Lake Gore
Encyclopedia
Lake Gore is a seasonal and semi-permanent lake
in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia
located approximately 24 km (15 mi) West of Esperance
. It is an important site for waterbirds.
The lake and its surrounds are situated in the Albany-Fraser Orogen with alluvial sediments overlying gneiss
, sandstone
and limestone
on a sub-coastal plain. The lake itself is a sub-terminal drainage basin. The wetland area has a total volume of 30 km³ (7 cu mi) and a total catchment area of 1140000 km² (440,156 sq mi).
The water is colourless
and has low tannin
levels. The salinity
of the river varies depending on rainfall, the minimum salinity is recorded as 6.5ppt
but the September mean is 52ppt. Salinity levels rise as the lake dries out in summer. The pH
of the lake water fluctuates between 7.1 and 9.4. The water quality and salinity levels are regularly monitored by local school students as part of the Ribbons of Blue program.
composed of Saltwater Paperbark
, with an understorey of sedges
such as Coastal Saw-sedge
and Schoenus brevifolius. The area is a suitable habitat for a variety of bird
s, with over 20,000 visiting the lake each year. It supports the largest known population of Hooded Plover
, holding up to one third of the global population. It is important as a moulting site for Australian Shelduck
, and as a drought refuge
for large numbers of duck
s and shorebirds
. It also supports up to 10% of the global population of Banded Stilt
. The Lake Gore system has been identified by BirdLife International
as an Important Bird Area
(IBA) because it supports over 1% of the world population of Hooded Plover
s and has also supported over 1% of the world populations of Australian Shelduck
s and Banded Stilt
s.
flows into the eastern end of the lake. The wetland
s of which the lake is a part cover an area of 4017 hectares (9,926 acre) and were recognised as being of international importance through designation under the Ramsar Convention
on 5 January 2001 as Ramsar Site 1049.
The lake is also a DIWA-listed wetland
.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
located approximately 24 km (15 mi) West of Esperance
Esperance, Western Australia
Esperance is a large town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located on the Southern Ocean coastline approximately east-southeast of the state capital, Perth. The shire of Esperance is home to 9,536 people as of the 2006 census, its major industries are tourism, agriculture,...
. It is an important site for waterbirds.
Description
The lake is almost circular in shape and has several smaller lakes located to the West including Lake Kubitch and Carbul Lake. A larger lake, Quallilup Lake is located further to the South near Shelley Beach.The lake and its surrounds are situated in the Albany-Fraser Orogen with alluvial sediments overlying gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
, sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
on a sub-coastal plain. The lake itself is a sub-terminal drainage basin. The wetland area has a total volume of 30 km³ (7 cu mi) and a total catchment area of 1140000 km² (440,156 sq mi).
Hydrology
The lake is recharged mostly via surface flow from the Dalyup river directly into Lake Gore with the Coobidge creek supplying many of the surrounding lake systems. The maximum depth of Lake Gore is recorded as 2.02 m (7 ft) in 1986 when the lake was inundated but with a mean depth of 1.43 m (5 ft) and the lake has dried up several times the last being in 1984.The water is colourless
Colourless
Colourless may also refer to:* Transparency and translucency, transmitting all or most colours** Neutral density filter, a colorless or grey filter that changes intensity of all wavelengths of light equally* Monochrome, images in a single colour...
and has low tannin
Tannin
A tannin is an astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic compound that binds to and precipitates proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.The term tannin refers to the use of...
levels. The salinity
Salinity
Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
of the river varies depending on rainfall, the minimum salinity is recorded as 6.5ppt
PPT
- Organizations :* Parti progressiste tchadien, a political party active in Chad between 1947 and 1973* Patria Para Todos, a left-wing political party in Venezuela* Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal founded in Bologna, 1979...
but the September mean is 52ppt. Salinity levels rise as the lake dries out in summer. The pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
of the lake water fluctuates between 7.1 and 9.4. The water quality and salinity levels are regularly monitored by local school students as part of the Ribbons of Blue program.
