Blue Lake (New South Wales)
Encyclopedia
The Blue Lake is one of only four cirque
lake
s found in mainland Australia
, the other three, Cootapatamba, Albina, and Club are shallower than BL and are held
entirely by terminal moraines. Its valley contains the best-developed glacial
features in the Kosciuszko National Park
alpine area of New South Wales
. It was recognised as a wetland of international importance on 17 March 1996 when a 320 ha area, comprising the lake and its surrounds, including nearby Hedley Tarn, was designated Ramsar Site 800 under the Ramsar Convention
on wetlands.
in area and 28 m deep. Its surface is entirely open water, with boulders reaching the shore in the east and north east, and the other shores being pebbly. It lies about 28 km west of Jindabyne
and 3.5 km north of Charlotte Pass
at an altitude of 1890 m asl
, in a glacial landscape.
The lake was formed when glaciers flowing from the Great Dividing Range
converged and carved out a basin in the granite
bedrock
. It receives water from Blue Lake Creek, originating from Mount Twynam
and from snowmelt
. The surface of the lake is frozen for about four months of the year; it overflows in spring with the melting of the snow while, during the rest of the year, the water level remains stable.
, heaths
, bog
s and fen
s supporting a range of native plants and animals, including rare, vulnerable and endangered species, as well as several kinds of invertebrate
restricted to the alpine zone
. Rare or threatened plants found within the Ramsar site include the Branched Carraway, Wedge Oschatzia and Snow-wort, as well as the endangered ecological community of Montane Peatlands and Swamps. Threatened animals found there include the Mountain Pygmy Possum
and Broad-toothed Rat
.
, bushwalking
, skiing
, and ice climbing
. Since all five glacial lakes in the Kosciuszko alpine area are naturally low in nutrients, in order to maintain nutrient balance and prevent contamination, camping is not permitted in the catchments of the glacial lakes.
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
lake
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,...
s found in mainland Australia
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...
, the other three, Cootapatamba, Albina, and Club are shallower than BL and are held
entirely by terminal moraines. Its valley contains the best-developed glacial
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
features in the Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park covers 690,000 hectares and contains mainland Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko for which it is named, and Cabramurra the highest town in Australia...
alpine area of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. It was recognised as a wetland of international importance on 17 March 1996 when a 320 ha area, comprising the lake and its surrounds, including nearby Hedley Tarn, was designated Ramsar Site 800 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 wetlands.
Description
Blue Lake is 16 haHectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
in area and 28 m deep. Its surface is entirely open water, with boulders reaching the shore in the east and north east, and the other shores being pebbly. It lies about 28 km west of Jindabyne
Jindabyne, New South Wales
Jindabyne is a town in south-east New South Wales, Australia that overlooks Lake Jindabyne near the Snowy Mountains, in Snowy River Shire. It is a popular holiday destination, especially in winter, due to its proximity to several ski resorts throughout the Kosciuszko National Park, including...
and 3.5 km north of Charlotte Pass
Charlotte Pass, New South Wales
Charlotte Pass is a location in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia where the Kosciuszko Road crosses Kangaroo Ridge. The location is also often referred to as Charlotte's Pass, both colloquially and in official documents.Charlotte Pass Village Charlotte Pass is a location (elev....
at an altitude of 1890 m asl
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
, in a glacial landscape.
The lake was formed when glaciers flowing from the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
converged and carved out a basin in the granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
. It receives water from Blue Lake Creek, originating from Mount Twynam
Mount Twynam
Mount Twynam is the third-highest mountain on mainland Australia. It is located in the Snowy Mountains on the Main Range, north-west of Mount Kosciuszko. It is large but unimposing, and has good and far-reaching views over Blue Lake Cirque and the Western Falls...
and from snowmelt
Snowmelt
In hydrology, snowmelt is surface runoff produced from melting snow. It can also be used to describe the period or season during which such runoff is produced. Water produced by snowmelt is an important part of the annual water cycle in many parts of the world, in some cases contributing high...
. The surface of the lake is frozen for about four months of the year; it overflows in spring with the melting of the snow while, during the rest of the year, the water level remains stable.
Flora and fauna
The lake is surrounded by alpine herbfieldHerbfield
Herbfields are plant communities dominated by herbaceous plants, especially forbs and grasses. They are found where climatic conditions do not allow large woody plants to grow, such as in subantarctic and alpine tundra environments...
, heaths
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
, bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s and fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s supporting a range of native plants and animals, including rare, vulnerable and endangered species, as well as several kinds of invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
restricted to the alpine zone
Alpine tundra
Alpine tundra is a natural region that does not contain trees because it is at high altitude. Alpine tundra is distinguished from arctic tundra, because alpine soils are generally better drained than arctic soils...
. Rare or threatened plants found within the Ramsar site include the Branched Carraway, Wedge Oschatzia and Snow-wort, as well as the endangered ecological community of Montane Peatlands and Swamps. Threatened animals found there include the Mountain Pygmy Possum
Mountain Pygmy Possum
The Mountain Pygmy Possum is a small, mouse-sized nocturnal marsupial of Australia found in dense alpine rock screes and boulder fields, mainly southern Victoria and around Mount Kosciuszko in Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales at elevations from 1300 to 2230 m...
and Broad-toothed Rat
Broad-toothed Mouse
The Broad-toothed Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.-Distribution and habitat:It is found only in South-eastern Australia. In Victoria live specimens were caught in the Snowfields, Great Dividing Range to Barrington Tops in New South Wales, Gippsland Highlands, Otway Rangers and...
.
Access and usage
Blue Lake may be reached by a 2-hour walk from Charlotte Pass. Human activities in the area include environmental educationEnvironmental education
Environmental education refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. The term is often used to imply education within the school system, from primary to...
, bushwalking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, and ice climbing
Ice climbing
Ice climbing, as the term indicates, is the activity of ascending inclined ice formations. Usually, ice climbing refers to roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water. For the purposes of...
. Since all five glacial lakes in the Kosciuszko alpine area are naturally low in nutrients, in order to maintain nutrient balance and prevent contamination, camping is not permitted in the catchments of the glacial lakes.