Lake Kununurra

The Lake Kununurra is a reservoir in the northeast of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is located in the Kimberley region in the course of the Ord River just south of the town of Kununurra on the Victoria Highway.

The reservoir was created in 1963 with the construction of the Diversion Dam to supply the Ord River Irrigation Scheme ( ORIS ) with water. The lake extends 55 km from the Diversion Dam upstream to the larger Lake Argyle with a maximum width of 400 m. In the town of Kununurra he is connected to the Lily Creek Lagoon.

One finds there freshwater crocodiles ( Crocodilus johnsoni ) and 21 different species of fish. The people of Kununurra and tourists use the lake mainly for fishing and boating.

Because of the constant water level in the lake and its adjacent wetlands, a rich vegetation with grassland, rushes and open woodland area could develop. The wetland system of the two reservoirs and the lagoon forms the Lakes Argyle and Kununurra Ramsar Site.

The reservoir is due to its importance for wild birds, especially finches, part of the Ord Irrigation Area, an Important Bird Area (IBA ) by BirdLife International, by definition.