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Estuaries in NSW

Hawkesbury River

Tidal Data Summary

This page show a summary of Tidal Data for this estuary that has been collected under the Estuary Management Program and its predecessors, in conjunction with Manly Hydraulics Laboratory (See MHL Report-1200, June 2004).

Tidal Prism Measurements

The Tidal Prism is the volume of water that flows into (Flood) and out of (Ebb) the estuary during a tide. This of course depends on the tidal range (difference between high and low water during the day of measurement. It also depends on where the measurements are taken.

The following table shows the measured Tidal Prism at the location closest to the entrance of the system, along with the Tidal Range for near the measurement site and at Fort Denison, Sydney Harbour.

 
Location between Barrenjoey Head and Box Head on 6/4/93

 

Tide State Flow Local Fort Denison
(106 m3) Tidal Range (m) Tidal Range (m)
Flood Flow 199 1.66 1.63
Ebb Flow 191 1.6 1.53
 

Tidal Survey Reports

A Tidal Survey is a measurement program run over at least one full tidal period, that is, approximately 12.5 hours. Over this time, tidal characteristics are measured at a number of locations in the estuary consecatively. The tidal characteristics measured include tidal flow and velocity, water levels, and physical water quality characteristics such as salinity, temperature, disolved oxygen, pH and turbidity.

The following table outlines the Tidal Surveys that have been undertaken on this estuary, when it was done, a simple description of what was measured and the MHL Report that can be used for further reference. For the most comprehensive survey, a map shows the location and plots of the flows and water levels measured.

 
Date Data Collected Figure MHL Report
1963-12-01 Hawkesbury bank erosion wave records.
1966-02-01 The effect of speed boat activities on bank erosion. MHL106
1971-01-01 Water skiing investigation.
1973-02-28 Flood readings.
1973-04-11 Bed profiles.
1973-04-16 Bed profiles.
1973-10-16 Bed profiles.
1974-01-14 Current metering during minor flooding at North Richmond.
1974-01-18 Bed profiles.
1974-03-14 Current metering during minor flooding at North Richmond.
1974-04-22 Flood readings.
1974-05-22 Bed profiles.
1974-05-28 Flood.
1974-09-11 Profiles and velocities.
1974-12-18 Profiles and velocities
1975-04-03 Profiles and velocities
1975-05-19 Current metering between Long Island and Spectacle Island over a half tide cycle, 5 tideboards. MHL339
1975-12-08 General plan and river profiles at Gentlemans Halt.
1975-12-17 Current metering.
1976-04-29 Current metering between Long Island and Spectacle Island over a half tide cycle, 5 tideboards. MHL339
1976-09-02 Current metering between Long and Spectacle Islands and at The Gut, over a half tide cycle, 5 tideboards. MHL339
1976-09-09 Current metering between Long Island and Spectacle Island and at The Gut over a half tide cycle, 5 tideboards. MHL339
1977-02-08 Current metering flood-ebb vs time (?).
1977-10-12 Current metering at Lower Portland
1978-01-24 Current metering at Colo/Hawkesbury - velocities, discharge, cross sections, suspended samples, bed samples and temperature/salinity.
1978-10-10 Velocity and temperature/salinity at Long Island.
1978-10-16 Velocity and temperature/salinity at Long Island.
1978-11-01 Velocity and temperature/salinity at Long Island.
1978-11-09 Current metering Long Island, Entrance and spot velocities in Pittwater
1978-12-14 Current metering at the Entrance and Pittwater - velocities, temperature, salinity and bed samples.
1981-02-10 Current metering at 3 lines at Lower Portland. Two in the Hawkesbury River and one in the Colo. MHL450
1981-02-11 Longitudinal profiles for 13km from Portland Reach to Clarence Reach.
1981-04-30 Current metering on 4 lines at Windsor (Liverpool, Clarence, Wilberforce and Windsor Reaches), temp/salinity, suspended sediments and a tideboard at Lower Portland. MHL369
1981-05-29 Current metering on 3 lines at Wisemans Ferry (Trollope Reach, Bathurst Reach and McDonald River), temp/salinity, suspended sediments and a tideboard at Lower Portland. MHL369
1981-06-26 Current metering at 3 lines at Spencer (Big Jims Point, Caurangra Point and Mangrove Creek), temp/salinity, suspended sediments and a tideboard at Lower Portland. MHL369
1981-08-20 Current metering at 3 lines at Mooney Mooney. One line at Peat Island, one at Peat Island bridge and one at Mooney Mooney Creek., plus temp/salinity and suspended sediments. MHL369
1982-06-23 Dynamics study velocity profiles in Broken Bay.
1982-10-06 Current metering at Broken Bay (Commodore Heights), 2 tideboards (1 at the entrance and 1 at Wisemans Ferry), velocities and temp/salinity. MHL358
1982-11-18 Current metering on 3 lines at Lower Portland, 1 on the Colo and one upstream, one downstream of Lower Portland. MHL450
1983-12-07 Float tracking at The Gut
1984-01-24 Float tracking and current metering at The Gut.
1984-02-27 Float tracking and current metering at The Gut.
1984-10-24 Tideboard readings taken at 6 tideboards including, Colo, Richmond, Central McDonald and Lower Mangrove for tidal plane analysis. PWD85044
1985-10-16 Current metering at Windsor Bridge.
1986-04-02 Current metering at 9 lines upstream from Windsor Bridge to Grose/Nepean confluence. Velocities at 9 lines; temp/salinity, dissolved oxygen and turbidity at 7 lines; tideboards on 5 lines MHL459
1986-05-13 Current metering over two full tidal cycles at 1 line 300m downstream from Windsor Bridge. Velocities, temp/salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and tideboard. Plus fluorometry from 12 to 15/5/86.
1986-08-11 Flood metering at Windsor, Richmond, North Richmond and Yarramundi Bridges.
1986-11-03 Fluorometry at Sackville (exercise abandoned 4/11/86 dye undetectable).
1986-11-21 Flood metering at Windsor bridge.
1987-04-24 Current metering at Milson Island at 1 line, echo-sounding at 4 lines, 1 tideboard and core samples. MHL497
1990-02-10 Flood metering at Sackville (data on VAX)
1990-06-01 Long term deployment of S4 current meters at 9 sites between Richmond and Wisemans Ferry. MHL594
1993-04-06 ADCP velocity and discharge measurements at 4 lines, Middle Head to West Head; West Head to Barrenjoey; Barrenjoey to Box Head; and Box Head to Middle Head (Brisbane Water). Data not formally reduced but discharge curves plotted. pdf
1995-06-10 Extensive data collection in Berowra Creek, water levels at 4 sites, velocities at 4 sites, in situ water quality at 3 sites, water quality profiles at 17 sites. MHL745
1997-01-01 Berowra Creek Water Quality 1997-98 MHL917
2001-01-01 Berowra Creek Chlorophyl Trial 2001-02 MHL1162
2001-10-16 Extensive data collection in vicinity of Brooklyn, including Mullet Creek, Mooney Mooney Creek and Sandbrook Inlet, water levels at 9 sites, velocities at 4 sites, in situ water quality at 2 sites and water quality profiles at 21 sites. MHL1158
 

