Lake Muir
{{Short description|Lake in Western Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{About|a lake|the locality|Lake Muir, Western Australia|the national park|Lake Muir National Park}}
{{Infobox lake
| name = Lake Muir
| image = Lakemuir.JPG
| image_size = 280
| alt = A flat expanse of very short vegetation with some low shrubs in the foreground and a horizontal line of pale sand in the far distance under a cloudless sky
| caption = Lake Muir in October 2010
| pushpin_map = Australia Western Australia
| pushpin_map_alt = A map of Western Australia with a mark indicating the location of Lake Muir
| pushpin_label_position = top
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Western Australia
| image_bathymetry =
| caption_bathymetry =
| location = South West, Western Australia
| coords = {{coord|34|26|49|S|116|44|54|E|region:AU-WA_type:waterbody|display=inline,title}}
| type =
| inflow =
| outflow = Deep River
| catchment = {{convert|384|km2|abbr=on}}
| basin_countries = Australia
| designation = Muir-Byenup System Ramsar Site
| length = {{convert|11|km|abbr=on}}
| width = {{convert|5|km|abbr=on}}
| area = {{convert|46|km2|abbr=on}}
| depth =
| max-depth =
| volume =
| residence_time =
| shore =
| elevation = {{convert|170|m|abbr=on}}
| frozen =
| islands =
| cities =
| reference = {{cite web|url=http://maps.bonzle.com/c/a?a=p&cmd=sp&p=165107&st=&s=Lake%20Muir|title= Bonzle Digital Atlas – Map of Lake Muir|year=2009|accessdate=2 March 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/pdf/national_parks/wetlands/fact_sheets/muir_byenup1.doc|title=Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands - Muir – Byenup System, Western Australia|year=2003|accessdate=2 March 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731185615/http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/pdf/national_parks/wetlands/fact_sheets/muir_byenup1.doc|archivedate=31 July 2008|df=dmy-all}}
| embedded={{Infobox mapframe
|stroke-colour=#C60C30
|stroke-width=3
|marker=water
|marker-colour=#1F2F57
|zoom=11
}}
}}
Lake Muir is a freshwater lake, with a larger surrounding wetlands area, that is located in the South West region of Western Australia. The lake lies near Muir Highway, north of Walpole and southeast of Manjimup.
Description
The lake has a surface area of {{convert|46|km2}}. Lake Muir and its surrounding wetland lies within the Lake Muir-Byenup System, a {{convert|694|km2|abbr=on}} area of internal drainage containing a complex of wetland systems. It is fed by a stream leading into the lake, which is crossed at the Lake Muir Bridge.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article256987003 |title=LAKE MUIR BRIDGE. |newspaper=The Leader |volume= |issue=532 |location=Western Australia |date=24 June 1927 |accessdate=29 September 2024 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article259618977 |title=LAKE MUIR BRIDGE. |newspaper=The Eastern Recorder |volume=XIX |issue=982 |location=Western Australia |date=22 March 1929 |accessdate=29 September 2024 |page=6 (Paper format edition) |via=National Library of Australia}}
Lake Muir may, in flood, overflow southwest into the Deep River catchment (and possibly also southeast into the Frankland River via Poorginup Gully).{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=Robin|title=Hydrogeology of the Muir–Unicup catchments|date=April 2003|publisher=Water and Rivers Commission|location=East Perth, WA|isbn=1-920849-12-2 |pages=3–5 |url=https://www.water.wa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/4852/42688.pdf|accessdate=21 January 2017}}
Lake Muir is usually brackish (1000–3000 mg/L TDS) at the end of winter, saline by summer and dry throughout autumn.
Lake Muir is protected within Lake Muir Nature Reserve, which was designated in 2001. UNEP-WCMC (2022). Protected Area Profile for Lake Muir from the World Database of Protected Areas. Accessed 3 May 2022. [https://www.protectedplanet.net/63879]
Flora and fauna
A {{convert|14|km2|adj=on}} section of wetland around Lake Muir has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it provides habitat for 10 or more pairs of endangered Australasian bitterns. The wetlands within the IBA are shallow with extensive beds of dense sedgeland and fringing stands of shrubland and woodland. Lake Muir has been excluded from the IBA as it is unsuitable for bitterns but it has supported large numbers of Australian Shelduck and may prove to be globally significant for that species.{{cite web|title=Muir-Unicup Wetlands|url=http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/muir-unicup-wetlands-iba-australia|website=BirdLife International|accessdate=21 January 2017}}
History
The lake is connected with significant indigenous occupation over time.regarding the east shore of Lake Muir, Cowerup Swamp and the southeast side of Tordit-Gurrup Lagoon - {{Citation | author1=Dortch, C. E. (Charles Eugene) | title=Notes on archaeological sites in the Lake Muir area, Western Australia | publication-date=1973 | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/228852002 | access-date=29 September 2024}}
Lake Muir was named after brothers Thomas and John Muir, the first European settlers in the Warren district, who settled at Deeside, {{convert|25|km}} west of the lake, in 1852 and built a rush hut there in 1856.{{cite web|author1=Shire of Manjimup|authorlink1=Shire of Manjimup|title=Deeside Homestead Group|url=http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/PrintSingleRecord/fdf42c31-0624-46f9-96b0-2cfba24381cf|website=inHerit|publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia|accessdate=22 January 2017|location=Perth, WA|date=1 January 2017}}
Historically the area was a Game Reserve, with a duck shooting season. The Department of Environment and Conservation (CALM) started monitoring the wetlands system in 1980 in order to manage the duck shooting.
On 5 January 2001, a {{convert|106|km2|adj=on}} area was designated, under the Ramsar Convention as Ramsar site 1050, a wetland of international importance, acknowledging its rich ecological diversity. Lake Muir Nature Reserve was designated in the same year by the Government of Western Australia.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake was centred at the lake on 16 September 2018{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-16/earth-tremor-rocks-southern-wa-town-of-walpole/10253364|title=Magnitude-5.7 earthquake rocks southern WA|date=17 September 2018|accessdate=9 November 2018|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}} and was followed by a magnitude 4.7 quake on 13 October{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-13/small-earthquake-near-lake-muir/10373358|title=Magnitude-4.7 earthquake rocks area surrounding Lake Muir in WA's Great Southern|date=13 October 2018|accessdate=9 November 2018|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}} and a 5.4 quake on 9 November.{{cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/national/western-australia/earthquake-at-lake-muir-shakes-perth-and-was-south-west/news-story/3e12a99c3ead643f1d0d5de53507936e|title=Earthquake at Lake Muir shakes Perth and WA's South West|author=Ben Anserson|date=9 November 2018|accessdate=9 November 2018|publisher=News Corporation}}
See also
{{stack|{{portal|Western Australia}}}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20050725024131/http://www.deh.gov.au/water/wetlands//database/directory/wa.html Australian Government Directory of Important Wetlands]
- [http://www.ramsar.org/wn/w.n.australia_newsites_2001.htm Muir-Byenup System]
{{Ramsar sites in Australia}}
Category:Protected areas of Western Australia
Category:Ramsar sites in Australia