Lake Tyrrell
| Lake Tyrrell | |
|---|---|
  Lake Tyrrell Location in Victoria | |
| Location | Mallee district, Victoria |
| Type | Intermittent |
| Primary inflows | Tyrrell Creek |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Surface area | 20,860 ha (51,500 acres) |
Lake Tyrrell is a shallow, salt-crusted depression located in the Mallee district of north-west Victoria, in Australia.
Location and features
The lake covers approximately 20,860 hectares (51,500 acres),[2][3] making it Victoria's largest salt lake. It is located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of the town of Sea Lake and 314 kilometres (195 mi) northwest of Melbourne.
While much of the time the lake is dry, it is usually covered in about 5 centimetres (2.0 in) of water in winter.[4] It is ancient and probably formed by sand blocking the passage of Tyrrell Creek (a distributary of the Avoca River) which feeds the lake.[2][3] Evaporation results in a layer of salt crusting on the lake bed which is harvested by Cheetham Salt in Sea Lake.
The lake environment is host to Mallee reptiles, kangaroos, emus and white-faced chats.[2] Thousands of seagulls breed on small islands on the lake.[2][3] Surrounding vegetation is made up of saltbush and samphire.
History
Around 120,000 years ago Tyrrell was approximately 13 metres (43 ft) deep with low salinity. Water levels subsequently dropped due to climatic changes, resulting in cycles of drying and partial refilling.[4]
In 1838, Australian explorer Edward Eyre discovered Lake Tyrrell while searching for new grazing land.
Recreation activities
Each year on the Queen's Birthday long weekend the lake hosts the Mallee Rally, once part of the Australian Off Road Championship and more recently Australian Off Road Racing Series.
On the Sea Lake side of the lake, 7–8 kilometres (4.3–5.0 mi) from the township, is the local lookout and astronomy deck, built in the late 1990s.
References
- ^ "Lake Tyrrell (lake)". Vicnames. Government of Victoria. 2 May 1966. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
- ^ a b c d Advance Sea Lake Inc., 2013
- ^ a b c The Age Traveller - Sea Lake
- ^ a b Jochen Brocks' Biogeochemistry Group ANU
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