Lake Bindegolly EarthCache
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Lake Bindegolly National Park is located approximately 34 km east of Thargomindah and centres around one of the most important inland wetland systems in south west Queensland. It lies in the Dynevor Lake System which runs from North to South. It was gazetted in 1991 to protect this significant and fragile environment and the rare tree Acacia ammophila that grows along nearby sand dunes.
This diverse 14,000ha park has samphire flats, claypans, sand dunes, hard and soft red mulga country, gidgee woodlands, and Eremophila shrub lands. The Park features three lakes:- Lake Bindegolly; Lake Toomaroo (saline); Lake Hutchinson (freshwater). These lakes overflow into a number of un-named freshwater lakes on private property to the south of the Park. Lake Bindegolly is the largest and most permanent and comprises of both saline and fresh water.
On average the Lakes are empty 1 year out of every 10. There is a high evaporation rate. Rainfall of less than 300 mm per year means there is no run off from the parched hillsides that lie along the lake system. Wind and wave action have shaped the eastern side creating a sandy shoreline leading up to low sand dunes. The sharp rocky western shore line leads up to the district highest point – Mt Bindegolly.
Wetlands play an import role within the ecology of Queensland’s South West Outback. They not only provide vital habitats and food sources for a wide variety of flora and fauna but also improve water quality, acting as natural filtration systems and playing a key role in mitigating the impact of droughts and floods on the environment.
The salt and freshwater wetlands of Lake Bindegolly National Park form one of the most important inland wetland systems in Queensland’s South West Outback, and are home to a diversity of native wildlife and plant species. Wetlands that occur in basins may be either lakes or swamps.
In this area, the designated lakes are those broad water bodies that are largely devoid of emergent vegetation in the main body of water. Lakes may however have tingeing vegetation (trees, shrubs, grasses). Swamps, on the other hand, are those basin-confined water bodies that have extensive occurrence of emergent vegetation. Where a lake's fringing vegetation is particularly wide (i.e. hundreds rather than tens of meters), the wetland may be considered as having both a lake component and a swamp component. Many wetlands are termed "claypans" because they have clay beds, typically are bare and mostly do not hold deep water. Where claypans are large (in the order of many hundreds of hectares) usually they are bare and so function, and are used by animals, in the fashion of lakes. Where claypans are small (only a few hectares in area) they often are vegetated and thus function, and are used by animals, more in the fashion of swamps.
Q1. The Dynevor Lake System is a depression that runs from North to South. What is the name of the fault line it lies in?
Q2. The general flow of water is from North to South. Do you think water could flow from South to North and if it does under what conditions would that occur?
Q3. Is this area really a lake or is it a swamp or is it both?
Q4. What kind of soils are on the eastern shores and what kind of soils are on the western shores of Lake Bindegolly?
Q5. The presence of the plant species Samphire would be an indicator of what type of water quality- Saline or Fresh?
Q6. (Optional) Please upload a photo of yourself at Lake Bindegolly when you post your log.
I considered this entire eco system to be of great significance, beauty and uniquely diverse. I hope you enjoyed your experience here.
Congratulations go to Chrisval7 and Dismart for travelling so far for a FTF.
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