| Lake Mokoan | |
|---|---|
| Aerial view from the south east in mid 2008 | |
| Location | Victoria |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Surface area | 78.9 km² |
| Max. depth | 7 m |
Lake Mokoan is an artificial lake in Victoria, Australia. It was created in 1971 when water from Broken River and Hollands Creek was diverted into Winton Swamp roughly 7 km from Benalla. The lake is characterized by dozens of dead trees emerging from its depths. Although a popular tourist destination, the Victorian government has decided to decommission the lake in the near future and restore the area to its original wetland state.
The lake was formed in the late 1960s on the site of the former Winton and Green Swamps, being completed in 1971.[1] The lake has regularly suffered from serious toxic algal blooms since its creation.[2][3] The large but shallow lake has a very high surface to volume ratio, resulting in very extensive water loss through evaporation.
Plans for decommissioning started in 2004,[4] with work started in 2009.[5] Decommissioning the lake is expected to allow for the return of 44,000 megalitres of water per year to the Broken, Goulburn, Snowy and Murray Rivers, with environmental and economic benefits to both upstream and downstream areas.[6] 25 gigalitres of the lake will be released into the Murray River system and another 20 gigalitres into the Snowy River. Eventually the entire lake will be emptied.
The Winton Wetlands Reserve has been formed to protect the Lake Mokoan area. Reserve rules ban many recreational activities, such as camping, angling, putting up beach umbrellas, flying kites, and throwing stones.[7]