July 1st 2011

The water level is still low ( below the pier measuring stick about 100mm up the end piers. Lots of growth from seed (part sedges) over the last year now providing cover and home for ducks and swans in particular. the numbers of pelicans too has grown to at least one group of over 12 feeding together ( all heads down at once)

Should we leave the lake alone?

From time to time we hear the idea that we should not even consider changing Lake Colac. Along the lines for eg " It's Natural and we should not interfere with Nature "
The problem with that idea, is that it is just an ideal . Lake Colac is not natural and hasn't been for nearly 100 years .
If it was returned to "natural" it would be a swamp -the biggest swamp in Victoria. If it was returned to "natural" it would dry out much more often and grow weeds and little insects much more commonly than it has . Instead of us treasuring "the biggest freshwater lake in Victoria" we would have the biggest swamp in the country. And what would we be "Swamp Country Colac" or "bogan bog dwellers " - No thanks

Lets be more realistic and deal with reality by thinking more about the future ! let's not kid oursleves, or allow ourselves to be kidded here, anymore .

With a barrage and a bank up the top end to keep the water level high, talk of "natural" is just kidding ourselves. the end works nearly doubles "the natural depth".
The strange thing is that if we divided the lake into two we could have the best of both worlds - a more natural lake up north and a more permanent higher water quality lake to the south (postings March 2008 )
Cnr Chris smith tells me he thinks it won't happen .If none of our so called reps are prepared to EVEN talk to the public about options for the future , It won't happen because of them and their talk of a believable "strategy approach "is paper thin .We are not asking them to approve the options but study them !!!  It oh so easy to do the simple things !
What I can't understand is why none of our councillors, or Mr Mulder are prepared to get Vicroads to say whether a causeway is feasible or not ( they would probably do it for nothing) .
Maybe they are not hiding their heads in the sand, but in the mud and stuck in it?
Are we too afraid of change, or doesn't anyone want to explore what's possible anymore?. We don't have to do it - we just have to think about it .

Maybe they are worried about what Spring street would say or maybe they'd just rather spend another lot of our money on another strategy plan or big meeting that talks around the options rather than to the options .

The creeping lake Oct 3rd

Mind you its only just getting there . The swans think its good Clearly there is some new things growing quite fast on the southern edge of the lake .

Wonderful winter stuff

While there was no significant surface water in the lake when these photos were taken in July 2009, lots of great views were ours as the fogs, mists and sunrises started our days on its unusual dry and black base this winter.(the fairy grass seeds had settled and surface sand (lighter colour) dried enough to blow down into the cracks leaving the dark rich organic calcareous clays exposed.
For those of you who never got out there these deeply shrunken clays formed soft and precariuos pillars ( that were very shaky to walk on ( see next posting for more detail)

The yellow lake turned black is now about to turn green

Fairygrass is uniquely made ( see how the various bits lodge in each crack in January )to take advantage of the time limited opportunity to germinate in the strange wetdry caverns of the drying lake colac surface. The recent rainfall has washed just enough salt out of soil to set grasses going -- so the lake will be green very soon.

What can we do ......realistically?

I love a sunburnt country a land of sweeping plains, of the rugged mountain otways and its ever drying empty plains


Change ( the lake drying out )may be threatening, but it is sometimes stimulating- like having a chance to see lake Colac in a new light. To understand its very thin and precariuos nature.
Lots of people have lots of ideas about how to live better with nature, but all ideas have to fit with its tough, real limits and risks . By recognising these limits ( we hope to do more here ) we can infact make better use of the resources at our doorstep .
WE CAN DO SOME THINGS, BUT OTHERS JUST WON'T WORK lets discuss it here - your questions too !

Bare surfaces The fairy grass may be a fire issue ( news yesterday) but the dust from a bare surface could be expected to create major impact over the next few months , so something other than widespread burning must be considered.

Excavation . Clearly the cost of general deepening is prohibitive ( moving one metre of one hectare to the adjacent hectare - let alone 100 meters away would cost about $20000). Also, wave action , without properly creating low slope floors would soon fill any holes, as it does now .
Planned excavation using the natural principles of lake and beach formation could however create deeper areas , more effective beaches , fish habitat and lake function.
If we were to maintain a water level within much tighter limits, the restablishment of beaches and deeper areas near shore could be considered.
How do we do this at reasonable cost?---
We double the catchment area! and how do we do that ? Create a part of the lake area thats much less than half its present extent- get the govt to build a bypass!!!!

January 16th 2008

Its official, the lake is dry.

Historic

The great Historic record of photos at the State Library highlight the fact that Lake Colac usually has a good spread of water in it . Being so shallow in a high rainfall area and with a full seal on the bottom means the big changes in depth over any series of years is less obvious. see note HERE
The great fishing ( 1885) is , like the great boating, a matter of making the most of the time period .

March 08

The creeks carve the lake floor a little deeper than elsewhere on the southern bank shown here at Barongarook creek entry .

How dare you!

What can I say. ( Ms culverts concerns in the Colac Herald) As a postgraduate degree scientist who weekly advised local councils for many decades on how best to manage soil and water resources in this area, I am well used to the idea that when you support some action , you won't please everybody – That, in itself, is definitely not a worry- especially if it's an investment that really works long term !

What is a worry is all the 'doing something about Lake Colac "actions that our political leaders have put money into that don’t and won’t work for the long term to improve the water quality in Lake Colac. Take as a very vivid example, the millions spent on window dressing and fiddling around on the edges in recent years ; the big picture future ecologically sound options for these lake systems could have been identified with 1% of that money.
Ms Calvert is entitled to remind us of the disadvantages and risks- the noise and visual intrusion. But until you investigate the issues and options in detail , they like most complex environmental and economic management questions, cannot be addressed .( for example -amount and cost of screening or fill ) .Threats can become opportunities-- if you plan for them . I am not advocating that we accept the bypass option as a given , but simply that we investigate it properly because economically and ecologically, its the only feasible proposition on the horizon for changing the water quality and eutrophic challenges of Lake Colac - how much impact ,where and why not think about it..

