Lake Jasper

For places with a similar name, see Jasper Lake (disambiguation).

Lake Jasper
Lake Jasper is located in Western Australia
Lake Jasper
Lake Jasper
Location in Western Australia
LocationLake Jasper, South West, Western Australia
Coordinates34°24′38″S 115°40′56″E / 34.41056°S 115.68222°E / -34.41056; 115.68222
TypeFreshwater lake
Basin countriesAustralia
Max. length4 km (2.5 mi)
Max. width2 km (1.2 mi)
Surface area4.5 km2 (1.7 sq mi)
Average depth3 m (9.8 ft)
Max. depth10.3 m (34 ft)
References[1][2]
Map

Lake Jasper is a permanent freshwater lake in the locality of Lake Jasper, in the South West area of Western Australia. It has evidence of ancient Aboriginal activity beneath its waters.[3]

The lake is located on a flat sandy plain, the Scott Coastal Plain, with a high dune ridge to the west and the Donnelly River to the east. The lake is contained within the boundaries of the D'Entrecasteaux National Park. The camp site has seating facilities on the eastern side of the lake, but is subject to a complete fire ban and forbids vehicle access to the shoreline; the camp site is only accessible by four-wheel drive vehicles.[4]

Lake Jasper has two smaller lakes located to the east: Lake Wilson and Lake Smith. All of these bodies are part of the Donnelly River catchment area and they all are inhabited by all of the regions endemic freshwater fish species.[5] The lake has significant floristic value as it supports an extensive area of tall sedgeland. The area is also an important habitat for fish, waterbirds, invertebrates and frogs.

The lake is known as a White Water Lake as the lack of tannic acid in the water allows good light dispersion. The lake water is of a high quality[6] and high quality artesian water also exists in the area.[7]

An archaeological site located in the lake is the only known Australian example of a submerged Aboriginal occupation site. In 1989 and 1990 submarine excavations found flaked stone artifacts and standing tree stumps on the floor of the lake at depths of up to eight metres. Radiocarbon dating showed an inundation period through sea level rise of 4,000 to 3,400 years BP.[8]

Lake Jasper was named in memory of Jasper Taylor Molloy Bussell (1863–1864), son of Alfred and Ellen Bussell.

  1. ^ "Bonzle Digital Atlas – Map of Lake Jasper". 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  2. ^ "CSIRO - Latest Research on Swan Coastal Plain" (PDF). 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009. [dead link]
  3. ^ Dortch, C. E. (Charles Eugene) (1997), Prehistory Down Under : archaeological investigations of submerged Aboriginal sites at Lake Jasper, Western Australia, retrieved 20 April 2019
  4. ^ "Canoeing in WA - Donnelly River and Lake Jasper". 2000. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  5. ^ "Murdoch University - Fish fauna of the Donnelly River" (PDF). 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  6. ^ "Department of Agriculture - Bulletin 4513 : Scott Coastal Plain : a strategy for a sustainable future". 2001. Archived from the original on 4 September 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  7. ^ "Shannon Park and D'Entrecasteaux National Park Management Plan" (PDF). 1987. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 July 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  8. ^ Dortch, C.E.; Godfrey, I.M. (January 1990). "Aboriginal Sites In A Submerged Landscape At Lake Jasper, Southwestern Australia". Australian Archaeology. 31 (1): 28–33. doi:10.1080/03122417.1990.11681385. Retrieved 18 May 2024.