Reedy Lake
Encyclopedia
Reedy Lake, historically also known as Lake Reedy, is a shallow 5.5 km2 freshwater
lake
or swamp
on the lower reaches of the Barwon River
, on the Bellarine Peninsula
near the city Geelong, Victoria
, Australia
. It is included in the Lake Connewarre State Game Reserve, which is managed by Parks Victoria
. It is the largest freshwater swamp in central Victoria, and is part of a wetland complex which includes Hospital Swamp, Lake Connewarre
, Salt Swamp and the Barwon estuary
. Its outlet to the tidal lower Barwon River is controlled by a weir
. It is listed under the Ramsar Convention
as a wetland
of international significance, as part of the Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site
.
, and its bed covered by a layer of alluvial clay deposited by the Barwon River. Before European settlement of the area in the early 19th century the lake was an ephemeral wetland that became saline in summer from the seepage of salty ground-water and occasional exceptionally high tides. In winter it usually became fresh, as river floods flushed out the saline water.
The first barrier across the Barwon was built in 1838 to provide fresh water for Geelong. In 1899 a second barrier, known as the 'lower breakwater' was built further downstream on the river at the southern boundary of Reedy Lake, making it a predominantly freshwater wetland, with an extensive cover of vegetation, that supported diverse populations of waterbirds and other aquatic wildlife. By the 1930s its natural values were becoming appreciated and, in 1935, it was temporarily reserved for “public purposes”. Later it was protected permanently and its level of protection upgraded to that of game reserve
. During the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s further works were carried out and refinements added, such as inlet pipes from the river above the lower breakwater and an outlet channel with a flow regulator, to maintain and control water levels in the lake.
In the early 1990s the lake began to suffer degradation as the more permanent and deeper water levels allowed a large population of the introduced
Common Carp
to build up. The feeding behaviour of the carp undermined the reedbeds and increased water turbidity
, leading to the death of submerged plants, decreased oxygen levels and the decline of small aquatic wildlife. This was remedied in 1996-1997 by drying out the lake to kill the carp before allowing it to fill again. Since then water levels have been closely managed, with some seasonal drying in summer, to limit carp numbers and to maintain areas of open water as waterbird habitat.
rich and includes some 50 native freshwater aquatic vascular plant
s. There are freshwater, subsaline and saline plant communities, with zones of saltmarsh
and sedgeland
around the perimeter of the lake shifting in response to changing water levels. Other plant communities are Muehlenbeckia shrubland, samphire
herbland and Phragmites australis reedswamp. There are areas of open water round the edge of the lake and as channels and lagoons in the reedbeds, as well as a central area in the deepest part of the lake known as the “Big Hole”.
A wide variety of waterbird species use the lake, many of them breeding there, sometimes in large numbers. In spring Straw-necked Ibis
, Australian White Ibis
and Royal Spoonbill
s form large breeding colonies, sometimes of up to 10,000-20,000 birds. Other waterbirds with recorded counts of over 1000 at some time include the Australian Shelduck
, Pacific Black Duck
, Australasian Shoveler
, Grey
and Chestnut Teal
, Purple Swamphen
, Eurasian Coot
, Red-necked Stint
, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
, Silver Gull
and Whiskered Tern
. Other species of which the lake is recorded as holding regionally high numbers are Magpie Geese, Glossy Ibis
, Brolga
, Australian Spotted Crake
, Black-tailed Godwit
, Marsh Sandpiper
, Black-winged Stilt
, Red-kneed Dotterel
and White-winged Black Tern. The lake is a stronghold of the endangered Australasian Bittern
. The lake and its associated wetlands are part of the Bellarine Wetlands Important Bird Area
.
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
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,...
or swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
on the lower reaches of the Barwon River
Barwon River (Victoria)
The Barwon River rises in the Otway Ranges of Victoria, Australia, runs through Winchelsea and the city of Geelong, where it is joined by the Moorabool River, and enters the sea at Barwon Heads after passing through Lake Connewarre on the Bellarine Peninsula...
, on the Bellarine Peninsula
Bellarine Peninsula
The Bellarine Peninsula is a peninsula located south-west of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, surrounded by Port Phillip, Corio Bay and Bass Strait. The peninsula, together with the Mornington Peninsula separates Port Phillip from Bass Strait...
near the city Geelong, Victoria
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
, 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...
