Canberra's Urban Lakes and Ponds

• The Plan of Management
• Overview Statement of Canberra's Lakes and Ponds
• Water Quality and Ecological Zones for Lakes and Ponds

Parks, Conservation and Lands manages the perimeter of most of the lakes and ponds in Canberra including Lake Burley Griffin. The National Capital Authority manages the water surface of Lake Burley Griffin and perimeter areas which are National Land (eg Commonwealth Park, the Parliamentary Triangle).

• Lake Ginninderra
• Gungahlin Pollution Control Ponds
• Water Sampling

The Plan of Management

The Canberra Urban Lakes and Ponds Plan of Management was developed to describe the way in which the lakes and ponds in Canberra are to be managed to provide for public and community use and environmental values and protection.

Overview Statement of Canberra's Lakes and Ponds

The urban lakes and ponds managed by Parks Conservation and Land include Lake Ginninderra and Lake Tuggeranong. Here the lake foreshores contain major recreational facilities for a range of ages including beaches, designated swimming areas for toddlers and young children, jetties, boat ramps for non-petroleum powered boats, BBQs and playgrounds.

For those who enjoy water skiing a designated section of Molonglo River has been allocated. At various times of the year skiing championships and tournaments are staged.

The other 11 ponds scattered throughout Canberra make up a series of control ponds which intercept urban runoff before entering the Murrumbidgee River. These ponds also encourage the existence of flora and fauna and benefit the community both aesthetically and recreationally.

Zones have been determined for each waterbody which are based on water quality and ecological criteria. They form the basis for managing the waterbodies throughout the ACT.

The Regional Maps show the location of all of the Lakes and Ponds managed by Parks Conservation and Lands.

Water Quality and Ecological Zones for Lakes and Ponds

Monitoring of water quality and ecology through the ponds and lakes has identified a pattern of progressive water quality improvement longitudinally downstream as a result of these processes, resulting in three distinct water quality and ecological zones:

• Inlet Zone (Water Management Zone I), high in suspended solids, nutrients, organic material and bacteria. Typically, this zone comprises the shallow water emergent aquatic plant ecosystems described above. It is a highly productive zone, sustaining high biomass of plants, macroinvertebrates, fish and birds.
• Intermediate Zone (Water Management Zone II) of edge macrophytes and clear water, having reduced (fine) levels of suspended material, nutrients and bacteria. It typically comprises extensive submerged macrophytes and epiphytic and planktonic algae.
• Outlet Zone (Water Management Zone III), low in suspended solids, nutrients and bacteria, and low in planktonic algae. Typically, this zone comprises the deep water - planktonic algal ecosystems described above.

Within the intermediate and outlet zones described above, most edge (littoral) areas have emergent aquatic plants, with a width of the order of 2 to 4 m. The littoral area exhibits many of the characteristics of the shallow - extensive emergent macrophyte ecosystem described above. In this case, suspended solids and organic material (algae) are washed into the macrophyte beds from the open waters by wave action, while runoff from the adjacent foreshore area discharges suspended solids, nutrients and organic material.