EstuaryWatch Data Portal

Bourne Creek is a small intermittently closing and opening coastal estuarine lagoon (ICOLL) located to the east of the Kilcunda township. The majority of the creek that is considered estuarine is located within protected crownland reserves with good vegetation cover (i.e. the Kilcunda Creek Water Frontage and Kilcunda Coastal Reserves). The broader catchment that feeds the estuary with freshwater is approximately 10 square kilometres, extending as far north as the Kilcunda Ridge Road. This catchment is relatively steep, eroded and contains very little remnant or newly established vegetation.  

- EVC pre European settlement: (83) Swampy Riparian Woodland (Endangered).

- EVCs that appear to inhabit the site currently: (9) Coastal Saltmarsh, (10) Estuarine Wetland (this is likely to resulted from changes in hydrology resulting from catchment clearing, intensive landuse leading to the loss of top soil and deepening of the creek channels (i.e. lowering of the landscape and creek channels to allow the intrusion of more saltwater into the creek). On top of this the recent need to carry out artificial estuary entrance openings would also have allowed more saltwater into the creek).

- Bird species sighted at Bourne Creek include; Hooded Plover, Sooty Oystercatcher, Eastern Great Egret, Pacific Gull, Greater Sand Plover, Common Diving Petrel

- Fish species at Bourne Creek; Common Galaxias, Spotted Galaxias, Short-finned Eel, Flatheaded Gudgeon, Black Bream.

- The old trestle bridge that goes over Bourne Creek is a tourist attraction and popular amongst photographers.

Unpermitted estuary entrance openings, growing populations, changes in water regimes, high levels of sediment and nutrients, pollution events, habitat modification, land reclamation, Invasion by weeds and pest animals, salinisation and acidification, bank instability, livestock access and altered marine exchange.