Lake Margaret (Tasmania)

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Lake Margaret
Location West Coast, Tasmania
Coordinates 42°00′S 145°32′E / 42.000°S 145.533°E / -42.000; 145.533Coordinates: 42°00′S 145°32′E / 42.000°S 145.533°E / -42.000; 145.533
Type natural lake, reservoir
Basin countries Australia

Lake Margaret (42°00′S 145°32′E / 42.000°S 145.533°E / -42.000; 145.533) is the name of a lake high up on the north side of Mount Sedgwick,in the West Coast Range, West Coast of Tasmania in Australia.

Dam

The dam was completed in 1918. It was the first gravity dam constructed in Tasmania and was built of concrete with conglomerate "plums". The dam was 17 metres high, had a length of 243 metres, and the wall has a volume of 6,000 cubic metres. In 1974 it was strengthened by the use of prestressed anchors and grouting of open joints.

Power scheme

A hydroelectric Lake Margaret Power Station and a townsite with the same name have been constructed. The purpose was to power the nearby mine and community surrounding the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company that was based in Queenstown. In the 1990s the HEC took over the operations.

Location

The lake lies just east of Mount Cyril (797m), and south of Mount Geikie (1191m) in the West Coast Range. Mount Sedgwick is to the south. The Bastion (1107M)[1] north of Mount Geikie and Farquhar Lookout (935m) define a rough line of the northern part of the catchment area.

Catchment area

Numerous smaller lakes - some named and some not, lie above the location of the lake. The vesting of the catchment with the current operator of the hydro electric power station, makes the two feeder parts of the catchment specific Hydro land in contrast to the surrounding landscape which is either in the Tyndall Regional Reserve or the Lake Beatrice Conservation Area [2]

The two southern feeder Hydro reserves start from the slopes of Mount Sedgwick- the westerly from Lake Barnables (less than 1 kilometre east of Lake Margaret, then to Lake Phillip. The eastern feeder starts at an 'Unnamed lake', to 'Lake Polycarp', 'Lake Peter', 'Lake Paul', 'Lake Apolllos' and then to Lake Phillip.

The northern feeder starts from Lake Monica, Lake Myra, then Lake Magdala (782 metres), Lake Martha (757 metres), and lastly Lake Mary (732 metres), before flowing into Lake Margaret ( 660 metres) [3]

The larger lower altitude natural lake of the area lies to the south east side of Mount Sedgwick and is known as Lake Beatrice.

Notes

  1. ↑ a steep cliff face that is immediately west of Lake Magdala
  2. ↑ Tasmap Gormanston, Sheet 3834 edition 2, 2001 - and Tyndall, Sheet 3835 edition 2, 2007 have the details of the borders of these reserves
  3. ↑ The metres are the altitude of the lake levels, as found on the maps:Tasmap Gormanston, Sheet 3834 edition 2, 2001 - and Tyndall, Sheet 3835 edition 2, 2007 have the details these lakes

References

  • Dam Technology in Australia 1850-1999, ed. Bruce Cole, Australian National Committee on Large Dams Inc.
  • Blainey, Geoffrey (2000). The Peaks of Lyell (6th ed. ed.). Hobart: St. David's Park Publishing. ISBN 0-7246-2265-9. 
  • Whitham, Charles (2003). Western Tasmania - A land of riches and beauty (Reprint 2003 ed.). Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown. 
2003 edition - Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown.
1949 edition - Hobart: Davies Brothers. OCLC 48825404; ASIN B000FMPZ80
1924 edition - Queenstown: Mount Lyell Tourist Association. OCLC 35070001; ASIN B0008BM4XC
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