. It is included in the Lake Connewarre State Game Reserve, which is managed by Parks Victoria
Parks Victoria
-Department:Parks Victoria was established in December 1996 as a statutory authority, reporting to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change. The Parks Victoria Act 1998 makes Parks Victoria responsible for managing national parks, reserves and other land under the control of the state,...
. It is the largest freshwater swamp in central Victoria, and is part of a wetland complex which includes Hospital Swamp, Lake Connewarre
Lake Connewarre
Lake Connewarre is a shallow estuarine lake located on the Barwon River, on the Bellarine Peninsula near Geelong, Victoria. It is adjacent to, and downstream from, the freshwater Reedy Lake...
, Salt Swamp and the Barwon estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
. Its outlet to the tidal lower Barwon River is controlled by a weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
. It is listed 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,...
as a wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
of international significance, as part of the Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site
Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site
The Port Phillip Bay and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site is one of the Australian sites listed under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. It was designated on 15 December 1982, and is listed as Ramsar Site No.266...
.
History
Six thousand years ago Reedy Lake was part of a large marine bay. With a subsequent change in relative sea level it was cut off from the sea by a barrier of sand dunesDune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
, and its bed covered by a layer of alluvial clay deposited by the Barwon River. Before European settlement of the area in the early 19th century the lake was an ephemeral wetland that became saline in summer from the seepage of salty ground-water and occasional exceptionally high tides. In winter it usually became fresh, as river floods flushed out the saline water.
The first barrier across the Barwon was built in 1838 to provide fresh water for Geelong. In 1899 a second barrier, known as the 'lower breakwater' was built further downstream on the river at the southern boundary of Reedy Lake, making it a predominantly freshwater wetland, with an extensive cover of vegetation, that supported diverse populations of waterbirds and other aquatic wildlife. By the 1930s its natural values were becoming appreciated and, in 1935, it was temporarily reserved for “public purposes”. Later it was protected permanently and its level of protection upgraded to that of game reserve
Game reserve
A game reserve is an area of land set aside for maintenance of wildlife for tourism or hunting purposes. Many game reserves are located in Africa. Most are open to the public, and tourists commonly take sightseeing safaris or hunt wild game....
. During the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s further works were carried out and refinements added, such as inlet pipes from the river above the lower breakwater and an outlet channel with a flow regulator, to maintain and control water levels in the lake.
In the early 1990s the lake began to suffer degradation as the more permanent and deeper water levels allowed a large population of the introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
Common Carp
Common carp
The Common carp is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction, but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered an invasive...
to build up. The feeding behaviour of the carp undermined the reedbeds and increased water turbidity
Turbidity
Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality....
, leading to the death of submerged plants, decreased oxygen levels and the decline of small aquatic wildlife. This was remedied in 1996-1997 by drying out the lake to kill the carp before allowing it to fill again. Since then water levels have been closely managed, with some seasonal drying in summer, to limit carp numbers and to maintain areas of open water as waterbird habitat.
Flora and fauna
The lake is floristicallyFloristics
Floristics is a subdomain of botany and biogeography that studies distribution and relationships of plant species over geographic areas.The term is not to be confused with floristry....
rich and includes some 50 native freshwater aquatic vascular plant
Vascular plant
Vascular plants are those plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant. Vascular plants include the clubmosses, Equisetum, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms...
s. There are freshwater, subsaline and saline plant communities, with zones of saltmarsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
and sedgeland
Cyperaceae
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...
around the perimeter of the lake shifting in response to changing water levels. Other plant communities are Muehlenbeckia shrubland, samphire
Samphire
Samphire is a name given to a number of very different edible plants that happen to grow in coastal areas.*Rock samphire, Crithmum maritimum is a coastal species with white flowers that grows in the United Kingdom...
herbland and Phragmites australis reedswamp. There are areas of open water round the edge of the lake and as channels and lagoons in the reedbeds, as well as a central area in the deepest part of the lake known as the “Big Hole”.
A wide variety of waterbird species use the lake, many of them breeding there, sometimes in large numbers. In spring Straw-necked Ibis
Straw-necked Ibis
The Straw-necked Ibis is a bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. It can be found throughout Australia, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia. Adults have distinctive straw-like feathers on their neck....