Water Level Data

This table shows the Current and Historical Sites for Real Time Water Levels measurements. The date of commencement for the records are noted in brackets. All data for these sites can be obtained through Manly Hydraulics Laboratory.

 
Sites
Current Gunderman Caravan Park (April 1992), Spencer (April 1992), Castlereagh (November 1981), Freemans Reach (April 1980), Windsor (July 1989), Sackville (December 1979), Webbs Creek Ferry (June 1981), Patonga (June 1992), Ebenezer (September 1989) and Colo Junction (May 1999).
Historical Berowra Marina, Berowra Point, Berowra Water Ferry, Blacktown Road, Bushels Lagoon, Burralow, Clarkes, Cliftonville Lodge, Cornwallis, Crosslands Reserve, Gentlemans Halt, Gunderman, Little Patonga Wharf, Lower Portland (Dagyle), Lower Hawkesbury, North Richmond, Oaky Point, Patonga Wharf, Penrith, Penrith Lakes, Pitt Town Bottoms, Port Erringhi, Punt Road - Pitt Town, Sackville Ferry, Upper Colo, Wallacia, Wisemans Ferry, Windsor Bridge, Winani Road and Yarramundi.

Water Quality Data

This table shows the Current and Historical Sites for Real Time Water Quality measurements. The date of commencement for the records are noted in brackets. All data for these sites can be obtained through Manly Hydraulics Laboratory.

 
Sites
Current No data.
Historical Webbs Creek, Sackville, Ebenezer and Castlereagh. Berowra Creek, Berowra Waters Marina and Calabash Bay. Temperature/salinity data collected in conjunction with the tidal gaugings (see above).