Dataset
NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
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Vulnerable Estuaries and ICOLLS

This dataset identifies estuaries that are vulnerable or susceptible to the impacts of land-based inputs of pollutants such as urban stormwater or agricultural runoff. A higher level of management intervention is needed to protect, maintain and/or restore the water quality and ecological condition of vulnerable estuaries from these inputs.

The vulnerability arises from inherent characteristics of the estuary that can determine where and how much the pollutants are transported and retained in the estuary. Inherent characteristics include catchment area, estuary surface area, estuary volume, estuary depth and the estuary entrance opening and closing regimes. All of these characteristics combine to influence the estuary hydrology such as tidal flushing, dilution capacity, and retention. For example, the vulnerability of estuaries that are classified as Intermittently Closed and Open Lakes and Lagoons (ICOLLS) is predominantly dependent on their state of connection to the sea which determines the rate of flushing. Those with a small catchment to waterway area ratio will have limited connections to the sea as a result, and will be relatively more susceptible.

Data and Resources

  • Data Quality Statement PDF

    Data quality statement for Sensitivity of Estuaries to Land Use Change

  • Vulnerable Estuaries and ICOLLS ZIP

    This dataset identifies estuaries that are vulnerable or susceptible to the...

Metadata Summary What is metadata?

Field Value
Language English
Alternative Title Vulnerable Estuaries
Edition 1
Purpose High Ecological Value dataset for Regional Planning
Frequency of change Not planned
Keywords MARINE-Estuaries
Field of Research (optional) water
Metadata Date 2014-07-10
Date of Asset Creation 2014-10-07
License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Equivalent Scale 25000
Vector representation
Record 1
Object type
Surface
Object count
1
Geospatial Topic Boundaries
Extent

Dataset extent
Temporal Coverage From 2008-01-01 - 2014-08-18
Datum GDA94 Geographic (Lat\Long)
Legal Disclaimer Read
Attribution NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water asserts the right to be attributed as author of the original material in the following manner: "© State Government of NSW and NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water 2024"