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Kianga Lake

Our water quality monitoring program has shown Kianga Lake have fair water quality. Find out more about the estuary and its unique features.

Kianga Lake is located on the south coast of New South Wales, with the township of Kianga on the southern shoreline. Kianga Lake is classed as a back-dune lagoon with an intermittently closed entrance.

Kianga Creek is the main tributary into the estuary.

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 Kianga Lake was completed over the 2020–21 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.

A

Algae

A

Water clarity

A

Overall grade

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

  • algae abundance graded excellent (A)
  • 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.

Historical water quality grades

We have monitored water quality in Kianga Lake since 2011. This table shows the water quality grades for this estuary over that time.

YearAlgaeWater clarityOverall grade
2011–12CBB
2014–15CAB
2017–18CBC
Physical data

Physical characteristics

Estuary typeBack-dune lagoon
Latitude–36.19 (ºS)
Longitude150.13 (ºE)
Catchment area7.5 km2
Estuary area 0.2 km2
Estuary volume62.5 ML
Average depth0.4 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 catchment of Kianga Lake is moderately disturbed. Over 70% of the catchment remains forested, located on the outskirts of north Narooma. Urban land use accounts for about 15% of the catchment area, and grazing accounts for 5%.

Get involved

National and marine parks

  • There are no conservation areas in this catchment area.
  • Kianga Lake is a sanctuary zone and is protected as part of Batemans Marine Park. This estuary flows into the marine park.

Citizen science projects

  • iNaturalist’s Plants of Eurobodalla is a citizen science project that monitors plants found in the Eurobodalla region. 

Community involvement

Aerial view of Kianga Lake adjacent to a sandy beach with waves, bordered by a residential area with structured streets and houses, set against a backdrop of dense green foliage.

Aerial view of Kianga Lake

Local government management

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

Eurobodalla Shire Council manage this estuary, which is located in Batemans Marine Park.

Threatened species

Kianga Lake is protected as part of Batemans Marine Park and contributes to the unique biodiversity found in the park.

Learn more about the biodiversity in our estuaries.