use type.
The main towns in the catchment are Grafton, Maclean, Dorrigo, Tenterfield, Yamba and Iluka, which contain urban areas that make up less than 1% of the catchment.
Water use
Find out about water use in the Clarence River, including information about major water users, real-time flow data, and environmental and water sharing plans.
Web cam
The Iluka/Yamba bar crossing web camera provides real-time video of conditions within the river entrance immediately offshore to help with bar crossings and boat safety.