Elliott Lake is located south of Sydney in the Illawarra region, south of Lake Illawarra. It is classed as a creek with an entrance that is intermittently open and closed to the ocean.
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 Elliott Lake was completed over the 2023–24 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. The numerical scores for these 2 indicators are averaged to give the overall grade.
Algae
Water clarity
Overall grade
The report card shows the condition of the estuary was good with:
- algae abundance graded excellent (A)
- water clarity graded very fair (C)
- overall estuary health graded good (B).
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.
We have monitored water quality in the Elliott Lake estuary since 2011. This table shows the water quality grades for this estuary over that time.
| Year | Algae | Water clarity | Overall grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | A | C | B |
| 2011–12 | B | E | C |
Physical characteristics
| Estuary type | Creek |
|---|---|
| Latitude | –34.56 (ºS) |
| Longitude | 150.87 (ºE) |
| Catchment area | 10 km2 |
| Estuary area | 0.1 km2 |
| Estuary volume | 27.3 ML |
| Average depth | 0.3 m |
Notes: km2 = square kilometres; m = metres; ML = megalitres.
Water depth and survey data
Bathymetric and coastal topography data for this estuary are available in our data portal.
Land use
The catchment of Elliott Lake is highly disturbed, with urban areas comprising 70% of land use, including the townships of Shellharbour and Warilla. About 20% of the catchment is used for grazing and rural residence.
National and marine parks
- There are no conservation areas in the Elliott Lake catchment.
- There is no marine park associated with this estuary.
Community involvement
- Landcare Illawarra support volunteer groups working to improve the environment in this region.
- There are over 60 bushcare groups in the Wollongong area. Bushcare volunteers help regenerate and care for local bushland.
Aerial view of Elliott Lake estuary
Local government management
Local councils manage estuaries within their area. Where an estuary is attached to a marine park, marine park management teams are responsible for ensuring compliance with marine park zoning.
Shellharbour 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.