Lake Burrendong

Not to be confused with Burrendong Dam.

Lake Burrendong
A picnic area by the lake.
Lake Burrendong
Location	Wellington, New South Wales
Coordinates	32°40′S 149°8′E
Lake type	Man-made reservoir
Primary inflows	Macquarie River, Cudgegong River
Primary outflows	Macquarie River
Catchment area	13,886 square kilometres (5,361 sq mi)
Basin countries	Australia
Surface area	8,900 hectares (22,000 acres)
Surface elevation	344 metres (1,129 ft) AMSL

Lake Burrendong is a man-made reservoir created by Burrendong Dam.[1] It impounds waters on the Macquarie and Cudgegong rivers, near Wellington, in the central west region of New South Wales, Australia.

Location and features

The waters of the Macquarie and Cudgegong rivers and Meroo Creek flow into the man-made lake, which, when full, has a capacity of approximately 1,189,000 megalitres (42,000×10^^6 cu ft). With a catchment area of 13,886 square kilometres (5,361 sq mi) and a surface area of 8,900 hectares (22,000 acres),[2] Lake Burrendong is a popular recreation area for fishing and tourism.[3][4]

History

In 2019 during a drought, the lake dried up and the former town that was inundated became visible again.[5]

References

1. Timms, Penny; Clark, Emily; Esposito, Brendan (5 October 2019). "From sunken forests to garden beds: This is what's at the bottom of Lake Burrendong". Australia: ABC News. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
2. "Burrendong Dam" (PDF). State Water. Government of New South Wales. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
3. Swanson, Peter (2006). "Lake Burrendong – Wellington / Mumbil, NSW". Sweetwater Fishing. Sweetwater Fishing Australia. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
4. "Lake Burrendong". Crown Land: State Parks. Trade & Investment NSW, Government of New South Wales. 2010. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
5. Timms, Penny; Clark, Emily; Esposito, Brendan (5 October 2019). "This town was once sacrificed for a dam, but in dry times it's being uncovered". Australia: ABC News. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.

Further reading

• Kingsford, R.T. & Thomas, R. F. in press, The Macquarie Marshes in Arid Australia and its Waterbirds: a 50 Year History of Decline, in press, Environmental Management 19