Racecourse Creek is situated on the mid-north coast of New South Wales in the township of Old Bar. It is a small urban creek with an entrance intermittently open to the sea.
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 located between Taree and Wollongong every 3 years. The most recent sampling in Racecourse Creek was completed over the 2019–20 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.
We have monitored water quality in Racecourse Creek (Old Bar) since 2013. This table shows the water quality grades for this estuary over that time.
| Year | Algae | Water clarity | Overall grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | D | D | D |
| 2013–14 | D | C | C |
| 2016–17 | B | C | C |
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
There is currently no physical data available for Racecourse Creek.
Water depth and survey data
Bathymetric and coastal topography data for this estuary are available in our data portal.
Land use
The Racecourse Creek catchment area is mostly urban development.
National and marine parks
- This estuary does not flow into a marine park.
Community involvement
- Manning Coastcare Group is the umbrella organisation for a set of local volunteer groups that do environmental work in this area.
Local government management
Local councils manage estuaries within their area unless the estuary is attached to a marine park. MidCoast Council manages this estuary.
Threatened species
Estuaries provide important protected environments where native plants like seagrass and mangroves grow and create habitat for fish and other animals.
Find out more about the biodiversity in our estuaries.