Overview

Estuary name Wreck Creek
CMA West Gippsland CMA
Description

Wreck Creek is a small intermittently closing and opening estuarine lagoon located on the western edge of Inverloch. From the coast the estuary follows Cape Paterson - Inverloch Road towards the Inverloch RACV resort, for approximately 800 metres, before the creek becomes fresh. The creek has two main branches, one that begins well above the RACV resort (including the resorts wetlands) and the other flows out of farmland through the residential area to the north. For the majority of the year two branches of the creek are mostly dry (apart from a few ponds and billabongs that have been sighted on private property upstream). These creeks begin to flow during wet times (winter / spring), and for the majority of the time the main habitat available to biota is the estuarine lagoon itself.  

Estuary Values

Plant communities / species (Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) and Bioregional Conservation Significance in Victoria);

  • 1 Coastal Dune Scrub Mosaic
  • 2 Coast Banksia Woodland (Vulnerable)
  • 3 Damp Sands Herb-rich Woodland (Vulnerable)
  • 161 Coastal Headland Scrub (Depleted)

Fish identified during sampling in January 2017

  • Short-finned Eel
  • Common Galaxias
  • Spotted Galaxias
  • Flatheaded Gudgeon
  • Black Bream
  • Yellow-eyed Mullet

Significant bird species (Conservation Status Victoria);

  • Australasian Shoveler (Vulnerable)
  • Black-faced Cormorant (Near Threatened)
  • Caspian Tern (Near Threatened)
Estuary Threats

Threats to estuary health include;

  • Growing population
  • High levels of recreational use
  • Unpermitted estuary entrance mouth openings
  • Changes in water regimes
  • High levels of sediment and nutrients
  • Pollution events
  • Habitat modification
  • Land reclamation through drainage of wetlands
  • Invasion by weeds or pests
  • Salinization and acidification.
  • Degraded water quality
  • Disturbance of acid sulphate soils
  • Altered marine exchange
  • Rural drainage and drain clearing
  • Urban drainage and stormwater
  • Litter
  • Trampling and bank erosion associated with pedestrian access.

Data Site observations
Status Active
Monitor group WGCMA Estuary Management Group
Document Values_and_threats_content_for_EstuaryWatch_Website.pdf

Map

Sites

Site details Options

Wr1 Surf Parade Bridge Inverloch

Active Physico-Chemical 26-05-2016 - 21-02-2024

Centre culvert on the downstream (ocean) side of Surf Parade Bridge

Observations 89

WrGB Wreck Creek Gauge Board Site

Active Gauge Board

The Gauge board is located on the eastern downstream side of the Surf Parade Bridge, right alongside the bridge itself.

WrMC Wreck Creek Mouth Condition Site

Active Mouth Condition 06-04-2017 - 15-04-2021

Wreck Creek Mouth Condition Monitoring Site, located at the end of the Wreck Creek access path opposite 178 Surf Parade Inverloch.

Observations 69

WrMC2 Wreck Creek Mouth Opening Number Two (western end)

Active Mouth Condition 14-07-2020 - 21-02-2024

In April 2020, following a large storm surge event, a new opening was formed at Wreck Creek. There are now two locations where the creek can flow out to sea.  This site will be monitored in conjunction with the mouth condition monitoring site established several years ago (further east).

Observations 55

Wrp1 Wreck Creek Photopoint Site

Active Photopoint 07-04-2017 - 14-06-2022

Site located at end of beach access path opposite 178 Surf Parade Inverloch. Site located on grassy mound (site of proposed Fluker Post).

Photos 222

Wrp2 Wreck Creek Photopoint Site Two

Active Photopoint 01-06-2020 - 14-03-2024

Wreck Creek West end Opening

Photos 180

Recent Events

Event Details
02-08-2019 Estuary Entrance Opening

Estuary mouth naturally opened

14-07-2019 Estuary Entrance Closure

Large ocean swells closed the mouth of Wreck again following an opening 2 days prior.

Being a very small catchment, creek flows were not significant enough to over power the ocean.

14-07-2019 13:30
14-07-2019 13:30
14-07-2019 13:30
12-07-2019 Estuary Entrance Opening

Wreck Creek was artificially opened @ 2.03m AHD. With the sand berm height at approximately 2.4m AHD (i.e. the height of the lowest house), and significant rainfall forecasted over the weekend, an opening was required. Given the lower dissolved oxygen levels in the bottom waters a shallow opening was completed.

12-07-2019 13:30
12-07-2019 13:30
27-05-2019 Estuary Entrance Opening

Wreck was artificially opened at 2.0m AHD following a significant increase in water level height from 1.5m AHD on the 24th of May 2019 to 2.0m AHD @ 5:30pm on the 27th of May 2019.

The water level increase was a result of rainfall (~30mm) during this period on a previously wetted down catchment. 

Following the opening this area experienced 70mm of rain over the next 4 days.

 

27-05-2019 Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence!

Eel migration took place prior to the scheduled opening that occurred at 9:30pm the same night. This migration took place during a large tide and ocean swell that allowed for the crossing of the sand bar. 

Eels_migrating.png
View all events

Estuary Snapshots

The EstuaryWatch snapshots provide a summary of estuary condition on a particular day. For all EstuaryWatch Snapshots, photopoint photos and a longitudinal water quality profile from the estuary mouth  to the inland extent is displayed. Read more

Full and partial estuary snapshots displayed below View full snapshots only

Winter 2019


Autumn 2019


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