Estuary Management

What is an Estuary?

An estuary is the place where freshwater from a river mixes with saltwater from the sea. Estuaries are a great spot to spend time swimming, walking, canoeing or having a picnic.

Importantly, they also act as buffers to protect shorelines from erosion and flooding and provide essential food and habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife.

Estuaries are unique environments that include some of the most complex ecosystems on earth – we are so lucky to live near these ecosystems in the Corangamite region.

Estuaries of the region

The Corangamite CMA region extends eastward from Peterborough to Queenscliff and takes in bayside estuaries as far as Limeburners Bay near Geelong.

This large management region includes estuaries of various condition, from pristine to highly modified, generally reflecting the level of human interference within the catchment.

For more information on estuaries of the region click on the following brochures or contact our staff.

Journey to the Great Ocean Road Estuaries

Corangamite CMA initiated the Protecting the GREAT Ocean Road ESTUARIES Project in 2004.
Through this ongoing project, the Corangamite CMA and many communities, government and other organisations, protect the Great Ocean Road estuaries to ensure they are GREAT.

Click here for information on becoming an EstuaryWatch volunteer to help monitor estuaries across the region.