Captains Beach Lagoon, or Captains Lagoon, is a small estuarine creek with an intermittently closed entrance that flows into Jervis Bay and is part of the Jervis Bay Marine Park.
The catchment of this lagoon lies entirely within the Jervis Bay Territory.
Water quality report card
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 between Wollongong and the Victorian border every 3 years. The most recent sampling in Captains Beach Lagoon was completed over the 2011–12 summer, when 2 sites were sampled on a monthly basis.
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.
Algae
Water clarity
Overall grade
The report card shows the condition of the estuary was very good with:
- algae abundance graded good (B)
- water clarity graded excellent (A)
- overall estuary health graded excellent (A).
Grades for algae, water clarity and overall are represented as:
- A – excellent
- B – good
- C – fair
- D – poor
- E – very poor.
Go to estuary report cards to find out what each grade means, read our sampling, data analysis and reporting protocols, and find out how we calculate these grades.
Physical characteristics
| Estuary type | Creek |
|---|---|
| Latitude | –35.13 (ºS) |
| Longitude | 150.71 (ºE) |
| Catchment area | 3.1 km2 |
| Estuary area | 0.05 km2 |
| Estuary volume | 12.6 ML |
| Average depth | 0.3 m |
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
The entire catchment of Captains Beach Creek is forested. It is located to the south of the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Creswell establishment in Jervis Bay Territory, which is administered by the Australian Government.
National and marine parks
- There are no conservation areas in the Captains Beach Lagoon catchment.
- Captains Beach Lagoon is part of the Jervis Bay Marine Park. The entrance of the estuary is included in the habitat protection zone for the bay.
Aerial view of Captains Beach Lagoon
Local government management
Local councils manage estuaries within their area unless the estuary is attached to a marine park. This estuary is part of the Jervis Bay Territory, which is administered by the Australian Government.
Threatened species
The catchment area around Jervis Bay supports diverse plant communities, including the endangered Jervis Bay leek orchid.
Read more about the biodiversity in our estuaries.