, Australian White Ibis
Australian White Ibis
The Australian White Ibis , is a wading bird of the ibis family Threskiornithidae. It is widespread across much of Australia...
and Royal Spoonbill
Royal Spoonbill
The Royal Spoonbill, Platalea regia, also known as the Black-billed Spoonbill, occurs in intertidal flats and shallows of fresh and saltwater wetlands in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. It has also been recorded as a vagrant in New Caledonia...
s form large breeding colonies, sometimes of up to 10,000-20,000 birds. Other waterbirds with recorded counts of over 1000 at some time include the Australian Shelduck
Australian Shelduck
The Australian Shelduck, Tadorna tadornoides, is a shelduck, a group of large goose-like birds which are part of the bird family Anatidae, which also includes the swans, geese and ducks. The Anatidae article should be referred to for an overview of this group of birds.This is a bird which breeds...
, Pacific Black Duck
Pacific Black Duck
The Pacific Black Duck is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific, reaching to the Caroline Islands in the north and French Polynesia in the east. It is usually called the Grey Duck in New Zealand...
, Australasian Shoveler
Australasian Shoveler
The Australasian Shoveler is a species of dabbling duck in the genus Anas. It ranges from 46–53 cm. It lives in heavily vegetated swamps. In Australia it is protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974...
, Grey
Grey Teal
The Grey Teal, Anas gracilis is a dabbling duck found in open wetlands in New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands....
and Chestnut Teal
Chestnut Teal
The Chestnut Teal is a dabbling duck found in southern Australia. It is protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.-Description:The Chestnut Teal is darker and a slightly bigger bird than the Grey Teal....
, Purple Swamphen
Purple Swamphen
The Purple Swamphen , also known as the African Purple Swamphen, Purple Moorhen, Purple Gallinule, Pūkeko or Purple Coot, is a large bird in the family Rallidae . From its name in French, talève sultane, it is also known as the Sultana Bird...
, Eurasian Coot
Eurasian Coot
The Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, also known as Coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. The Australian subspecies is known as the Australian Coot.-Distribution:...
, Red-necked Stint
Red-necked Stint
The Red-necked Stint is a small migratory wader.- Description :These birds are among the smallest of waders, very similar to the Little Stint, Calidris minuta, with which they were once considered conspecific...
, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Calidris acuminata is a small wader.- Taxonomy :More recently, a review of new data has indicated that this bird should perhaps better be placed into the genus Philomachus- as P...
, Silver Gull
Silver Gull
The Silver Gull also known simply as "seagull" in Australia, is the most common gull seen in Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly coastal areas. The South African Hartlaub's Gull and the New Zealand Red-billed Gull The Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus...
and Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern
The Whiskered Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in size and minor plumage details....
. Other species of which the lake is recorded as holding regionally high numbers are Magpie Geese, Glossy Ibis
Glossy Ibis
The Glossy Ibis is a wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae.This is the most widespread ibis species, breeding in scattered sites in warm regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean region of the Americas...
, Brolga
Brolga
The Brolga , formerly known as the "Native Companion", is a bird in the crane family. The bird has also been given the name "Australian Crane", a term coined in 1865 by well-known ornithological artist John Gould in his Birds of Australia.The Brolga is a common gregarious wetland bird species in...
, Australian Spotted Crake
Australian Spotted Crake
The Australian Spotted Crake is a species of bird in the Rallidae family. It is endemic to Australia, where its natural habitat is dense reedbeds, shallow open water and mudflats or floating vegetation in fresh or salt water wetlands including lakes, swamps and salt-marsh. Can also be found far...
, Black-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
The Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa, is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the Limosa genus, the godwits...
, Marsh Sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper
The Marsh Sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis, is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to central Asia....
, Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt
The Black-winged Stilt or Common Stilt is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family . Opinions differ as to whether the birds treated under the scientific name H. himantopus ought to be treated as a single species and if not, how many species to recognize...
, Red-kneed Dotterel
Red-kneed Dotterel
The Red-kneed Dotterel is a long-legged, medium-sized plover in a monotypic genus in the subfamily Vanellinae. It is often gregarious and will associate with other waders of its own and different species, even when nesting...
and White-winged Black Tern. The lake is a stronghold of the endangered Australasian Bittern
Australasian Bittern
The Australasian Bittern , also known as the Brown Bittern, is found in south-western and south-eastern Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Ouvea. Populations in Australia and New Zealand have declined in the 20th century.It is a large bittern, patterned and streaked brown, buff...
. The lake and its associated wetlands are part of the Bellarine Wetlands Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
.