Gold Coast Broadwater
| Gold Coast Broadwater | |
|---|---|
|
Southport Broadwater, Gold Coast Harbour, and The Broadwater |
|
Looking south from Labrador, 2015
|
|
 Gold Coast Broadwater
Location of the Broadwater in Queensland
|
|
| Location | Gold Coast, South East Queensland |
| Coordinates | 27°57′57″S 153°25′16″E / 27.96583°S 153.42111°ECoordinates: 27°57′57″S 153°25′16″E / 27.96583°S 153.42111°E |
| Part of | Moreton Bay Marine Park |
| River sources | Coomera, Nerang, and Pimpama Rivers; Loders, Biggera, Behm, and Wasp Creeks |
| Primary outflows |
|
| Ocean/sea sources | |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Average depth | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Max. depth | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Salinity | 33 ppt |
| Surface elevation | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Frozen | never |
| Islands | Crab, Ephraim, Wave Break |
| Settlements | Gold Coast |
| References | |
The Gold Coast Broadwater, also known as Southport Broadwater, Gold Coast Harbour and The Broadwater, is a large shallow estuary of water located in the Gold Coast district of South East Queensland, Australia. The estuary reaches from the locality of Southport in the south, to the southern section of the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Moreton Bay in the north. Separated via the Seaway from the Coral Sea by a thin strip of land called Stradbroke Island, the original body of water was a lagoon created from water deposited from the Nerang River. Part of the Broadwater is contained within the Moreton Bay Marine Park.
The entrance of the Nerang River was at Main Beach in the late 19th century but by the 1980s had moved about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) northwards. The Seaway was completed in 1986 to stabilise the location of the Nerang River Entrance. Its construction has allowed greater tidal flows. This has created a larger tidal range within the Broadwater with lower low tides. Towards the northern end of the broadwater the Pimpama River enters. The broadwater is very large and contains lots of species of marine life.Gold Coast Ferries operates a number of services across the waterway.
The Broadwater has undergone dramatic changes since the 1970s including the construction of an extensive number and network of artificial waterways that account for up to 90% of Australia's canal estates. Positioned in one of the fastest growing regions in the developed world, urbanisation surrounding the Broadwater is expected to continue. The region has important biodiversity values that have led to areas of the Broadwater listed as an international Ramsar site and inclusion to international migratory bird arrangements. The Broadwater provides a vital function in the provision of feeding, spawning and nursery sites for recreationally and commercially important finfish species.
...
Wikipedia