Estuary Management Planning Lake Conjola - 2005
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Lake Conjola
| 2005 Indicator description
What does the Data tell us for 2005
Environmental Overview
Environmental attributes
Environmental issues
Environmental pressures
UoW Environmental Science
Research Projects
Environmental Overview
Around 95% of Lake Conjola’s catchment
remains undeveloped and mostly forested. The majority of this area is managed
by State Forests and National Parks and Wildlife Service. Urban development
accounts for only around 5% of the catchments area. The main urban areas are
at Conjola, West Conjola and Fisherman's Paradise.
Lake Conjola covers an area of around 7
sq km and drains a small catchment of 145
sq km. In 2001 the resident catchment population was around
2700.
The lake has a
natural intermittently opening regime and provides opportunities for high
quality recreational activities, the impacts of which need to be managed
effectively to ensure minimal environmental harm. Due to water quality concerns
associated with elevated lake levels and on-site sewerage treatment, Council, in
concert with community and state government agencies, have designed an entrance
management plan and accompanying review of environmental factors to monitor the
entrance shoal and, where indications of closure are observed, to initiate
mechanical intervention to maintain the entrance in an open configuration. The
status of the entrance shoal can be viewed on the internet at
http://www.mhl.nsw.gov.au/www/lconjmanage.html
Both an
Estuary Management Plan and an Entrance Management Plan have been completed for
Lake Conjola.
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Environmental attributes include:
-
Various wetlands around Lake Conjola are protected under
Coastal Wetlands State Environmental Planning Policy No 14; and
-
Well forested land (including national park and State
forests) occurs throughout much of the catchment, with a good variety of
both terrestrial and aquatic vegetation communities, including
ecologically valuable habitats such as seagrasses.
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Environmental issues
include:
-
A heavy infestation of the invasive marine seaweed
Caulerpa taxifolia exists in the lake. This presents a serious threat
to the biological diversity (through smothering of aquatic vegetation),
amenity and economic viability of local tourist industries that depend on
healthy coastal lakes in the Shoalhaven
http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au ;
-
Lack of modern sewerage services;
-
Elevated levels of nutrients and faecal coliforms occur
in specific areas within the lake. There is an ongoing need to monitor
bacterial levels in the lake in order to properly assess this issue;
-
Erosion caused by development, recreation and
agriculture; and
-
Entrance management and water quality.
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Environmental Pressures
-
Sewage and other pollutants have potential to impact upon
the lake’s water quality;
-
Both commercial and recreational fishing are undertaken
within the lake. There is potential for a decline in fish and prawn
abundance if fishing is not managed;
-
Recreational and boating activities within the catchment
may impact on foreshore stability and bird habitat quality;
-
Informal boat launching sites may decrease bank stability
and may harm aquatic vegetation and its associated ecological community;
-
There is potential for increased erosion from
development, recreation and agriculture. An increase in sediment and
nutrient export from new developments can impact upon water quality and the
health of aquatic and semi-aquatic ecological communities;
-
Further decreases in water quality may result from
run-off associated with on-site effluent disposal systems on new and
existing developments. This may impact upon the biological communities and
habitats of ecological value, thereby reducing the appeal of these popular
tourist areas and the economic prosperity derived from those activities;
-
Introduced animals, including foxes, domestic and feral
cats and dogs, black rats and rabbits, threaten native animal and plant
populations;
-
Weeds, although scarce overall, are prevalent in some
areas where they threaten native plant communities;
-
Dumping of garden refuse and other material causes damage
to bushland and continues to be an issue; and
-
There is some damage and clearance of vegetation on
foreshores and other areas.
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Key
implementation actions in progress or completed in
partnership with SCC and DIPNR and funded under the
Estuary
Program include:
-
2002 Entrance Management Policy and REF link;
-
2003 Stormwater Impact Rehabilitation completed $10,000;
-
2003 Fishing Haven Status declared by NSW Fisheries;
-
2003-2004 Caulerpa monitoring repeated and ongoing by NSW
Fisheries
http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au ;
-
2003-2004 Public education project design commenced
$50,000. Final drafts of signage are currently under review. Three locations
have been selected for installations including Lake Conjola entrance boat
ramp, West lake Conjola foreshore reserve and Cunjurong Point boat ramp
reserve;
-
2003-2004 Entrance Dune Stabilisation Stage 3 completed
in December 2004 $40,000;
-
2003-2004 Catchment Stormwater Review- design $10,000;
-
2003-2004 implementation of Bushfire Asset Protection
Zones for the villages;
-
2003-2004 Boating Management Plan Review $5000 completed;
-
2004-2005 Foreshore Reserve Rehabilitation Plan
development $20,000. First stage of implementation of reserve rehabilitation
at Cunjurong Boat ramp reserve scheduled for construction in February 2006;
-
2002 Septic sewerage System audit undertaken and ongoing;
-
2003-2005 Reticulated Sewerage System Design commenced;
and
-
2003-2005 Crown lands Assessment for the southern shore
commenced.
Flood Program
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University of
Wollongong Environmental Science Research Projects
Shallow water seagrass fish
communities of Intermittently Open and Closed Lakes and Lagoons (ICOLLs) of
southeastern Australia. Author: Martine Jones
To obtain a full
copy of this report or more information contact Environmental Science,
University of Wollongong.
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Surface Water Quality Lake Conjola
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Lake Conjola
| 2005 |
