Lake Kepwari facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Kepwari |
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 Lake Kepwari
Location in Western Australia
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| Location | South West, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 33°27.650′S 116°13.742′E / 33.460833°S 116.229033°E |
| Lake type | Reservoir |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Max. length | 2 km (1.2 mi) |
| Max. width | 1 km (0.62 mi) |
| Surface area | 1.03 km2 (0.40 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 70 m (230 ft) |
| Water volume | 30×106 m3 (24,000 acre⋅ft) |
Lake Kepwari is a special lake in Western Australia. It's not a natural lake; people made it from an old mine! You can find it about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south-east of a town called Collie.
Its name, "Kepwari," comes from the Noongar people's language. It means "playing in water."
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What is Lake Kepwari?
Lake Kepwari used to be a big open-cut coal mine. It was called 'Western Five.' A company named Wesfarmers Premier Coal dug for coal here from 1970 to 1996.
This lake is quite big! It's about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) long and 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) wide. At its deepest, it goes down 70 meters (230 feet). That's like a 20-story building underwater! It covers an area of 103 hectares (254 acres) and holds about 30 billion liters (8 billion gallons) of water.
Turning a Mine into a Lake
Since 2003, people have been working to change the old mine into a fun place for the community. This work is called "rehabilitation." The goal is to make it a great spot for water activities.
It took about five years for the lake to fill with water. The water came from the Collie River South. In 2008, the government of Western Australia gave $3.29 million to help build fun things at the lake.
Why Was the Opening Delayed?
The lake's opening was delayed because of a safety concern. The water had low pH levels, around 4.5. This means the water was quite acidic.
Scientists think the acidity comes from groundwater leaking into the deeper parts of the lake. This groundwater has a lot of iron. When the iron mixes with air, it causes the water to become more acidic.
Fixing the Water Problem
In 2009, the government asked for ideas on how to fix the water. One idea was to reconnect the Collie River South to the lake. This would create a "flushing effect." It means fresh river water would flow through the lake, helping to clean it and make the water less acidic.
The Collie River is upstream from the Wellington Dam. During the mining days, the river was moved around the mine. Reconnecting it is a way to help nature balance the lake's water.
