Lake Eacham (Queensland)
Volcanic lake on the Atherton Tableland with deep cultural and ecological significance.
Lake Eacham, originally known as Yidyam or Wiinggina, is a volcanic lake on the Atherton Tableland in Queensland, Australia. It lies within the World Heritage listed Wet Tropics of Queensland and is part of the Tablelands Region local government area. The lake is a popular recreational site for families and tourists.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Atherton Tableland, Queensland, Australia
- Countries
- Australia
- Area
- 429,582.77 m² / 0.166 sq mi
- Depth
- 65.5 m / 215 ft
- Max depth
- 66 m / 217 ft
- Volume
- 16,812,000 kL
Facts from the source article.
Origins
Lake Eacham (Yidyam) formed over 9,130 years ago when molten magma from the Earth's mantle heated the water table, creating steam that became trapped underground. Massive explosions released the steam, cracking the ground and levelling trees. Groundwater later filled the crater, and vegetation regrew. No streams flow into or out of the lake; water is lost only through soakage and evaporation and replenished only by rainfall, causing levels to fluctuate up to 4 metres between seasons. Nearby Lake Barrine formed similarly over 17,300 years ago. The local Ngadjon-jii people call the lake Wiinggina and tell a story of two uninitiated young men who, while hunting, speared a sacred flame tree. When they cut the tree for grubs, they angered Yamini (the rainbow serpent), causing the ground to shake, the sky to turn orange, and the earth to swallow the camp, forming Bana Wiingina (Lake Eacham). This oral tradition is believed to recall volcanic events more than 10,000 years old.
European history
In 1886, Lake Eacham was included in survey plans subdividing the area into farming blocks. By 1888, its scenic value was recognised, and the lake and a narrow band of shoreline rainforest were proclaimed a scenic reserve. From 1888 to 1936, it was managed as a scenic reserve, with boating, a guest house, speed boats, and waterskiing. In 1934, the Queensland Government declared it Lake Eacham National Park. In 1988, UNESCO declared the Wet Tropics a World Heritage Site, including 505 ha at Lake Eacham. In 1994, Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham national parks merged to form Crater Lakes National Park.
A closed ecosystem and a near-extinction
Lake Eacham is an enclosed catchment with no connection to other watercourses. How fish originally arrived is unknown, but the Lake Eacham rainbowfish (Melanotaenia eachamensis) was present. Introduced larger fish ate the rainbowfish into extinction in the lake. Aquarists illegally collected and bred the fish, providing stock for reintroduction, but the introduced predators depleted the reintroduced population. Ichthyologists later found the rainbowfish in the Tully, Herbert, and Johnstone Rivers and Dirran Creek. As of 2022, only the hardyhead (Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum) remains of the lake's three native fish species; the gudgeon Mogurnda adspersa and the rainbowfish are gone, likely out-competed by non-native fish.
Protected area status
Lake Eacham is the main feature of the 4.89 km² Crater Lakes National Park, protected under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1994. The natural and cultural resources associated with the lake are managed by the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service. The lake has an average depth of 38 m and a maximum depth of 65.5 m. It is used for swimming, canoeing, bushwalking, and bird watching; motor boats are prohibited. A pontoon allows diving, and a large grassy area is set aside for recreation. A circuit walk around the lake takes about 45 minutes. Turtles are often seen near the pontoon.
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