Where I strongly differ with Ms Calvert is on the idea of doing nothing. We have, whether we like it or not, a long established system of lake level and channel controls operating at the moment to keep the lake as full as it has been . Does she suggest we let the existing barrages, beaches and stops erode? I think it best for the future, if we get expert ecological and economic advice about what lake levels make sustainability sense - particularly before the next flood.

Mr McCarthur, and many other leaders, have offered us millions to “do something about the lake" over the last few years . I feel sure Mr Cheeseman and Mr Crutchfield will offer us something too. Especially if, instead of asking for another big bucket , we ask for a small proportion of it for planning - Well done Terry for getting to this point in Parliament ! Give us the informed choice limits that will enable us to support lake level settings and practical actions would make sustainability sense – Then for a long time in a very long time, we can all really move on.

A options paper - would it just be too simple!

I truly hope Mr Mulder gets to fund a plan but ONLY IF
- ITSis not JUST WADS OF QUESTIONS and EXCUSES . WE want a plan whose brief is placing choices and non choices before the people of Colac and District. I don't like his chances !

Why should Hon Gavin Jennings want do anything? Going on comments in the paper PARKs don't appear to want to do anything .
Mr Jennings and Mr Crutchfield have lakes drying out all over the countryside, so why would they consider funding a review in our area?
Here's 5 good reasons why they SHOULD
- Gavin Jennings credibility He should be able to knock the department heads together and GET THEM TO GIVE DIRECTION without it costing US a fortune. ( believe me its a real Hacker moment when it happens ) Its actually possible Crutchfield just has to set 2 dates and stick with the agenda - none needs paying because everyone is already paid - esp if its news; to make decisions
- If Gavin Jennings is any sort of Minister he would know that Labor struggles to be credible out here in the bush .Mcarthur did well to identify and understand but he like Howard threw money not sense at problems . McArthur has left us a legacy of expensive and uninformed windowdressing in Funding .Here's you big cahnce to get something done !
“Gavin Jennings, Michael Crutchfield and Mr Cheeseman could show they are more than window dressers when it comes to solving problems . They could do something very sensible and long term to resolve an environment question that is on the hearts and minds of nearly all the electorate .”.Thinking ahead of time, and not duck shoving rural Victoria; Why not fund some very sound water planning in a new labor area.

- The cost of a plan is peanuts compared to the money the previous Feds and states have wasted on windowdressing on lake Colac already. Our council seem to be able to fund lots of plans and consultancies, so why not Gavin Jennings?

--Lots of water has in the past kept Vic biggest freshwater inland lake alive- if only just. The people of Colac need to face facts, with decreasing water quality and increasing demand, the water that one day used to fill this lake ,might one day be allocated elsewhere, like it is now with our reservoirs .
--The Colac community are entitled to know what options it has if barrages are removed , environmental flows are increased , and waste water is no longer poured into the lake .
Anything less than an options paper is an abdication of ministerial responsibility.

Would a bypass spoil the look of Lake Colac?

Many people expect a bypass would spoil the look of Lake Colac. For most of us the wide expanse of water would be compromised. Look at even a fairly close road say even 50-100 metres wide ( assume a beach area on this side is obvious in dry times ).
Realistically though, such a change would have relatively low impact on the overall impression from the South, considering the great and currently unattainable benefits in better water quality and reliable depth in the southern lake . The wide expanse of water effect would remain . Not ideal perhaps, but great for the future of Colac and Lake Colac as a recreational and natural lake system for the future . And quite feasible !Increase the value of every property in Colac long term !
Note: the visual impact shown in these photos would be even less if Option M see below - a bigger southern lake area were put forward
If you want to see high resolution photos and a full set of views , email me for a powerpoint which includes the photos. djay@eftel.com.au

Oct 21st

Yes despite being another very dry year , the lake level has risen . For more of the yellow flower that features at this time all around the district .Clickhere http://swearthnews.blogspot.com

Martin's concerns

CH front page nov 15 well now we wait from from some comment from the experts ?We know the settlement requirements could be difficult to meet, but is it too costly Counsellors? .

Bypass H Option H highest

Bypass only -Option M midstream

This option put forward by a member of the yacht club -Geoff Hunter shows how a reasonable sailing course can be retained inside the southern section.

Bypass only Option L- Lowest min 1km from shore

The Bypass with Yachtclub Option B

Chris Meades original idea - the original option for discussion .

The Bridge option A

I think Tom Dennis is right about the photo of Mr Jellies idea.
Not exactly the way to properly consider the possibilities.

What's the really big issue- pollution or depth

One thing is clear , while pollution is a contributor , the main problem for improving water quality in lake Colac is the depth .
The major problem with a body of relatively fresh water big enough to easily supply the household population of Melbourne for a year ( even half empty) is that, its too big to deepen all over and its too shallow to prevent eutrophication. Getting enough depth over the base to reduce the eutrophic and wave effects is not possible on a lake of this age, without changing its whole character - its not a purrumbeet. Geologically its ready to becomeone big swamp

CONCLUSION My view of the limits
The best that we can hope for is to change part of the lake .To turn Lake colac into lakes,lakes colac
Hence the idea above - Titled Lakes Colac

what do you think ? hopefully commonly asked questions about practicality will be raised shortly . Some already have ( see links ) The discussion is limited ( mainly for space purposes) to practical options to change lake colac without overty changing its character. This blog is not intended to explaincmplex challenges in each proposal but to list the proposals, new questions and answers as they arise.