Lake Illawarra

Lake Illawarra Aboriginal (Tharawal): various adaptions of Elouera, Eloura, or Allowrie; Illa, Wurra, or Warra meaning pleasant place near the sea, or, high place near the sea, or, white clay mountain
Illawarra Lake
Lake Illawarra, viewed from Sublime Point lookout, 2015.
Lake Illawarra Location of Lake Illawarra in New South Wales
Location	Illawarra, New South Wales
Coordinates	34°31′25″S 150°50′04″E / 34.52361°S 150.83444°E / -34.52361; 150.83444Coordinates: 34°31′25″S 150°50′04″E / 34.52361°S 150.83444°E / -34.52361; 150.83444
Type	An open and trained intermediate wave dominated barrier estuary
Primary inflows	Macquarie Rivulet, Mullet Creek
Primary outflows	Tom Thumb Entrance, Tasman Sea
Catchment area	238 km2 (92 sq mi)
Basin countries	Australia
Managing agency	Lake Illawarra Authority
Surface area	35.8 km2 (13.8 sq mi)
Average depth	2.1 metres (6 ft 11 in)
Water volume	74,275 ML (2,623.0×10^6 cu ft)
Surface elevation	0.3 metres (1 ft 0 in) AHD
Frozen	never
Settlements	Wollongong; Shellharbour
References

Lake Illawarra (Aboriginal Tharawal language: various adaptions of Elouera, Eloura, or Allowrie; Illa, Wurra, or Warra meaning pleasant place near the sea, or, high place near the sea, or, white clay mountain), an open and trained intermediate wave dominated barrier estuary or large coastal lagoon, is located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, situated about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of Sydney, Australia.

The lake environment is administered by the Lake Illawarra Authority, a New South Wales statutory authority established pursuant to the Lake Illawarra Authority Act 1987 (NSW) with the aim of transforming the degraded waters and foreshores of Lake Illawarra into an attractive recreational and tourist resource.

Located south of the city of Wollongong, north of the city of Shellharbour, and 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) northeast of Dapto, Lake Illawarra receives runoff from the Illawarra escarpment through Macquarie Rivulet and Mullet Creek, drawing from a catchment area of 238 square kilometres (92 sq mi). With an average depth of 2.1 metres (6 ft 11 in), the relatively shallow lake, brought about because of infilling by sand which has been eroded from the surrounding catchments, covers a surface area of 35.8 square kilometres (13.8 sq mi). At an elevation of 0.3 metres (1 ft 0 in) AHD , the maximum volume of water held in the lake is 74,275 megalitres (2,623.0×10^⁶ cu ft).