Lake Eppalock

Location and features

The dam was built by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission of Victoria. The dam wall height is 45 m and the main embankment is 1041 m long. At 100% capacity the dam wall was designed to hold back 304651 ML of water. The surface area of Lake Eppalock is 3011 ha and the catchment area is 2124 km2. The controlled spillway is capable of discharging 8040 m3/s.

Lake Eppalock supplies both stock and domestic water to the Campaspe irrigation district. It also serves as a water supply to Bendigo and Heathcote and, in more recent times, Ballarat.

The lake is a major attraction for those engaging in watersports, with a number of tourist parks and accommodation facilities available. Permissible activities on the lake include high-speed boating, water skiing, sailing, canoeing, fishing and swimming. The lake water levels were low for approximately eight years between 2002 and 2010 during a prolonged drought, which restricted the amount of recreational activity until rainfall in the latter half of 2010 returned the lake to 100 percent capacity. A speed restriction of 5 knots is placed on the lake when the level falls below 16 percent or 180 m .

Camping is permitted only in caravan parks and/or on private land surrounding the lake with a permit from the land owner.

Built between 1961 and 1964, Lake Eppalock remains the only water storage on the Campaspe River system. The lake was full in August 2000 then ran dry over two years, to 2002. It remained below 15 percent for 8 years due to drought. The reservoir rose from 8 percent in June 2010, to full capacity by November. The lake overflowed its spillway for the first time since 1996, on 28 November 2010, after significant rainfall over the preceding 48 hours. As of August 2015, the lake was at 44% capacity, down from 74% a year earlier.

Lake Eppalock is administered by Goulburn–Murray Water.

Gallery

Lake Eppalock.jpg|the Derrinal Pool (Lake at 64% capacity in October 2010) Glorious sunrise on drive up to the Echuca.jpg|Sunrise over Lake Eppalock Lake Eppalock Yachts 004.JPG|Sailing on Lake Eppalock

References

References

1. (2010). "Register of Large Dams in Australia". [[Australian National Committee on Large Dams]].
2. {{Gazetteer of Australia|name=Lake Eppalock (VIC)|feature=VIC15202|accessdate=29 October 2014}}
3. "Lake Eppalock". [[Goulburn–Murray Water]].
4. "A slide show history of Coliban Water". Coliban Water.
5. (13 May 1948). "EPPALOCK DAM ENLARGEMENT AT £2M URGED". [[The Argus (Melbourne)]].
6. (23 December 1949). "Private Contract For Eppalock". [[Riverine Herald]].
7. (29 October 1936). "ELMORE WATER SUPPLY". [[The Age]].
8. [http://www.g-mwater.com.au/lakeeppalock "Lake Eppalock"] {{webarchive. link. (24 September 2015 . Goulburn Valley Water. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150924020402/http://www.g-mwater.com.au/lakeeppalock Archived version] by WebCite 2015-08-12.)
9. link. (12 August 2015 . Goulburn Valley Water. 2015-08-06. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150812091712/http://www.g-mwater.com.au/mobile/storagedetail.html?storage=EPPALOCK Archived version] at archive.org, 2015-08-12.)