Lake Hope (South Australia)

For other places with the same name, see Lake Hope.

Lake Hope is an ephemeral salt lake in the far north of South Australia.

Lake Hope
Lake Hope Location in South Australia
Location	Far North South Australia
Coordinates	28°23′14″S 139°18′18″E
Type	Salt lake
Primary outflows	evaporation
Basin countries	Australia
Designation	Coongie Lakes Ramsar Site
Max. length	12 km (7.5 mi)
Max. width	2 km (1.2 mi)
Surface area	36 km2 (14 sq mi)

Description

It is situated approximately 160 kilometres (99 mi) south west of Innamincka and 180 kilometres (112 mi) north east of Marree. Both Lake Hope and nearby Red Lake are on the southern side of the Cooper Creek in the sand dune country. Both are also found within the boundaries of Mulka and Lake Hope Stations.^[1]

The lakes are both within the Lake Eyre basin and a fishing licence has been issued for each of the lakes for an operation out of Mulka Station. The licence allows the removal of 350 tonnes (344 long tons; 386 short tons) of Lake Eyre Golden Perch, Welch's Grunter and the Barcoo Grunter but only once the lakes have disconnected from the Cooper Creek after a flood event.^[2]

When full the lake occupies an area of approximately 3,600 hectares (8,896 acres) and is approximately 12 kilometres (7 mi) long.^[3] The lake is filled periodically from the flooding of Cooper Creek. In 1990 waters from Cooper Creek reached Lake Hope but did not reach Lake Eyre.^[4]

The traditional owners name for the lake is Pando penunie which means great lake. The first Europeans to discover the lake were S. J. and R. J. Stuckey in October 1859. The named the lake because they hoped for greater fortune in the future. Thomas Elder took up the first pastoral lease in the area in 1860.^[5]

Lake Hope is located within the boundaries of the wetland system known as the Coongie Lakes which is both listed internationally under the Ramsar Convention and within Australia with an identical listing in "A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia".^[6][7][8]

See also

• South Australia portal

• List of lakes of South Australia

References

1. "Lake Eyre Basin Fishery". Government of South Australia. 13 December 2013. Archived from the original on 11 April 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
2. "Management Plan for the Lake Eyre Fishery" (PDF). Primary Industries and Regions South Australia. 1 March 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
3. "Map of Lake Hope (Pando), SA". Bonzle. 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
4. R. T. Kingsford, A. L. Curtin and J. Porter (11 May 1995). "Water flows on Cooper Creek in arid Australia determine `boom' and `bust' periods for waterbirds" (PDF). Biological Conservation. Elsevier Science. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
5. "Lake Hope & Kopperamanna Police Stations". Flinders Range Research. 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
6. "Ramsar Sites Information Service: Coongie Lakes". Ramsar Secretariat. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
7. Eyles, Kathy; Larmour, Geoff; Young, Sarah; Australia. Environment Australia; Natural Heritage Trust (Australia). National Wetlands Program (2001), A Directory of important wetlands in Australia (PDF) (3rd ed.), Environment Australia, pp. 1, 2 & 77, ISBN 978-0-642-54721-7
8. Coongie Lakes Ramsar Wetlands: A Plan for Wise Use (Draft for public consultation) (PDF). Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs (DEHAA). November 1999. pp. 19–20. ISBN 0 7308 5876 6. Retrieved 28 March 2015.