The Lake Pedder Debate.

[doogs]

I was half studying for a degree that I am doing and half looking at bushwalking stuff, as you do, when I came across this lecture in a couple of weeks in Launceston. Unfortunately I am unable to go as I will be working on that day but it will be very interesting. http://www.rst.org.au/lecturesmoreinfo.php?id=95
I guess the question is that now we have stuffed up an ecosystem do we keep a constant water level and let a new one evolve or let Hydro Tasmania keep draining and refilling the lake? (Geez I would have loved to see Pedder as it was but I a pretty sure that sin't going to happen ). Anyone going? please let us all know more

[MrWalker]

I guess the question is that now we have stuffed up an ecosystem do we keep a constant water level and let a new one evolve or let Hydro Tasmania keep draining and refilling the lake?

Hydron don't keep draining and refilling Lake Pedder. The system is designed to keep a constant level in Pedder, hence the reference in the talk to species that depend on the level staying constant.

[stepbystep]

I guess the question is that now we have stuffed up an ecosystem do we keep a constant water level and let a new one evolve or let Hydro Tasmania keep draining and refilling the lake?

Hydron don't keep draining and refilling Lake Pedder. The system is designed to keep a constant level in Pedder, hence the reference in the talk to species that depend on the level staying constant.

Not sure what you or Hydro mean by constant, but I've seen some fairly dramatic differences in levels on Pedder. I say drain it and start again

[doogs]

From my observations the level is far from constant. When I say draining I mean the full level height can change by a handful of metres at the Hydros whim. Surely if they stuffed it up they can do their best to savage something from the environmental damage to the ecosystem they caused. It was a mistake, not many people had the knowledge at the time to comprehend what would happen, but it did. Draining would be great but a very scary environmental proposition, maybe a very very slow operation to let the environment cope with the change, perhaps over a decade. There are unique species involved though.

[MrWalker]

Not sure what you or Hydro mean by constant, but I've seen some fairly dramatic differences in levels on Pedder. I say drain it and start again

The level is supposed to only vary by about 1.5 metres. I assume it can be more extreme after heavy rain or if there are any prolonged periods of low rain, but that's about as constant as a natural lake rather than a Hydro dam.

[JamesMc]

It can't get any lower because the McPartlan canal is only so deep, and it can't get any higher as the dams will overflow.