Lake Buchanan (Queensland) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lake Buchanan
World Wind image of Lake Buchanan, 2010.
Lake Buchanan Location in Queensland Show map of Queensland Lake Buchanan Location in Australia Show map of Australia
Location	163 km South West of Charters Towers, Queensland
Coordinates	21°31′57″S 145°50′56″E / 21.5324°S 145.849°E / -21.5324; 145.849
Type	Salt lake
Catchment area	Thomson River
Basin countries	Australia
Max. length	21 km (13 mi)
Max. width	8 km (5.0 mi)
Surface area	117 km2 (45 sq mi)

Lake Buchanan is a unique salt lake located in North Queensland, Australia. You can find it near a town called Pentland. This lake is quite large, stretching about 21 kilometers long and 8 kilometers wide. Its total surface area is around 117 square kilometers. Lake Buchanan is also part of the Thomson River area and the Desert Uplands region.

Discover Lake Buchanan

Lake Buchanan is special because it's a salt lake found high up on the Great Dividing Range. Most other salt lakes in Australia are at lower elevations. The water in Lake Buchanan is usually shallow and a bit salty, which is called brackish. The land surrounding the lake is mostly used for grazing animals.

Amazing Wildlife at Lake Buchanan

This lake is home to some truly unique living things. Scientists have discovered several new species here. Many of these species are endemic, meaning they are found only in this one place in the world.

Some of the amazing species found at Lake Buchanan include:

• The Lake Buchanan button grass
• The fringing rush
• The Lake Buchanan fringe rush
• A plant called Lawrenica buchananensis
• Buchanan's fairy shrimp

There's also a plant known as the Lake Buchanan blue bush. This plant is a threatened species, which means it's at risk of disappearing forever. It belongs to a group of plants called Chenopodium. Protecting places like Lake Buchanan helps keep these special species safe.