Lake Batyo Catyo (Victoria)
Encyclopedia
Lake Batyo Catyo is a freshwater lake
located 26km west of the town of St Arnaud in North Central Victoria
, Australia
.
In normal conditions the lake surface area covers 230 hectares to an average depth of 2.5 metres. It is the terminus for water flowing from the Richardson River via Souths Creek and three smaller reservoirs to its southwest.
and St. Arnaud.
, golden perch
and redfin perch, though fish habitat has been affected by recent drought
conditions.
(Cyperus
gymnocaulus). The southern and southwestern shore is also home to stands of Black Box (Eucalyptus largiflorens
)
Three threatened species
are present: the Pale Spike sedge (Eleocharis pallens), Chariot Wheels (Maireana cheeli) and Turnip Copperbur (Sclerolaena napiformis). Upstream land clearing in the 1960s has increased salinity levels in the lake, but a 2006 water quality study indicated sufficient fresh water to maintain existing vegetation.
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,...
located 26km west of the town of St Arnaud in North Central Victoria
North central victoria
North Central Victoria is a rural region in the Australian state of Victoria.- Location :Sustainability Victoria, a Victorian Government agency, defines North Central Victoria as the municipalities of Buloke, Gannawarra, Loddon, Campaspe, Central Goldfields, Mount Alexander, Macedon Ranges and the...
, 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...
.
In normal conditions the lake surface area covers 230 hectares to an average depth of 2.5 metres. It is the terminus for water flowing from the Richardson River via Souths Creek and three smaller reservoirs to its southwest.
History
The lake was constructed in 1961 as an irrigation reservoir for dairying and for cereal crops. Water was diverted from the Richardson River during high-flow periods to create a reservoir holding an average of 1,130 ML and a maximum of 2,250 ML. More recently the lake has been used for waterskiing and other recreational and tourist activities based in the nearby town of DonaldDonald, Victoria
Donald is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Richardson River, at the junction of Sunraysia Highway and Borung Highway, in the Shire of Buloke. The town is named after William Donald, a Scottish pastoralist who was the first settler in the area in 1844...
and St. Arnaud.
Fauna
The lake is home to communities of Murray codMurray Cod
The Murray cod is a large Australian predatory freshwater fish of the Maccullochella genus and the Percichthyidae family. Although the species is a called cod in the vernacular, it is not related to the northern hemisphere marine cod species...
, golden perch
Golden perch
The golden perch, Macquaria ambigua, is an Australian native freshwater fish, primarily of the Murray-Darling river system. It is not a true perch of the genus Perca....
and redfin perch, though fish habitat has been affected by recent drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
conditions.
Flora
Native flora include species common to grassy wetlands. The shoreline is dominated by River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) associated with Canegrass (Eragrostis infecunda) Tangled Lignum (Muehlenbeckia florulenta) and spiny sedgeCyperaceae
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...
(Cyperus
Cyperus
Cyperus is a large genus of about 600 species of sedges, distributed throughout all continents in both tropical and temperate regions. They are annual or perennial plants, mostly aquatic and growing in still or slow-moving water up to 0.5 m deep. The species vary greatly in size, with small species...
gymnocaulus). The southern and southwestern shore is also home to stands of Black Box (Eucalyptus largiflorens
Eucalyptus largiflorens
Eucalyptus largiflorens, or Black Box, is a species of Eucalyptus which is endemic to Australia. It is a tree grows up to 20 metres in height...
)
Three threatened species
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
are present: the Pale Spike sedge (Eleocharis pallens), Chariot Wheels (Maireana cheeli) and Turnip Copperbur (Sclerolaena napiformis). Upstream land clearing in the 1960s has increased salinity levels in the lake, but a 2006 water quality study indicated sufficient fresh water to maintain existing vegetation.