Lake Eildon
Encyclopedia
Lake Eildon is the impoundment created by Eildon Weir on the Goulburn River in southern Victoria, Australia
. At 3,334,158 megalitres when full, it contains six times as much water as Sydney Harbour
and is the second largest water storage in Victoria after Dartmouth Dam
. It is located at the town of Eildon
, within Lake Eildon National Park
.
and the Waranga Basin
before it flows to irrigators in the Goulburn Valley system.
, careful regulation has kept outflows fairly static. As of May 8, 2007, Lake Eildon had dropped to an all-time low of 5.3% capacity.
In June 2007, the Victoria Government announced that Lake Eildon would be connected to Melbourne's metropolitan water supply via a pipeline from the Goulburn River.
The nearby town of Bonnie Doon
was the location for the holiday scenes in the movie, The Castle.
As of 11th of October 2011 the lake is 99.13% full.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. At 3,334,158 megalitres when full, it contains six times as much water as Sydney Harbour
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
and is the second largest water storage in Victoria after Dartmouth Dam
Dartmouth Dam
Dartmouth Dam is a large dam on the Mitta Mitta River in the north-eastern portion of the Australian state of Victoria. The dam creates the artificial Lake Dartmouth, storing water from the Victorian "High Country's" snow fields for summer release into the Mitta Mitta and subsequently into the...
. It is located at the town of Eildon
Eildon, Victoria
Eildon is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located near Lake Eildon, on the Goulburn Valley Highway, in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. At the 2006 Census, Eildon had a population of 1186.-History:...
, within Lake Eildon National Park
Lake Eildon National Park
Lake Eildon National Park is a national park in Victoria in the northern foothills of Victoria's Central Highlands, 111 km northeast of Melbourne...
.
Construction
The lake was created in several stages. The first dam was constructed between 1915 and 1929, creating what was then known as Sugarloaf Reservoir. The storage was enlarged to 377,000 megalitres in 1935, and then enlarged almost tenfold between 1951 and 1955. On average, 91% of the water from Lake Eildon goes to the Goulburn WeirGoulburn Weir
Goulburn Weir is a weir built between 1887 and early 1891 across the Goulburn River near Nagambie, Victoria, Australia. It was the first major diversion structure built for irrigation development in Australia. The weir also forms Lake Nagambie where rowing regattas and waterskiing tournaments are...
and the Waranga Basin
Waranga Basin
Waranga Basin is a reservoir forming part of the Goulburn River irrigation system in Victoria, Australia. It is located in Shire of Campaspe near the City of Greater Shepparton and is located near the townships of Tatura, Rushworth and Murchison...
before it flows to irrigators in the Goulburn Valley system.
Drought
In recent years, Lake Eildon has rarely filled, and the once-thriving holiday destinations around the lake have been unable to attract visitors, leading to considerable economic hardship. Although water is in great demand for agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, careful regulation has kept outflows fairly static. As of May 8, 2007, Lake Eildon had dropped to an all-time low of 5.3% capacity.
In June 2007, the Victoria Government announced that Lake Eildon would be connected to Melbourne's metropolitan water supply via a pipeline from the Goulburn River.
The nearby town of Bonnie Doon
Bonnie Doon, Victoria
Bonnie Doon is a small village in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Maroondah Highway, in the Shire of Mansfield. Bonnie Doon is 115 kilometres north-east from Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Bonnie Doon and the surrounding area had a population of 755....
was the location for the holiday scenes in the movie, The Castle.
2010/11 Recovery
After many years with below average rainfall, 2010 saw Lake Eildon receive above average rainfall and rose from 23% of capacity in May 2010 to be 82.5% as of March 2011.As of 11th of October 2011 the lake is 99.13% full.