Lake Cowal

Last updated

Lake Cowal
Lake Cowal 2015.JPG
Lake Cowal from the air
Australia New South Wales relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Lake Cowal
Location New South Wales
Coordinates 33°35′S147°25′E / 33.583°S 147.417°E / -33.583; 147.417
Type ephemeral
Primary inflows Bland Creek, Lachlan River
Basin  countriesAustralia

Lake Cowal is the largest inland lake in New South Wales, Australia. The lake is ephemeral, being fed by the small Bland Creek and by the occasional flooding of the Lachlan River. Despite this, it retains a considerable amount of water in about 70% of years.

Contents

Cowal Lake from John Sands 1886 map. Cowal Lake in John Sands 1886 map.png
Cowal Lake from John Sands 1886 map.

Biodiversity

Lake Cowal is situated 47 km North East of West Wyalong and is home to a variety of endangered species. Some of these species include:

Recognition

The lake is listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate in 1992 and was added to the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia in 1998. [2] [3]   It is listed as a Landscape Conservation Area by the National Trust of Australia.}[ citation needed ]

Mineral resources and mining

The area surrounding the lake is rich in minerals - especially gold - and is currently being mined by Evolution Mining. Barrick Gold sold the Cowal Mine to Evolution Mining in 2015 for US$550m. [4] There is concern among environmental groups and the local Wiradjuri Aboriginal people that the cyanide used in the mining process prior to 2007 could lead to the contamination of the lake.[ citation needed ] The area was explored for gold in the 1980s and 1990s by North Limited, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Group. [5]

The mine has been producing gold since 2006, and produced 238,000 ounces of gold in 2016. The resource is estimated to still contain approximately 5,000,000 troy ounces (160 t) of gold. [5]

Lake Cowal Gold Mine= The Cowal Gold Mine Project encompasses approximately 29 square kilometres as of 2023. [6] One hundred and eight million tonnes of low to medium grade ore would be excavated from an open cut pit 1 km wide and 325 metres deep on the lake shore and partly within the high water level of Lake Cowal to produce an estimated 2.7 million ounces of gold. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Mountains National Park</span> Protected area in New South Wales, Australia

The Blue Mountains National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 267,954-hectare (662,130-acre) national park is situated approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of Sydney, and the park boundary is quite irregular as it is broken up by roads, urban areas and inholdings. Despite the name mountains, the area is an uplifted plateau, dissected by a number of larger rivers. The highest point in the park is Mount Werong at 1,215 metres (3,986 ft) above sea level; while the low point is on the Nepean River at 20 metres (66 ft) above sea level as it leaves the park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange, New South Wales</span> City in New South Wales, Australia

Orange is a city in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. It is 254 km (158 mi) west of the state capital, Sydney [206 km (128 mi) on a great circle], at an altitude of 862 metres (2,828 ft). Orange had an estimated urban population of 40,493 as of June 2018 making the city a significant regional centre. A significant nearby landmark is Mount Canobolas with a peak elevation of 1,395 m (4,577 ft) AHD  and commanding views of the district. Orange is situated within the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri Nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobar</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Cobar is a town in central western New South Wales, Australia whose economy is based mainly upon base metals and gold mining. The town is 712 km (442 mi) by road northwest of the state capital, Sydney. It is at the crossroads of the Kidman Way and Barrier Highway. The town and the local government area, the Cobar Shire, are on the eastern edge of the outback. At the 2016 census, the town of Cobar had a population of 3,990. The Shire has a population of approximately 4,700 and an area of 44,065 square kilometres (17,014 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellington, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Wellington is a city in the Central Western Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, located at the junction of the Wambuul Macquarie and Bell Rivers. It is within the local government area of Dubbo Regional Council. The city is 362 kilometres (225 mi) northwest of Sydney on the Mitchell Highway and Main Western Railway, and 50 km southeast of Dubbo, the main centre of the Central Western Slopes region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lachlan River</span> Intermittent river in New South Wales, Australia

The Lachlan River is an intermittent river that is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, located in the Southern Tablelands, Central West, and Riverina regions of New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temora, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Temora is a town in the north-east of the Riverina area of New South Wales, 418 kilometres (260 mi) south-west of the state capital, Sydney. At the 2016 census the population of Temora was 4,693.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lachlan Shire</span> Local government area in New South Wales, Australia

Lachlan Shire is a local government area in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is located adjacent to the Lachlan River, the Lachlan Valley Way and the Broken Hill railway line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Cargelligo, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Lake Cargelligo is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, on Lake Cargelligo. It is in Lachlan Shire. At the 2016 census, Lake Cargelligo had a population of 1,479 people. Its name is said to be a corruption of the Aboriginal word kartjellakoo meaning 'he had a coolamon'. Alternatively it is derived from Wiradjuri and Ngiyambaa "gajal" for water container with suffix "lugu" for "her" or "his". In 2016, it had an indigenous population of 239 (16.2%) and other Australian-born population of 1,186.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burcher, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Burcher is a small rural village situated in central New South Wales, Australia, in Lachlan Shire. As of 2006, Burcher had a population of 185. Its main attractions include Lake Cowal, known for its diverse birdlife; and the Lake Cowal Gold Mine, an open cut mine situated south-east of Burcher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining in Papua New Guinea</span>

