Lake Victoria (Victoria)
Lake in Victoria, Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lake Victoria is a 139-hectare (340-acre) shallow saline lake on the Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria in Australia, close to the township of Point Lonsdale and part of the Lonsdale Lakes Nature Reserve administered by Parks Victoria.[2]
| Lake Victoria | |
|---|---|
View of lake from the west | |
  Lake Victoria Location in Victoria | |
| Location | Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 38°16′22″S 144°35′21″E[1] |
| Type | Saline |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Surface area | 139 ha (340 acres) |
| References | [2] |
Location and features
The lake is separated from Bass Strait by a narrow strip of coastal dunes. It forms part of the Swan Bay wetland system of shallow marine areas and lagoons, and is an important wetland for waterbirds and waders.[3]
The site is part of the Swan Bay and Port Phillip Bay Islands Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International.[4] Birds of conservation significance for which the lake and its surrounds are important include the hooded plover, little egret and orange-bellied parrot. It sometimes holds internationally significant numbers of red-necked stints and banded stilts.[5]
Plant communities consist of salt tolerant species typical of coastal dune woodland and saltmarsh in the region.[6] Woodland and tall shrubland along the southern lakeshore mainly consist of Moonah Melaleuca lanceolata, a species that is listed as threatened in Victoria under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act.[6]
