Lake Carey is one of a chain of lakes that makes up the Carey Palaeodrainage system, formed during the Tertiary Period, from about 65 million years ago. The Carey Palaeodrainage system extends about 600 kilometres (373 mi) from Wiluna to the Eucla Basin.[4]
The elongated lake extends from 25 kilometres (16 mi) to 90 kilometres (56 mi) south of Laverton, within the Laverton Tectonic Zone, an area associated with gold mining since the 1890s.[1][5][6][7]
Mining activity and its discharge has affected the lake.[8]
^Kimberly, Warren Bert (1897). "Sir John Forrest, K.C.M,G., F.R.G.S., F.G.S., &c.". History of West Australia. Melbourne: F. W. Niven & Co. p. 1. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
^Datson, Bindy (2 March 2012). "Tecticornia Review"(PDF). Environmental Protection Authority. Perth, WA: Actis Environmental Services. p. 4. Archived from the original(pdf) on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
^Gray, D. J; Britt, A. F (2008), Supergene gold dispersion in the regolith at the Cleo deposit, Western Australia (2nd impression ed.), CRC Leme, ISBN978-1-921039-69-0
^Gregory, S. J; Ward, M. J; John, J (1 June 2009), "Changes in the chemistry and biota of Lake Carey: a large salt lake impacted by hypersaline discharge from mining operations in Western Australia.(Report)", Hydrobiologia, 625 (1), Springer: 53, doi:10.1007/s10750-009-9744-6, ISSN0018-8158