Lakes dry out

A series of dry years and low runoff sees even lakes with some catchment in a high rainfall zone like  Lake Colac about to dry out. This drying out is nothing new as the hills to the east and south east of the many such temporary water bodies in the area shows .

The ambition to make this "lake" function for fishing and boating could be a reliable reality if Vicroads and the local community decide to create two lakes in the area.( some where even further out than existing water level on photo ) There is a considerable catchment to the lake making further lake management involving permanent water a possibility.

The water level is only ever as much as 2 metres deep with playa type flatness a feature.  The shallow depth  means its still too choppy to enjoy for boating and too hot for the 36 Murray Cod and most other fish planted in there in 1858 . The shallowness is a hazard as aquatic  life is easily killed when a period of growth is cut short by turbidity from wave action.
As a eutrophic lake with a salinity level around 2000 its also prone to deadly blue green algal blooms

The last Regatta was held over 100 years ago because the depth of the water is unreliable and generally insufficient . There are no prospects for an improvement unless something changes drastically to maintain a depth of at least 3 metres in at least a portion of the lake.

A bypass bank could change all that with permanent deep water spots and places for rowing swimming and fishing at this picturesque expanse withing 2 hrs of Melbourne.see sketches