Mining in Papua New Guinea is an important part of the Papua New Guinea economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yanga National Park</span> Protected area in New South Wales, Australia

The Yanga National Park is a newly formed national park, located near the township of Balranald in south- western New South Wales. It covers an area of 66,734 hectares which includes 1,932 hectares of Yanga Nature Reserve, and has a frontage of 170 kilometres (110 mi) on the Murrumbidgee River. It is largely located in the Lower Murrumbidgee Floodplain, which is included on A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia because of its importance as a breeding site for waterbirds when flooded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carcoar Dam</span> Dam in New South Wales, Australia

Carcoar Dam is a minor ungated concrete double parabolic arch dam with an uncontrolled overflow spillway across the Belubula River upstream of Carcoar in the central west region of New South Wales, Australia. The dam's purpose includes irrigation, water supply, and water conservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narran Wetlands</span> Protected area in New South Wales, Australia

The Narran Wetlands, also known as the Narran Lakes, contained within the Narran Lake Nature Reserve, comprise a series of protected ephemeral lakes and swamps fed by the Narran River in the north-west of New South Wales, Australia. The 26,480-hectare (65,400-acre) reserve is located approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of Brewarrina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copeland Tops State Conservation Area</span> Protected area in New South Wales, Australia

The Copeland Tops State Conservation Area is a protected conservation area located near the Barrington Tops in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. The 2,201-hectare (5,440-acre) is situated 12 km (7 mi) west of Gloucester.

New South Wales experienced the first gold rush in Australia, a period generally accepted to lie between 1851 and 1880. This period in the history of New South Wales resulted in a rapid growth in the population and significant boost to the economy of the colony of New South Wales. The California Gold Rush three years prior signaled the impacts on society that gold fever would produce, both positive and negative. The New South Wales colonial government concealed the early discoveries, but various factors changed the policy.

Neville "Chappy" Williams is an elder of the Wiradjuri Nation, in Western New South Wales, and a former professional boxer. Known as "Uncle Chappy" to those who follow indigenous Australian customs, he is a regular at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra and a key opponent of the Barrick Gold Corporation's gold mine project at Lake Cowal. Barrick sold the Cowal Mine to Evolution Mining in 2015.

Pueblo Viejo mine is an open-pit gold mine in the Sánchez Ramírez Province of the Dominican Republic. It is the largest gold mine in Latin America and fifth largest in the world. The mine is run by Pueblo Viejo Dominicana Corporation (PVDC), which is 60% owned by Barrick Gold and 40% owned by Newmont Goldcorp.

The Little Llangothlin Nature Reserve is a protected wetland nature reserve that is located on the Northern Tablelands in the New England region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 257-hectare (640-acre) reserve is situated approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north-east of the rural locality of Llangothlin, and some 20 kilometres (12 mi) north-east of Guyra.

The Cumbung Swamp, also known as the Great Cumbung Swamp, is a wetland made up of the ecosystems surrounding the junction of the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan Rivers in the South West Region of New South Wales. When it is at full capacity, the swamp supports a large population of migratory waterbirds as well as one of the largest reed swamps in the Murray Darling Basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canbelego</span> Village in New South Wales, Australia

Canbelego is a village in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. It is now virtually a ghost town but was once a much larger settlement associated with the Mount Boppy Gold Mine. At the 2016 census, the population of Canbelego, including its surrounding area, was 39, but the village itself had only four residents in early 2020. In 1905, the population had been around 1,500, with around 300 of these being employees of the mine. Between 1907 and 1917, the population was around 2,000.

References

  1. from John Sands, Atlas of Australia 1886.
  2. "Lake Cowal, Burcher Marsden Rd, Burcher, NSW, Australia - listing on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate (Place ID 16581)". Australian Heritage Database . Australian Government. 30 June 1992. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  3. "Search result for "Lake Cowal/Wilbertroy Wetlands - NSW040"". Australian Wetlands Database. Australian Government, Department of Environment and Energy. 1998. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  4. Validakis, Vicky (25 May 2015). "Barrick Gold sells Cowal Gold mine". Australian Mining. Prime Creative Media . Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Cowal". Evolution Mining. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  6. "Cowal Operation" (PDF). Evolution Mining. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. The location of the mine Cowal and gold production until December 2009. Archived 2010-09-20 at the Wayback Machine Barrick Gold, Global Operations, Australia Pacific, Cowal. Acceded 18 September 2010.