Middle Camp Creek

Our water quality monitoring program has shown Middle Camp Creek to have good water quality. Find out more about the estuary and its unique features.

Middle Camp Creek is located at Catherine Hill Bay on the central coast of New South Wales. It is classed as a small back-dune lagoon.

Estuary health and features

Water quality

As part of our water quality monitoring program we assess the water quality and ecosystem health of an estuary using a range of relevant indicators. We sample a subset of the estuaries located between Taree and Wollongong every 3 years. The most recent sampling in Middle Camp Creek was completed over the 2019–20 summer when 2 sites were sampled on a monthly basis.

Middle Camp Creek water quality report card for algae and water clarity showing colour-coded ratings (red, orange, yellow, light green and dark green, which represent very poor, poor, fair, good and excellent, respectively). Algae is rated 'fair' and water clarity is rated 'fair' giving an overall rating of 'fair' or 'C'.

This report card represents 2 water quality indicators that we routinely measure: the amount of algae present and water clarity. Low levels of these 2 indicators equate with good water quality.

The report card shows the condition of the estuary was fair with:

  • algae abundance graded fair (C)
  • water clarity graded fair (C)
  • overall estuary health graded fair (C).

Find out more about our estuary report cards and what each grade means. Read our sampling, data analysis and reporting protocols and find out how we calculate these grades.

We have monitored water quality in Middle Camp Creek since 2010. This table shows the water quality grades for this estuary over that time.

Middlecamp Creek historic water quality grades from 2010-11 for algae and water clarity. Colour-coded ratings (red, orange, yellow, light green and dark green represent very poor (E), poor (D), fair (C), good (B) and excellent (A), respectively).

Grades for algae, water clarity and overall are represented as:

  • A – excellent
  • B – good
  • C – fair
  • D – poor
  • E – very poor.

Physical characteristics

Estuary type: Back-dune lagoon

Entrance
location 		Latitude (ºS) –33.15
Longitude (ºE) 151.64
Catchment area (km2) 5
Estuary area (km2) 0.01
Estuary volume (ML) 2.3
Average depth (m) 0.2
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

About 85% of the Middle Camp Creek catchment is undisturbed forest. Some urban and rural residential development has changed land use in about 14% of the catchment and the Pacific Highway cuts through the upper catchment

National and marine parks

Community involvement

  • Lake Macquarie Landcare provide support and links to dozens of local volunteer groups that do conservation work and care for the environment around Middle Camp Creek.
Middle Camp Creek

Local government management

Local councils manage estuaries within their area unless the estuary is attached to a marine park. Lake Macquarie Council manage this estuary.