Estuaries in NSW

The Lane Cover River is a tributary of the Parramatta River, which drains to Port Jackson east of Greenwich Point. The river is estuarine upstream to a concrete weir 11km above the confluence of the Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers. The area upstream of the weir up to De Burghs Bridge is essentially a freshwater pondage used for recreational activities. Upstream of the De Burghs Bridge the river consists of an intermittent stream. The Lane Cove River estuary can be classified as a drowned river valley estuary, characterised by an open mouth and semi-enclosed bays with sub-aqueous deltas. The estuary is relatively deep and narrow with steep rocky sides, and consequently there is little attenuation of tidal range. Some embayments of tributaries draining to the river in the central and upper areas are now well infilled with sediment. The catchment is relatively small and narrow, and large areas of the upper reaches remain vegetated. Although land-use within the catchment is dominated by low to medium density residential housing, large areas of its shoreline remain as a narrow but significant area of natural appearance. A substantial portion of the catchment is dominated by open space and bushland (approximately 24%) including the Lane Cove National Park which is used extensively for bushwalking and picnicking. The waterway and associated bushland are valued for their passive and recreational uses as well as their ecological attributes. There are a number of ferry wharves, boat launching facilities, tidal swimming enclosures, boating clubs, playing fields and picnic areas located adjacent to the estuarine areas of the river. The middle section of Lane Cove River, from Fig Tree Bridge to Sugarloaf Point was heavily dredged for commercial sand from the late 1950's to 1974. The area around Linley Point was also dredged in the early 1960s.

Significant Estuarine Tributaries

Population and Holiday Centres

General

• Tanneries operated from 1880s to 1970 in the Burns Bay catchment.
• Leachate may enter the estuary from landfills at Buffalo Creek (operated 1950s-1972), Magdala Road (1959-1972) and Stony Creek (1959-1980).
• Sydney Water has constructed a relief storage tunnel which collects overflows from the Lane Cove Siphon and diverts it to North Head, thereby reducing discharge to Land Cove River.
• Motor boats are moored and widely used in the estuary, with usage concentrated downstream of the Figtree Bridge. Rowing in the estuary and canoing upstream of Figtree Bridge is very popular. In 1994 a 4 knot speed limit on motor boats was extended to include the entire reach upstream of Figtree Bridge to reduce bank erosion and damage to mangroves.
• Baths are located at Tambourine Bay, Woodford Bay and Woolwich.
• Historical information shows that there is little evidence that mangroves existed along much of the estuary foreshore prior to white settlement. The estuary now has extensive mangroves, particularly upstream of Fig Tree Bridge.

Estuarine Vegetation

The spatial data is reproduced from NSW Fisheries(2006/7) studies, whilst the species makeup is from the West et al.(1985). This map shows the spatial extent of the Estuarine Vegetation.

References

R.J. Williams, G. West, D. Morrison and R.G. Creese, (2006),
"Estuarine Resources of New South Wales",
prepared for the Comprehensive Coastal Assessment (DoP) by the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens.

R.J. West, C.A. Thorogood, T.R. Walford and R.J. Williams. (1985).
"An Estuarine Inventory for New South Wales, Australia".
Fisheries Bulletin 2. Department of Agriculture, New South Wales.

Estuary Commerce

This estuary falls in the area covered by Sydney Harbour Catchment Management Authority.

Lane Cove River

Local Government Areas

NSW 1:25000 Map Name(s)