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Environment and Heritage
Environment and Heritage

Mollymook Creek

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

Mollymook Creek is located on the south coast of New South Wales. It is classed as an estuarine creek, with an intermittently closed entrance.

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 Mollymook Creek was completed over the 2008–09 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.

E

Algae

C

Water clarity

D

Overall grade

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

  • algae abundance graded very poor (E)
  • water clarity graded fair (C)
  • overall estuary health graded poor (D).

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.

Physical data

Physical characteristics

Estuary typeCreek
Latitude (ºS)–35.34
Longitude (ºE)150.47
Catchment area (km2)2.7
Estuary area (km2)0.007
Estuary volume (ML)0.8
Average depth (m)0.1

Notes: km2 = square kilometres; m = metres; ML = megalitres.

Water depth and survey data

Bathymetric and coastal topography data data for this estuary are available in our data portal.

Land use

The small catchment of Mollymook Creek is highly disturbed due to more than half used for urban areas, including the township of Mollymook and a golf course. About 25% of the catchment is forested.

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National and marine parks

  • There are no conservation areas in the Mollymook Creek estuary catchment.
  • There is no marine park associated with this estuary.
Aerial view of Mollymook Creek flowing into the ocean, with a sandy beach on one side and lush greenery surrounding the water. A bridge crosses over the creek, and buildings are nestled among trees near the water’s edge.
Mollymook Creek
Image Credit: DPE

Aerial view of Mollymook Creek estuary.

Local government management

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

Shoalhaven City Council manages this estuary.

Threatened species

Estuaries provide important breeding, nursery and feeding grounds for many animals, such as fish and birds.

Read more about the biodiversity in our estuaries.