Tuggerah Lakes facts for kids
The Tuggerah Lakes are a group of three connected lakes found on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. These lakes are a type of wetland system, meaning they are areas where water covers the land. The three lakes are Lake Munmorah, Budgewoi Lake, and Tuggerah Lake.
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History of Tuggerah Lakes
Before Europeans arrived, the area around the Tuggerah Lakes was home to the Aboriginal people known as the Darkinjung people.
Europeans first found the lake system in 1796. This happened during a search for an escaped convict named Molly Morgan. She was believed to be living with Aboriginal people north of the Hawkesbury River. Colonel David Collins, who was an early governor, discovered the lakes during this search.
Exploring the Lakes
The Tuggerah Lakes system includes three connected coastal lagoons: Lake Munmorah, Budgewoi Lake, and Tuggerah Lake. Together, these three lakes cover about 77 square kilometres (30 sq mi). Their total edge, or perimeter, is around 105 kilometres (65 mi) long.
The biggest lake is Tuggerah Lake, which is about 54 square kilometres (21 sq mi). All three lakes are quite shallow, with an average depth of less than two metres (6.5 feet).
Water Flow and Connection to the Sea
There is only a small amount of water moving between the lakes and the ocean. This happens through a narrow channel at a place called The Entrance. Because of this, the tides inside the main lakes are very small.
Sometimes, sand can slowly build up in this channel. When this happens, the lakes can become completely cut off from the Pacific Ocean. They stay separated until a large flood comes and washes the sand out of the channel again.
Crossing the Lakes: Bridges
The lakes and the land around them are part of the Central Coast Council area. You can cross the lakes by road using three main bridges:
- The Entrance Bridge goes over The Entrance Channel.
- Toukley Bridge connects Toukley and Gorokan. It crosses the channel between Tuggerah Lake and Budgewoi Lake.
- Budgewoi Bridge crosses the channel between Budgewoi Lake and Lake Munmorah near Budgewoi.
Nature and Wildlife
The Tuggerah Lakes are very important for many reasons. People use them for fun activities like boating and fishing. The lakes also provide cooling water for the Munmorah Power Station.
All the rivers and streams in the area flow into these lakes. This means the lakes receive nutrients, chemicals, and sediment from the entire region. While this has been happening for thousands of years, it has sped up a lot because of urban development (when towns and cities grow).
A Special Place for Birds
The Tuggerah Lakes and the areas nearby, including the Munmorah State Conservation Area and most of the Wyrrabalong National Park, are known as an Important Bird Area (IBA). This name was given by BirdLife International.
The shallow waters of the lakes have large areas of seagrass. These seagrass beds attract many waterbirds. For example, 1% of all the world's sharp-tailed sandpipers and chestnut teals come to this area.
The forests and woodlands next to the lakes are also home to endangered birds. These include swift parrots and regent honeyeaters during their non-breeding season. Sometimes, Australasian and black bitterns are also seen here. little egrets even build their nests on Curly Island. Other birds that use this site in large numbers are black swans, curlew sandpipers, and red-necked stints.
