Narrabeen Lagoon: Creating A Sustainable Catchment Project

Come on a journey to explore the beauty and spirit of the Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment. Listen to stories of long-held bonds between people and the lagoon and find out what you can do to preserve the lagoon's unique environment. Click here to play the Caring for our Catchment movie.

The Creating A Sustainable Catchment Project was assisted by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust.

Narrabeen Lagoon was given a new lease of life in 2007 with a three-year $1.9million grant from the NSW Environmental Trust. The grant was succussfully implemented by Warringah and Pittwater Councils, as joint managers of the lagoon, through the ‘Narrabeen Lagoon – Creating a Sustainable Catchment’ project.

Between 2007-2011, the grant funded catchment-wide sustainable living education programs, including the Sustainability Champions Program, and on ground works such as creek bank remediation and bush regeneration at Middle, Oxford, Deep, Mullet and Nareen Creeks.

Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment area

The Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Area covers 55km2. It is roughly bounded by Pittwater Rd in the east, Warringah Rd in the south, Forest Way in the west and Mona Vale Rd in the north. Half of this area is bushland supporting immense biodiversity and includes Garigal National Park, Warriewood Wetlands, Crown land and Aboriginal Heritage sites. Click on image for enlarged map (PDF, 98KB).

What is a catchment?

A catchment is an area of land that collects water. Catchment boundaries are defined by hills and ridges. Within these boundaries water flows downward along roads, driveways and end up in nearby creeks, wetlands, lagoons and eventually the ocean.

More on What is a catchment?

 

Impacts on Water Quality and Catchment Health

The quality of water draining from the catchments is influenced by the land uses and associated activities taking place nearby. When it rains, the water runs through the above areas then drains through stormwater pipes into one of the many creeks that leads downstream to Narrabeen Lagoon.  More on water quality and catchment health.

Flora and Fauna of Narrabeen Lagoon

Narrabeen Lagoon was formed some 6,500 years ago when sea levels rose and stabilised, depositing the Collaroy-Narrabeen sand barrier. It is a valuable habitat, refuge and nursery for a diverse range of flora and fauna. More on Narrabeen Lagoons Flora and Fauna. More on Narrabeen Lagoon's Flora and Fauna.

Quick and Easy Things You Can Do To Help?

A catchment operates as an interconnected system. This means that everything we do upstream has an impact downstream. There are several quick and easy things we can do to ensure the Narrabeen Lagoon catchment area remains a popular and valued natural and recreational area. More on how you can help.

On Ground Works

The Narrabeen Lagoon – Creating a Sustainable Catchment project involved a significant natural resource management component that targeted creek bank and riparian vegetation issues at Middle, Oxford, Deep, Nareen and Mullet Creeks including weed removal, bush regeneration and creek bank stability works. More on On Ground Works.