View source for Myall Lakes

{{Short description|Lakes in New South Wales, Australia}}
{{distinguish|Myall Lakes National Park|Myall River|Electoral district of Myall Lakes}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2013}}{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name               = Myall Lakes
| image              = Myall lakes.JPG
| alt                =
| caption            = One of the lakes in the [[Myall Lakes National Park]].
| image_bathymetry   =
| alt_bathymetry     =
| caption_bathymetry =
| location           = [[Mid North Coast]]
| coords             = {{coord|32|27|27|S|152|21|43|E|type:waterbody_source:kolossus-frwiki|display =inline,title}}
| lake_type          =
| inflow             = [[Myall River]]
| outflow            = [[Myall River]]
| catchment          =
| basin_countries    = Australia
| date-built         = <!-- {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} For man-made and other recent lakes -->
| date-flooded       = <!-- {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} For man-made and other recent lakes -->
| agency             = [[NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service]]
| designation        = [[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar-protected]]
| length             =
| width              =
| area               = {{convert|9300|ha}}
| depth              =
| max-depth          =
| volume             =
| residence_time     =
| shore              =
| elevation          = {{convert|0|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| frozen             =
| islands            =
| cities             =
<!--      Map      -->
| pushpin_map             = New South Wales#Australia
| pushpin_label_position  = 
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| pushpin_map_caption     = 
<!--   Below       -->  
| website            = 
| reference          = <ref name=bonzle>{{cite web |url=http://www.bonzle.com/c/a?a=p&p=165869&cmd=sp |title=Map of Myall Lake, NSW |publisher=Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia |access-date=17 March 2013}}</ref><ref name=bonzle1>{{cite web |url=http://www.bonzle.com/c/a?a=p&p=162863&cmd=sp |title=Map of Boolambayte Lake, NSW |publisher=Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia |access-date=17 March 2013}}</ref><ref name=bonzle2>{{cite web |url=http://www.bonzle.com/c/a?a=p&p=162205&cmd=sp |title=Map of Bombah Broadwater, NSW |publisher=Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia |access-date=17 March 2013}}</ref>
| embedded = {{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_date = 14 June 1999
| designation1_number = 994<ref>{{Cite web|title=Myall Lakes|website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/994|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}
}}
'''Myall Lakes''', a series of [[fresh water]] lakes protected under the [[Ramsar Convention]], are located within the [[Mid-Coast Council]] [[Local government in Australia|local government area]] in the [[Mid North Coast]] region of [[New South Wales]], Australia.

The Myall Lakes are adjacent to the east coast, about {{Convert|250|km|mi|0}} north of [[Sydney]].

==Features and location==
There are three Myall Lakes, called Myall Lake, Boolambayte Lake and The Broadwater.

When full, Myall Lake covers an area of around {{convert|5800|ha}};<ref name=bonzle/> Boolambayte Lake covers an area of around {{convert|1100|ha}};<ref name=bonzle1/> and Bombah Broadwater covers an area of around {{convert|2400|ha}}.<ref name=bonzle2/>

[[Smiths Lake (New South Wales)|Smiths Lake]] is close to the northern Myall Lake, but is not connected nor formally part of the Myall Lakes. The lakes are partially interconnected and navigable by small craft.  The [[Myall River]] flows into the western side of The Broadwater.  The Myall River also flows out of The Broadwater and meanders southwest where it empties into [[Port Stephens (New South Wales)|Port Stephens]] between the towns of [[Tea Gardens, New South Wales|Tea Gardens]] and [[Hawks Nest, New South Wales|Hawks Nest]]. The lower Myall River progressively becomes saltier and more tidal as it flows southwards.{{citation needed|date=March 2013}}

Most of the Myall Lakes are surrounded by the [[Myall Lakes National Park]]. The [[NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service]] operate a car ferry across the lake at [[Bombah Point]]. The area between the lakes and the sea is mainly uninhabited coastal woodlands and long isolated beaches although some of it was mined for [[heavy mineral sands]] before the 1970s.  The village of [[Bungwahl, New South Wales|Bungwahl]] is located on the northern shore of Myall Lake. There are a number of small islands in the lakes.

At the northern end of Myall Lake lies Mayers Point. This was the centre of a timber industry established by Allen Taylor and Company Limited. To assist in the transport of the logs from the forests to the lake, an extensive light railway system was constructed.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Mayers Point – Wootton – Horses Creek Timber Tramway |author=Wright, H. J |journal=[[Australian Railway History|Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin]] |date=October 1982 |pages=217–240 }}</ref>

Due to the nature of Myall Lakes being coastal dune lakes, or coastal lagoons, they were featured in an American documentary about conservation done by producer [[Elam Stoltzfus]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.coastaldunelakes.org/home.html |title=Coastal Dune Lakes · Welcome |access-date=10 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219080407/http://coastaldunelakes.org/home.html |archive-date=19 December 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of lakes of Australia]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite web|url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/ieo/Karuah/maplg.htm|title=Karuah River and Great Lakes catchments|format=map|work=Office of Environment and Heritage|publisher=[[Government of New South Wales]]}}

{{Lakes of New South Wales |state=autocollapse}}
{{Suburbs of Mid-Coast Council}}
{{Hunter Region places and items of interest}}
{{Ramsar sites in Australia}}

[[Category:Lakes of New South Wales]]
[[Category:Ramsar sites in Australia]]
[[Category:Mid-Coast Council]]
[[Category:Mid North Coast]]