Lake Burley Griffin Size report

Lake Burley Griffin is located in the heart of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory, flowing between the city center and the Congressional Triangle. It is an artificial lake. This lake system intercepted the part of the Molangelo River and was completed in 1963 with a dam. It takes its name from architect Walter Burley Griffin, who won the Canberra Urban Design Competition.

In keeping with Griffin's original design, the lake is located close to the geographic center of Canberra. Many important institutions are located on its shores, such as the Australian National University, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, the National Library of Australia, and the High Court of Australia; the Capitol is also not far from the lake.

The Australian Capital Territory is Australia's smallest but most densely populated and educated state and territory-level administrative area. It is the concentration of many government agencies, offices, embassies, and scientific education institutions. Parks and reserves cover 53% of the territory and are known as the "Forest Capital." Let's learn more about Lake Burley Griffin.

Introduction of Lake Burley Griffin

Lake Burley Griffin is regarded as Canberra's crown jewel with its rippling waters and uninterrupted tranquil coastline. The lakeside area of Lake Burley Griffin is the most popular water tourist attraction, especially during the warmer months. Although few people swim in the lake, it is commonly used for other activities such as boating, fishing, sailing, etc. A jet fountain was built to commemorate Captain James Cook in the lake. The water column sprayed from the bottom of the lake is as high as 137 meters. You can see the tall white water column anywhere in the city.

In addition, fishing is quite a popular activity on Lake Griffin; the introduced carp is the most prevalent in the lake. The lake is stocked with a variety of introduced and native species each year; more than 1.26 million fish have been in the lake since 1964. Annual monitoring is carried out yearly to determine the total number of fish.

History of the Design

Charles Robert Scribner proposed for Canberra to transform the area in 1909, and detailed plans were drawn up and provided to architects who entered a design competition. Scribner later became part of the design committee and was responsible for revising the winning design for Lake Griffin.

Walter Burley Griffin won the design competition. Scribner suggested changing the lake's shape, and a dam replaced a series of weirs in Walter Burley Griffin's original design. The lake's new design retains Griffin's three formal catchments: the eastern catchment, the central catchment, and the western catchment, but in a more casual shape. Although Griffin's design changed again in subsequent years, its original design was largely preserved.

the Lake Burley Griffin Size

Construction on Lake Burley Griffin began in 1960. The water in the lake is 33 million cubic meters, and the surface area is 6.64 square kilometers. The length is 11 kilometers, the widest point is 1.2 kilometers, the lake shoreline is 40.5 kilometers long, and the water level is 556 meters above the average altitude. The lake's depth varies from 2 meters at the eastern end to 18 meters at the dam. The average depth is 4 meters.

Other Features

There are six islands within Lake Burley Griffin, three unnamed islands and three larger named islands. Among these larger islands, Aspen is located in the central catchment area, and Springbank and Spinnack are in the western lakes. Aspen Island is connected to the land by a pedestrian bridge, where the National Clock Tower is located.

The dam on Lake Burley Griffin is named after Charles Robert Scribner and is called the Scribner Dam. The 33-meter-tall Scribner Dam can precisely control the water level, reducing the hazardous area of the lakeshore between too high and too low water levels. In history, the five gates have only been opened simultaneously during the flood period in 1976. The water level can be kept adequate by releasing water from the dam if needed during dry seasons. The road at the top of the dam wall provides a third way across the lake.

Final Words

Connecting both sides of Lake Burley Griffin are the Commonwealth Bridge (310 meters), the King's Bridge (270 meters), and the road on the top of the Scribner Dam. The two bridges were built before the lake filling and were high enough for recreational sailing boats with tall masts to pass. Lake Burley Griffin is a water park filled with exciting experiences. Stand-up paddle boarding is one of the recommended ways to enjoy the calm lake scenery. If you are a cyclist, you can choose from many cycling trails along the shoreline of Lake Burley Griffin, ranging from 5km to 30km.