Lake Cowal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Cowal |
|
|---|---|
Lake Cowal from the air
|
|
 Lake Cowal
Location in New South Wales
|
|
| Location | New South Wales |
| Coordinates | 33°35′S 147°25′E / 33.583°S 147.417°E |
| Type | ephemeral |
| Primary inflows | Bland Creek, Lachlan River |
| Basin countries | Australia |
Lake Cowal is the biggest inland lake in New South Wales, Australia. It's a special kind of lake called an ephemeral lake. This means it doesn't always have water. It gets its water from a small stream called Bland Creek and sometimes from floods in the Lachlan River. Even so, it usually holds a lot of water for most of the year.
Contents
Amazing Animals and Plants at Lake Cowal
Lake Cowal is located about 47 kilometers northeast of West Wyalong. It is a very important home for many different plants and animals. Some of these species are even endangered, meaning they are at risk of disappearing forever.
Here are some of the special species found at Lake Cowal:
- Australian pillwort (a rare water plant)
- Australasian bittern (a shy bird)
- Black-necked stork (a large wading bird)
- Blue-billed duck (a unique duck species)
- Freshwater catfish (a protected fish)
- Macquarie perch (another protected fish)
Why Lake Cowal is Important
Lake Cowal is recognized as a very important natural area. In 1992, it was listed on the now-closed Register of the National Estate. Later, in 1998, it was added to the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia.
The National Trust of Australia also lists Lake Cowal as a Landscape Conservation Area. This means it's a place with special natural beauty and cultural value that needs to be protected.
Gold Mining Near the Lake
The land around Lake Cowal has many valuable minerals, especially gold. A company called Evolution Mining currently operates a gold mine there. Before 2015, the mine was owned by Barrick Gold.
Some environmental groups and the local Wiradjuri Aboriginal people are worried about the mining. They are concerned that chemicals like cyanide, used in the mining process, could harm the lake. The mine has been producing gold since 2006. In 2016, it produced 238,000 ounces of gold. Experts believe there are still about 5 million ounces of gold left in the area.
Protecting Lake Cowal
The Lake Cowal Gold Mine is a very large project. It involves digging a huge pit, about 1 kilometer wide and 325 meters deep. This pit is located near the lake shore and even partly within the lake's high water level.
The Wiradjuri people consider Lake Cowal to be the heartland of their nation. It is a very sacred place with many important historical items. A Wiradjuri elder named Neville "Chappy" Williams has led efforts to protect Lake Cowal and the Wiradjuri heartland.
Many groups are working together to protect Lake Cowal. These include the Wiradjuri people and various Australian environmentalist groups. They have formed a group called the Coalition to Protect Lake Cowal. They want to prevent more gold mining in this sensitive area. They are also concerned about land damage and possible pollution from the mine and its waste storage areas.
The only thing separating the lake from the open mining pit is an earth wall. The mine's waste materials, called tailings, are stored in special dams about 3.5 kilometers from the lake. The mine also uses a lot of water, up to 17 million liters per day, from a borefield located 20 kilometers away.
See also
In Spanish: Lago Cowal para niños
