Are closed ICOLLs ‘unhealthy’?
Closed ICOLLs can often cause community concern over issues such as perceived ‘poor ‘ water quality, unpleasant smells and odour, flooding of low lying areas of the foreshore and the health of fish stocks. It is often suggested that ICOLL entrances should be opened to flush out the ‘dirty’ water and replenish it with ‘clean’ seawater. However, just because an ICOLL is closed does not necessarily mean that it has poor water quality. Many closed ICOLLs maintain good water quality and remain suitable for swimming, water sports and fishing for long periods of time. Furthermore, artificially opening an ICOLL entrance will not always improve the water quality due to the limited tidal movement or ‘flushing’ in most ICOLLs. After heavy rainfall the water quality in a closed ICOLL can temporarily worsen as a result of runoff containing sediment, nutrients and pollutants entering the ICOLL from creeks and drains throughout the catchment. In many instances opening the entrance is not the solution
