Lake Pedder
 |
Original Lake Pedder, 1970 |
Lake Pedder is the name of a former natural
lake, located in the southwest of
Tasmania,
Australia, and the name used to refer to the larger man-made
reservoir formed when the original lake was flooded by .
The name of the original lake has been transferred to the new man-made impoundment. Although the new Lake Pedder incorporates the original lake, it does not resemble it in size, appearance or ecology. It consists of a large water catchment contained by three dams - the Serpentine, Scotts Peak and Edgar Dams.
The dams were built as part of the Upper
Gordon River power development scheme to provide
hydro-electricity by the
HEC. These dams were completed in 1972 as part of a push by the Government to increase industry in the State by providing cheap
renewable energy in the
1970s.
The new impoundment is joined with
Lake Gordon by McPartlan
Canal, and together both lakes are the biggest water-storage catchment in Australia.
Three dams exist on the impoundment:
* Serpentine is a 38 m high
rockfill dam with a concrete upstream face on the
Serpentine River.
* Scotts Peak is a 43 m high rockfill dam with a bitumen upstream face on the upper reaches of the
Huon River near Scotts Peak.
* Edgar is a 17 m high rockfill dam at Lake Edgar near Scotts Peak.
There were many protests concerning the construction of the dam as it flooded. The role of the HEC as a surrogate wing of the Tasmanian government was perceived when the political or wider social dissent against the HEC power over the Tasmanian environment seemed impregnable. Individuals such the politician "Electric Eric"
Eric Reece and Allan Knight the HEC ceo of the time were seen as staunch defenders of the 'damming' of Tasmania against any opinion to the contrary.
The community feeling extended well beyond
Tasmania and spread throughout
Australia and internationally. The focus on the South West Tasmania Wilderness area as an environmental battleground increased interest in the area, and many travelled to Lake Pedder prior to damming to see what the issues were about.
The protests included the
United Tasmania Group who were the precursor to the
Tasmanian Greens and are now recognised as the world's first
green party. The group that preceded the
Tasmanian Wilderness Society - the South West Tasmania Action Committee continued after the flooding, with the knowledge that surveying and appraising other catchments in the south west and west of Tasmania was well underway by the HEC. Although increasingly sophisticated economic, environmental and engineering arguments were raised by the opponents of the dam, it was not until the Franklin scheme that either the Hydro or its defenders were even considering the critiques.
Concerns over the construction of the dam revolved around the loss of the distinctive pink
quartzite beach of the original lake, and an increased understanding of the unique nature of the wilderness quality to the south west of Tasmania. This developed further with the
Franklin Dam issue.
In 1994, a campaign group was launched called
Pedder 2000. They proposed, unsuccessfully, the draining and restoration of the lake to its original state. There is an ongoing low-key campaign with the same goal, which occasionally re-enters the public consciousness.
The
Lake Pedder Earthworm (
Hypolimnus pedderensis) is only known by the
type specimen collected from a
beach on Lake Pedder,
Tasmania in
1971. After the changes of the lake this animal was never seen again. A survey in
1996 that was carried out to determine whether this
species still existed in the area failed to find the animal. The Lake Pedder Earthworm is since
2003 listed as extinct on the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Another extinction that occurred after the changes to the lake is that of the
Lake Pedder Planarian (
Romankenkius pedderensis), an endemic
flatworm. This animal is listed as extinct on the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since 1996.
*
List of active power stations in Tasmania*
Hydro Tasmania*
Tasmanian Wilderness Society*
Gordon River Power Scheme*
Position in World Heritage Area]
*
Panorama of new Lake Pedder*
Location of Lake Pedder on Google Maps*
Lake Pedder Restoration Committee*
Essay concerning the issues surrounding the Dam's contruction*
The Extinction Website*
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Hypolimnus pedderensis*
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Romankenkius pedderensis