Flora and fauna
The wetlands support a narrow zone of woodlandWoodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
composed of Saltwater Paperbark
Melaleuca cuticularis
Melaleuca cuticularis, or Saltwater Paperbark is a native tree of Western Australia.- Description :M. cuticularis is a tree that typically grows to a height of - and is fairly dense....
, with an understorey of sedges
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
such as Coastal Saw-sedge
Gahnia trifida
Gahnia trifida is a tussock-forming perennial in the family Cyperaceae, endemic to southern Australia.A herb, sedge or grass-like, with very rough leaf margins and underside. The species grows in dense tussocks, 1.5 metres and 1 metre across, with leaves over 1 metre long and drooping. It is found...
and Schoenus brevifolius. The area is a suitable habitat for a variety of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, with over 20,000 visiting the lake each year. It supports the largest known population of Hooded Plover
Hooded Plover
The Hooded Dotterel or Hooded Plover is a species of bird in the Charadriidae family. It is endemic to southern Australia and Tasmania. There are two recognized subspecies, both of which are classifed as Endangered....
, holding up to one third of the global population. It is important as a moulting site for Australian Shelduck
Australian Shelduck
The Australian Shelduck, Tadorna tadornoides, is a shelduck, a group of large goose-like birds which are part of the bird family Anatidae, which also includes the swans, geese and ducks. The Anatidae article should be referred to for an overview of this group of birds.This is a bird which breeds...
, and as a drought refuge
Drought refuge
A drought refuge is a site that provides permanent fresh water or moist conditions for plants and animals, acting as a refuge habitat when surrounding areas are affected by drought and allowing ecosystems and core species populations to survive until the drought breaks...
for large numbers of duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s and shorebirds
Wader
Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
. It also supports up to 10% of the global population of Banded Stilt
Banded Stilt
The Banded Stilt is a nomadic stilt from Australia. It belongs to the monotypical genus Cladorhynchus. It gets its name from the red-brown breast band found on breeding adults, but this is mottled or entirely absent in non-breeding adults and juveniles. Its remaining plumage is pied and the eyes...
. The Lake Gore system has been identified by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
as an Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
(IBA) because it supports over 1% of the world population of Hooded Plover
Hooded Plover
The Hooded Dotterel or Hooded Plover is a species of bird in the Charadriidae family. It is endemic to southern Australia and Tasmania. There are two recognized subspecies, both of which are classifed as Endangered....
s and has also supported over 1% of the world populations of Australian Shelduck
Australian Shelduck
The Australian Shelduck, Tadorna tadornoides, is a shelduck, a group of large goose-like birds which are part of the bird family Anatidae, which also includes the swans, geese and ducks. The Anatidae article should be referred to for an overview of this group of birds.This is a bird which breeds...
s and Banded Stilt
Banded Stilt
The Banded Stilt is a nomadic stilt from Australia. It belongs to the monotypical genus Cladorhynchus. It gets its name from the red-brown breast band found on breeding adults, but this is mottled or entirely absent in non-breeding adults and juveniles. Its remaining plumage is pied and the eyes...
s.
Protection
Lake Gore is part of Nature Reserve 32419, set aside for conservation purposes. The Dalyup RiverDalyup River
Dalyup River is a river located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia.The first European to discover the river was Surveyor General John Septimus Roe in 1848 who named it the Gore River after one of Captain James Cook's crew from the Endeavour, Lieutenant John Gore.The river was...
flows into the eastern end of the lake. The wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s of which the lake is a part cover an area of 4017 hectares (9,926 acre) and were recognised as being of international importance through designation under the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
on 5 January 2001 as Ramsar Site 1049.
The lake is also a DIWA-listed wetland
A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia
A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia is a list of wetlands of national importance to Australia. Intended to augment the list of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, it was formerly published in report form, but is now essentially an online publication...
.