Lake Albert (South Australia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Albert |
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Lake Albert seen from Meningie
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 Lake Albert
Location in South Australia
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| Location | South Australia |
| Coordinates | 35°38′S 139°17′E / 35.633°S 139.283°E |
| Native name | Yarli (Ngarrindjeri) |
| Etymology | Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
| Part of | Murray–Darling basin |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Managing agency | Department of Environment and Water |
| Designation | Ramsar/DIWA wetlands (part) |
| Surface area | 168 square kilometres (65 sq mi) |
| Islands | Bascombe Island |
| Settlements | Meningie, Narrung |
| Official name: The Coorong, Lake Alexandrina & Albert Wetland | |
| Designated: | 1 November 1985 |
| Reference #: | 321 |
Lake Albert, also known as Yarli in the Ngarrindjeri language, is a large lake in South Australia. It is located near where the Murray River meets the sea. Even though it's close to the ocean, it's meant to be a fresh water lake.
Water flows into Lake Albert from the bigger Lake Alexandrina. This happens near a town called Narrung. A strip of land called the Narrung Peninsula separates Lake Albert from the salty Coorong lagoon. The main town on the lake's shore is Meningie. Lake Albert and Lake Alexandrina are often called the Lower Lakes together.
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Why is it called Lake Albert?
The lake was given its name by George Gawler, who was the Governor of South Australia. He named it after Prince Albert. Prince Albert was the husband of Queen Victoria, a famous queen of England.
Things to do at Lake Albert
Lake Albert is a popular stop for people traveling to and from places like Melbourne and Adelaide. It's also close to the Coorong National Park.
Visitors can enjoy many outdoor activities here. These include fishing, camping, and walking along bush trails. You can also go bird watching or enjoy water sports.
What are the water problems?
Lake Albert faces some challenges with its water. It doesn't have any big rivers flowing into it, and a lot of water evaporates because of the sun. This means the lake can become saltier than Lake Alexandrina.
In 2008, the water levels in both Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert became very low. This caused something called acid sulphate soils to form. These are soils that become very acidic when they dry out. This can harm the environment. People even thought about letting seawater into the lake to stop this problem.
There are ongoing discussions about how to share the water from the Murray River. This is because the amount of water flowing into the lakes can be very low. Lake Albert is still at risk of losing water and becoming too salty.
Animals and plants of Lake Albert
Birds of the lake
Lake Albert is an important home for many birds. Some of these birds are quite rare.
- The orange-bellied parrot is critically endangered. This means there are very few left in the world.
- The Australasian bittern is endangered. This means it is at high risk of becoming extinct.
- The fairy tern is vulnerable. This means it could become endangered if things don't improve.
The lake also supports a large number of other birds. More than 1% of the world's population of Cape Barren geese, Australian shelducks, great cormorants, and sharp-tailed sandpipers live here.
Protected areas around the lake
Lake Albert is part of a special area called the Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Important Bird Area. This area is recognized by BirdLife International. It is considered very important for protecting birds and other wildlife around the world.
How the lake is managed
On May 8, 2014, the entire area of Lake Albert was officially named a 'rural locality'. This means it's a recognized place, like a small town or area, but it's mostly natural land. The 2016 census found that no one lives within the boundaries of the Lake Albert locality itself. It shares the postcode "5259" with nearby areas like Narrung and Poltalloch.
See also
In Spanish: Lago Alberto (Australia del Sur) para niños
