Lake Cathie to be opened to the sea
Updated
Lake Cathie will be artificially opened to the sea, to lower water levels after last weekend's heavy rain.
Roughly 100 millimetres of rain fell on Port Macquarie Airport over the weekend, pushing Lake Cathie over its 1.6 metre trigger level.
The trigger allows the Port Macquarie Hastings Council to open the lake, protecting the foreshore areas.
We dig a physical channel between the lower estuary...and the beach
Matt Rogers, Port Macquarie Hastings Council
The lake is usually opened to the sea at least once a year, to keep water levels at manageable levels.
The Council's Environment Services Director, Matt Rogers, said they will literally dig a channel to the sea.
"We dig a physical channel between the lower estuary, or the entrance of the lake, and the beach," he said.
"The head of water in the lake forces the channel to become wider over time, and joins the lake with the beach."
Mr Rogers said they do not know how long it might remain open.
"It's very hard to predict how long the opening will last, because it depends on the climatic and ocean conditions," he said.
"We've had openings last for as little as 3 to 4 months, and over 12 months.
"So it depends on mother nature."
Topics: water-management, local-government, port-macquarie-2444, coffs-harbour-2450
First posted
