Lake Gordon

#REDIRECT [[Gordon Dam#Reservoir]]

{{Short description|Reservoir in Tasmania, Australia}}

{{other uses}}

{{Use Australian English|date=February 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}

{{Infobox body of water

| name = Lake Gordon

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| image = Gordon Dam.jpg

| alt =

| caption = The {{Convert|140|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} high [[Gordon Dam]], built in 1974, creates Lake Gordon.

| pushpin_map = Tasmania

| pushpin_map_alt =

| pushpin_label_position =

| pushpin_map_caption =

| image_bathymetry =

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"service": "geoshape",

"ids": "Q366813",

"properties": {

"title": "Lake Gordon",

"fill": "#05286D",

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| alt_bathymetry =

| caption_bathymetry = Map showing Lake Gordon in Tasmania

| location = [[South West Tasmania|South-west]] [[Tasmania]]

| coords = {{Coord|42|44|S|146|10|E|region:AU-TAS_type:waterbody_dim:13000|display=inline,title}}

| type = [[Reservoir]]

| inflow = {{unbulleted list|[[Gordon River]]|[[Lake Pedder]]|McPartlan Canal}}

| rivers =

| outflow = Gordon River

| catchment = {{convert|1280|km2|0|abbr=on}}

| basin_countries = [[Australia]]

| agency = [[Hydro Tasmania]]

| designation =

| date-built = {{Start date|1974}}

| engineer = [[Hydro Tasmania|Hydro-Electric Commission TAS]]

| date-flooded = {{Start date|1974}}

| length =

| width =

| area = {{Convert|278|km2|0|abbr=on}}

| depth =

| max-depth =

| volume = {{Convert|12359040|ML|1|abbr=on}}

| residence_time =

| salinity =

| shore =

| elevation =

| frozen =

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}}

'''Lake Gordon''' is a man-made [[reservoir]] created by the [[Gordon Dam]], located on the upper reaches of the [[Gordon River]] in the [[South West Tasmania|south-west]] region of [[Tasmania]], [[Australia]].

==Features==

The reservoir was formed in the early 1970s as a result of the dam construction by the [[Hydro Tasmania|Hydro-Electricity Commission of Tasmania]] in order to create an upper storage for the [[Gordon Power Station]], the largest and most controversial [[hydro-electric]] power scheme in Tasmania.McKenry, Keith (1972) ''A History and critical analysis of the controversy concerning the Gordon River Power Scheme'' pp. 9–39 in Australian Conservation Foundation (1972)'' Pedder Papers – Anatomy of a Decision'' Parkville, Vic. Australian Conservation Foundation

Drawing from a catchment area of {{convert|1280|km2}}, Lake Gordon is Tasmania's largest lake, with a surface area of {{Convert|278|km2}}, with storage capacity of {{Convert|12359040|ML|1}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ancold.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Dams-Australia-2010-v1-for-website.xls|format=Excel (requires download)|title=Register of Large Dams in Australia|publisher=[[Australian National Committee on Large Dams]]|year=2010|access-date=23 June 2015|work=Dams information|archive-date=12 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212120804/http://www.ancold.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Dams-Australia-2010-v1-for-website.xls|url-status=dead}} or {{Convert|12.5|km3|mi3|1|abbr=on}} of water, the equivalent of twenty-five times the amount of water in [[Port Jackson]]. [[Lake Pedder]] is connected to Lake Gordon through the McPartlans Pass Canal at {{Coord|42|50|51|S|146|11|45|E|name=McPartlans Pass Canal}}.

==Controversy==

Additional dams were proposed for the lower Gordon River, however they were subject to political protest led by [[The Wilderness Society (Australia)|The Wilderness Society]], most notably the [[Franklin Dam controversy]] during the early 1980s. In 1983 the [[Bob Hawke|Hawke]]-led [[Australian Government]] intervened and overturned a decision by the Tasmanian Government to dam the lower Gordon. When the Tasmanian Government refused to halt work in the [[UNESCO]]-listed [[World Heritage Area]], the Australian Government successfully sought a ruling in the [[High Court of Australia]] in ''[[Commonwealth v Tasmania]]''. The lower Gordon was not dammed.{{cite journal|url=http://ecogeneration.com.au/news/hydroelectricity_in_australia_past_present_and_future/055974/ |author=Harries, David |title=Hydroelectricity in Australia: past, present and future |date=March 2011 |journal=Ecogeneration |publisher=Great Southern Press |access-date=6 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706183448/http://ecogeneration.com.au/news/hydroelectricity_in_australia_past_present_and_future/055974/ |archive-date= 6 July 2015 }}

==Tasmanian Energy Crisis==

In early 2016, the lowest ever water supply levels in the lake were recorded during the [[2016 Tasmanian energy crisis]].{{cite news|last1=Baines|first1=Richard|title=Energy crisis: Tasmania's key hydroelectric source Lake Gordon at record low|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-23/tasmania's-key-hydroelectric-source-lake-gordon-at-record-low/7271502|access-date=31 March 2016|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia|date=24 March 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-31/lake-gordon-dam-level-fall-captured-in-dramatic-video/7289020|title=Lake Gordon dam level fall captured in dramatic video|author=Gramenz, Emilie|date=31 March 2016|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia|access-date=23 April 2018}} However, by July of next year the drought had ended, and the lake had swelled by twenty metres over ten months.{{Cite journal |last=Roger Hanson |date=2017-02-08 |title=Twin tales of Lake Gordon: Mercury, The (Hobart) |url=https://www.themercury.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TMWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.themercury.com.au%2Fnews%2Ftasmania%2Ftwin-tales-of-lake-gordons-water-levels-before-and-after-heavy-winter-rains%2Fnews-story%2F6cc4bd93f4a5098e76f4e189b74bd432&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium |journal=The Mercury |publication-place=Hobart |pages=15 |url-access=subscription}}

==See also==

{{stack|{{Portal|Australia|Water|Renewable energy}}}}

*[[List of reservoirs and dams in Australia#Tasmania|List of reservoirs and dams in Tasmania]]

*[[List of lakes of Australia#Tasmania|List of lakes in Tasmania]]

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

{{Western Tasmania |state=autocollapse}}

{{GordonPowerDevelopment |state=autocollapse}}

{{Lakes of Tasmania|state=autocollapse}}

[[Category:Lake Pedder|Gordon]]

[[Category:Gordon River, Tasmania]]

[[Category:2016 Tasmanian energy crisis]]

[[Category:Gordon River power development scheme]]

[[Category:Reservoirs in Tasmania]]

{{Tasmania-geo-stub}}