newy.com.au – Lake Macquarie’s three basin zones and Swansea Channel have retained A grades for water quality, as annual monitoring found all seven zones held their previous year’s ratings.
Lake Macquarie City Council said its 2025-2026 water health report card rated the north, southeast and southwest basins and Swansea Channel as very good. Cockle Creek, Dora Creek and Fennell Bay received B grades, indicating good ecological health.
Council monitors water quality each month at 13 sites across the seven zones in partnership with the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
The results also showed a substantial improvement in water clarity over more than two decades, although wetter conditions have affected recent measurements.
Council said average visibility had increased from 1.7 metres when monitoring began in 2001-2002 to more than 4.1 metres. Its environmental systems manager, Dan Woods, described the long term improvement as one of the most encouraging findings.
“Clearer water allows more sunlight to reach underwater plants and helps support the lake’s broader ecosystem.”
Recent five year averages showed a slight reduction in clarity compared with earlier years, which council attributed largely to unusually high rainfall during that period.
During 2025-2026, above average rainfall in several months affected underwater seagrass growth at some northern lake locations. Improvements in seagrass growth were recorded at southern sites, including Wolstoncroft and Chain Valley Bay.
Mayor Adam Shultz said the annual grades reflected long term efforts to protect and improve the lake.
“We’ve seen strong, consistent water quality outcomes across the entire lake, despite the ongoing challenges that come with changing weather patterns and a growing population.”
“Maintaining a healthy lake is vital for recreation, tourism, the environment and our community’s quality of life.”
