A NSW Government website

Middle Lagoon

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

Middle Lagoon is located on the far south coast of New South Wales. It is classed as a small back-dune lagoon with an intermittently closed entrance.

Middle Lagoon estuary includes significant wetland habitat.

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 Middle Lagoon was completed over the 2021–22 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.

B

Algae

A

Water clarity

A

Overall grade

The report card shows the condition of the estuary was excellent 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 cardsto 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 Middle Lagoon since 2014. This table shows the water quality grades for this estuary over that time.

YearAlgaeWater clarityOverall grade
2014–15CBC
2020–21BAA
Physical data

Physical characteristics

Estuary typeBack-dune lagoon
Latitude (ºS)–36.65
Longitude (ºE)150.01
Catchment area (km2)27.3
Estuary area (km2)0.6
Estuary volume (ML)334.8
Average depth (m)0.7

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 Middle Lagoon is moderately disturbed, with 30% of the land cleared for grazing. Forested areas make up 60% of the catchment, located largely within Mimosa Rocks National Park.

Get involved

National and marine parks

Citizen science projects

  • The Far South Coast Conservation Management Network supports the local community to better manage native biodiversity. The network organises citizen science projects, provides information for private landowners, manages a local plant database, and coordinates events.

Community involvement

Aerial view of Middle Lagoon flowing through dense forests into a turquoise sea with visible sandbanks at its mouth.

Aerial view of Middle Lagoon estuary.

Local government management

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

Bega Valley Shire Council manages this estuary.

Threatened species

Saltmarsh and mangrove communities occur on the shoreline of Middle Lagoon.

Read more about the biodiversity in our estuaries.