Photo: Smiths Lake opening, October 2021
MidCoast Council is preparing to open Smiths Lake, after 52mm of rainfall was recorded since last Thursday 1 September.
Boaties are asked to remove boats from the Lake to avoid stranding when Council notifies of the opening, likely this week.
Smiths Lake has increased significantly to 1.99m above mean sea level (AHD), as of today, Monday 5 September. The trigger level for needing to open the Lake is 2.10m AHD.
"We watch the Lake levels and weather forecast, tides and swell conditions once the water level approaches the trigger for opening," said Council's Manager Natural Systems, Gerard Tuckerman.
"At this stage, with further rainfall predicted, it is likely that an opening will occur this week."
Smiths Lake is known as an Intermittently Closed and Open Lake or Lagoon. Before Smiths Lake township was developed, Smiths Lake naturally opened to the ocean in response to water levels in the Lake. It closes as a result of sand movement from waves, tides and wind.
Smiths Lake is opened manually to prevent minor flooding of property and roads in an environmentally sensitive way.
In planning an opening, Council must consider the best conditions to ensure an effective movement of water out of the Lake. The aim is to maximise the health and productivity of the estuary.
You can keep an eye on Smiths Lake water levels with real time data on the NSW Government website.
"We will advise when we decide to open the Lake via local media and Facebook during this week," added Mr Tuckerman.
