View source for Lake Gordon

{{Short description|Reservoir in Tasmania, Australia}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Lake Gordon
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = 
| image = Gordon Dam.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = The {{Convert|140|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} high [[Gordon Dam]], built in 1974, creates Lake Gordon.
| pushpin_map = Tasmania
| pushpin_map_alt = 
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| image_bathymetry =
<mapframe frameless width="300" height="300" latitude="-42.7177" longitude="146.1523" zoom="8" align="center">
{
  "type": "ExternalData",
  "service": "geoshape",
  "ids": "Q366813",
  "properties": {
    "title": "Lake Gordon",
    "fill": "#05286D",
    "stroke-width": 0
  }
}
</mapframe>
| alt_bathymetry = 
| caption_bathymetry = Map showing Lake Gordon in Tasmania
| location = [[South West Tasmania|South-west]] [[Tasmania]]
| coords = {{Coord|42|44|S|146|10|E|region:AU-TAS_type:waterbody_dim:13000|display=inline,title}}
| type = [[Reservoir]]
| inflow = {{unbulleted list|[[Gordon River]]|[[Lake Pedder]]|McPartlan Canal}}
| rivers = 
| outflow = Gordon River
| catchment = {{convert|1280|km2|0|abbr=on}}
| basin_countries = [[Australia]]
| agency = [[Hydro Tasmania]]
| designation = 
| date-built = {{Start date|1974}}
| engineer = [[Hydro Tasmania|Hydro-Electric Commission TAS]]
| date-flooded = {{Start date|1974}}
| length = 
| width = 
| area = {{Convert|278|km2|0|abbr=on}}
| depth = 
| max-depth = 
| volume = {{Convert|12359040|ML|1|abbr=on}}
| residence_time = 
| salinity = 
| shore = 
| elevation = 
| frozen = 
| islands = 
| sections = 
| trenches = 
| benches = 
| cities = 
| website = 
| reference = <ref name=ancold/>
}}
'''Lake Gordon''' is a man-made [[reservoir]] created by the [[Gordon Dam]], located on the upper reaches of the [[Gordon River]] in the [[South West Tasmania|south-west]] region of [[Tasmania]], [[Australia]].

==Features==
The reservoir was formed in the early 1970s as a result of the dam construction by the [[Hydro Tasmania|Hydro-Electricity Commission of Tasmania]] in order to create an upper storage for the [[Gordon Power Station]], the largest and most controversial [[hydro-electric]] power scheme in Tasmania.<ref>McKenry, Keith (1972) ''A History and critical analysis of the controversy concerning the Gordon River Power Scheme'' pp. 9–39 in Australian Conservation Foundation (1972)'' Pedder Papers – Anatomy of a Decision'' Parkville, Vic. Australian Conservation Foundation</ref>

Drawing from a catchment area of {{convert|1280|km2}}, Lake Gordon is Tasmania's largest lake, with a surface area of {{Convert|278|km2}}, with storage capacity of {{Convert|12359040|ML|1}}<ref name=ancold>{{cite web|url=http://www.ancold.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Dams-Australia-2010-v1-for-website.xls|format=Excel (requires download)|title=Register of Large Dams in Australia|publisher=[[Australian National Committee on Large Dams]]|year=2010|access-date=23 June 2015|work=Dams information|archive-date=12 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212120804/http://www.ancold.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Dams-Australia-2010-v1-for-website.xls|url-status=dead}}</ref> or {{Convert|12.5|km3|mi3|1|abbr=on}} of water, the equivalent of twenty-five times the amount of water in [[Port Jackson]]. [[Lake Pedder]] is connected to Lake Gordon through the McPartlans Pass Canal at {{Coord|42|50|51|S|146|11|45|E|name=McPartlans Pass Canal}}.

==Controversy==
Additional dams were proposed for the lower Gordon River, however they were subject to political protest led by [[The Wilderness Society (Australia)|The Wilderness Society]], most notably the [[Franklin Dam controversy]] during the early 1980s. In 1983 the [[Bob Hawke|Hawke]]-led [[Australian Government]] intervened and overturned a decision by the Tasmanian Government to dam the lower Gordon. When the Tasmanian Government refused to halt work in the [[UNESCO]]-listed [[World Heritage Area]], the Australian Government successfully sought a ruling in the [[High Court of Australia]] in ''[[Commonwealth v Tasmania]]''. The lower Gordon was not dammed.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://ecogeneration.com.au/news/hydroelectricity_in_australia_past_present_and_future/055974/ |author=Harries, David |title=Hydroelectricity in Australia: past, present and future |date=March 2011 |journal=Ecogeneration |publisher=Great Southern Press |access-date=6 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706183448/http://ecogeneration.com.au/news/hydroelectricity_in_australia_past_present_and_future/055974/ |archive-date= 6 July 2015 }}</ref>

==Tasmanian Energy Crisis==
In early 2016, the lowest ever water supply levels in the lake were recorded during the [[2016 Tasmanian energy crisis]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Baines|first1=Richard|title=Energy crisis: Tasmania's key hydroelectric source Lake Gordon at record low|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-23/tasmania's-key-hydroelectric-source-lake-gordon-at-record-low/7271502|access-date=31 March 2016|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia|date=24 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-31/lake-gordon-dam-level-fall-captured-in-dramatic-video/7289020|title=Lake Gordon dam level fall captured in dramatic video|author=Gramenz, Emilie|date=31 March 2016|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia|access-date=23 April 2018}}</ref> However, by July of next year the drought had ended, and the lake had swelled by twenty metres over ten months.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Roger Hanson |date=2017-02-08 |title=Twin tales of Lake Gordon: Mercury, The (Hobart) |url=https://www.themercury.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TMWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.themercury.com.au%2Fnews%2Ftasmania%2Ftwin-tales-of-lake-gordons-water-levels-before-and-after-heavy-winter-rains%2Fnews-story%2F6cc4bd93f4a5098e76f4e189b74bd432&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium |journal=The Mercury |publication-place=Hobart |pages=15 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==See also==
{{stack|{{Portal|Australia|Water|Renewable energy}}}}
*[[List of reservoirs and dams in Australia#Tasmania|List of reservoirs and dams in Tasmania]]
*[[List of lakes of Australia#Tasmania|List of lakes in Tasmania]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Western Tasmania |state=autocollapse}}
{{GordonPowerDevelopment |state=autocollapse}}
{{Lakes of Tasmania|state=autocollapse}}

[[Category:Lake Pedder|Gordon]]
[[Category:Gordon River, Tasmania]]
[[Category:2016 Tasmanian energy crisis]]
[[Category:Gordon River power development scheme]]
[[Category:Reservoirs in Tasmania]]


{{Tasmania-geo-stub}}