Lake Beeac
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| Lake Beeac | |
|---|---|
 Shallow water and the crystallizing of salt reflect the sky beautifully on Lake Beeac | |
  Lake Beeac Location in Victoria | |
| Location | Western District Lakes, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 38°12′18.5″S 143°36′59.5″E / 38.205139°S 143.616528°E[1] |
| Type | Endorheic, hypersaline |
| Primary outflows | Evaporation |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Surface area | 560 ha (1,400 acres) |
| References | [1][2][3][4][5] |
Lake Beeac, a hypersaline endorheic lake, is located beside the small town of Beeac in the Lakes and Craters region of the Victorian Volcanic Plains of south-west Victoria, in southeastern Australia. The 560-hectare (1,400-acre) lake is situated about 19 kilometres (12 mi) northeast of Colac, and its high salinity gives it a milky-blue colour. The lake is part of the Ramsar-listed Western District Lakes site, and enjoys international recognition of its wetland values and some protection for its waterbirds.[5]
Despite its extreme salinity, Lake Beeac supports brine shrimp which in turn feed water birds such as the banded stilt and the red-necked avocet.[5] Birds have been known to come from as far as Siberia and China to eat the lake's shrimp.[6] The lake is an important habitat for wetland water-birds. The lake forms part of the Lake Corangamite Complex Important Bird Area, so identified by BirdLife International because it sometimes supports globally important numbers of waterbirds.[7]
