Lake Buchanan (Queensland)

Lake Buchanan is a flat salt lake at Pentland in North Queensland, Australia. It is approximately 28 km long and 8 km wide at its widest point, with a surface area of about 117 km2. It is part of the Thomson River catchment and part of the Desert Uplands bioregion.[1][2]

Lake Buchanan
World Wind image of Lake Buchanan, 2010.
Lake Buchanan is located in Queensland
Lake Buchanan
Lake Buchanan
Lake Buchanan is located in Australia
Lake Buchanan
Lake Buchanan
Location163 km South West of Charters Towers, Queensland
Coordinates21°31′57″S 145°50′56″E / 21.5324°S 145.849°E / -21.5324; 145.849
TypeSalt lake
Catchment areaThomson River
Basin countriesAustralia
Max. length21 km (13 mi)
Max. width8 km (5.0 mi)
Surface area117 km2 (45 sq mi)[1]

Lake Buchanan is different from all other salt lakes in Australia because it occurs at a high elevation - on the Great Dividing Range. The lake is shallow and the water tends to be brackish.[1] The land around the lake is used for grazing.[1]

Lake Buchanan contains a number of significant species which are newly discovered and most probably endemic.[2] These include the Lake Buchanan button grass, fringing rush, Lake Buchanan fringe rush, Lawrenica buchananensis (Malvaceae), and Buchanan's fairy shrimp. The Lake Buchanan blue bush is a threatened species belonging to the genus Chenopodium.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d (5 April 2011). Site Investment Guide: Lake Buchanan Archived 2011-06-01 at the Wayback Machine. Australian Government Land and Coasts. Retrieved on 12 July 2011.
  2. ^ a b Sue Gardner (April 2010). "Arid and Semi-arid Lakes" (PDF). Queensland Wetlands Program. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.