LAKE BURLEY GRIFFIN

An aerial view of the whole lake

Photo.
Photo: A.Kurata  
 

A. LOCATION

  • Canberra A.C.T., Australia.
  • 35:17S, 149:08E; 555.9 m above sea level.
 

B. DESCRIPTION

    A small artificial lake in the central part of Canberra, the capital of Australia. The original lake emerged as part of the 1909 proposals for the site for the National Capital. In 1911, the competition for the design of the National Capital was carried out and Waiter Burley Griffin, a city-planner from Chicago, won the prize in 1912. The lake name was dedicated to him. The plan of lay-out of the city was gazetted in 1925 including Griffin's lake.
    A water feature, with three formal water basin, flanked on either side by an informal lake, was key element in Griffin's plan. National Capital Development Commission proceeded to the design and development of the lake on a two stage basis. The first stage which involved the construction of a dam, lake floor, two bridges, wharves, foreshore edges and basic landscape treatment and public facilities provision to over 843 ha of lake foreshores was officially commemorated by the Prime Minister of Australia on 17 October 1964. The second stage which is still in progress has involved detailed landscape development of the foreshores.
    During both stages, an understanding of the hydraulics, water quality, ecology, biology and landscape of the lake has emerged. This understanding has had an important influence on landscape design.
    The lake divides the city of Canberra into two parts, the northern section around Capital Hill for national government offices and the Diet Building, and the southern section around City Hill for down town with City Hall and shopping centres.
    The commission won the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects inaugural "Award in Landscape Excellence" for its project "Lake Burley Griffin and Adjacent Parkland" in 1986. Further development of the lake foreshore is continuing in respirations of the Australian people for their National Capital (1).
 

C. PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS (Q1)

     
    Surface area [km2] 7.1
    Volume [km3] 0.033
    Maximum depth [m] 17.4
    Mean depth [m] 4.7
    Water level Regulated
    Length of shoreline [km] 35.4
    Residence time [yr] 0.2
    Catchment area [km2] 1,865
     
 

D. PHYSIOGRAPHIC FEATURES

D1 GEOGRAPHICAL (Q1)
  • Sketch map: Fig. OCE-02-01.
  • Names of main islands: The number of main islands is three.
  • Number of outflowing rivers and channels (name): 1 (Molonglo R.).

    Fig. OCE-02-01
    Sketch map of the lake (1).

D2 CLIMATIC (Q1)

  • Climatic data at Canberra, 1941-1960
     
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Ann.
    Mean temp. [deg C] 20.2 19.4 17.5 12.9 8.9 6.4 5.5 6.7 9.3 12.1 15.2 18.4 12.7
    Precipitation [mm] 63 59 60 47 59 47 43 40 43 72 63 55 651
     
  • Number of hours of bright sunshine: 2,622 hr yr-1.
  • Snowfall: None.
  • Water temperature [deg C]
     
    Central Lake
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    22 22 19 15 10 8 7 10 13 15 20 21
     
 

E. LAKE WATER QUALITY

E1 TRANSPARENCY [m](Q1)
    Central lake, 1976-1977
    Winter: 2.0 (1.4-2.4).
    Summer: 1.4 (0.8-2.3).
E2 pH (Q1)
    Central lake, 1976-1977
    Winter: 7.5 (6.6-8.6).
    Summer: 7.1 (6.4-7.7).
E4 DO [mg l-1](Q1)
     
    Central lake, 1976-1977
    Depth [m] Winter Summer
    Surface 10.8 (9.4-12.5) 7.4 (6.7-7.8)
    Bottom 10.6 (8.2-12.6) 5.1 (2.6-7.9)
     
E8 PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATION
  • Total-P [mg l-1]
     
    Central lake, 1979-1980
    Depth [m] Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    - .034 .036 .034 .034 .036 - - - - - .039 .082
     
 

F. BIOLOGICAL FEATURES

F1 FLORA (Q1)
  • Emerged macrophytes: Typha sp.
  • Floating macrophytes: Azolla sp.
  • Submerged macrophytes

    • Potamogeton crispus, Vallisneria gigantea, Egeria densa.
  • Phytoplankton: Microcystis sp., Anabaena sp., Anacystis sp., Volvox sp.
F2 FAUNA (Q1)
  • Zooplankton

    • Cladocera (Bosmina sp., Ceriodaphnia sp., Daphnia sp.), Cyclopoda (Cyclops sp.), Calanoida (Boeckella sp., Calamoecia sp.).
  • Fish

    • Salmo gairdneri, S. trutta, Cyprinus carpio, Galaxias bongbong, Gambusia sp.
 

G. SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

G1 LAND USE IN THE CATCHMENT AREA (Q1)
     
    Area [km2] [%]
    Natural landscape 
    - Woody vegetation 690 37
    Agricultural land 1,116 60
    Residential area 59 3
    Total 1,865 100
     
  • Main types of woody vegetation (main species): Savanna woodland,

    • dry sclerophyll forest (Eucalyptus spp.).
  • Main types of herbaceous vegetation (Q1, Q2)

    • Poa and Stipa grassland. Grazing mostly on native pasture (36%), cropping in ca. 1% and the rest is improved pasture.
G2 INDUSTRIES IN THE CATCHMENT AREA AND THE LAKE (Q2)
     
    No. of persons engaged Main products or major industries
    Primary industry
    - Agriculture 3,000 Beef, lamb, wool
    - Fisheries 40
    Secondary industry
    - Manufacturing 3,000
    - Mining 30
    Tertiary industry 9,000
     
G3 POPULATION IN THE CATCHMENT AREA (2) (1986)
     
    Population Population density [km-2] Major cities (population)
    Total 250,000 134.5 Canberra (250,000)
     
 

H. LAKE UTILIZATION

H1 LAKE UTILIZATION (Q1)
    Source of water, tourism and recreation (swimming, sport-fishing, yachting).
H2 THE LAKE AS WATER RESOURCE (Q2) (1983)
     
    Use rate [m3 sec-1]
    Irrigation 5.71
     
 

I. DETERIORATION OF LAKE ENVIRONMENTS AND HAZARDS

I3 EUTROPHICATION (Q2)
  • Nuisance caused by eutrophication

    • Unusual bloom of blue-green algae; macrophyte blocking recreational use.
  • Nitrogen and phosphorus loadings to the lake [t yr-1] (1983)
     
    Sources Industrial Domestic Agricultural Natural Total
    T-N 2.5 74.5 240 132 449.0
    T-P 0.5 12.7 12 6.6 31.8
     
 

J. WASTEWATER TREATMENTS

J1 GENERATION OF POLLUTANTS IN THE CATCHMENT AREA
    (d) Measurable pollution with limited wastewater treatment.
J3 SANITARY FACILITIES AND SEWERAGE
  • Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment systems

    • No. of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment systems: 1 (activated sludge, trickle sludge and trickling filter); rate of treatment 15,068 m3 day- 1.
 

L. DEVELOPMENT PLANS (1)

    Two significant projects are currently in design: the National Museum of Australia on the western shore of Yarramundi Beach and major landscaping of the southern foreshore of Central Basin consequent to the Government's decision to build the new Parliament House on Capital Hill instead of the lake foreshore.
 

K. IMPROVEMENT WORKS IN THE LAKE

  • Supplementary notes (Q1, Q2)
    1. Improvement works.
    2. Presently removing phosphorus in summer from upstream sewage effluent.
    3. Stabilization of old sulfide mine waste dump in 1974-1975.
 

M. LEGISLATIVE AND INSTITUTIONAL MEASURES FOR UPGRADING LAKE

    ENVIRONMENTS
M1 NATIONAL AND LOCAL LAWS CONCERNED
  • Name of the law (the year of legislation)
    1. Water pollution ordinance (in preparation)
 

N. SOURCES OF DATA

  1. Questionnaire filled by Dr. P. Collen, Canberra College of Advanced Education, Australia. (Q1)
  2. Questionnaire filled by Dr. B. H. Pratt, Conservation & Agriculture, Department of Territories and Local Government, Australia. (Q2)
  3. National Capital Development Commission (1986) The Lake News, School Project Series, June 1986.
  4. National Capital Development Commission (1986) Canberra, From Limestone Plains to Garden City, The Story of the National Capital's Landscape, 92 pp.