D728E    Lake Eucumbene, created in the 1950s as part of the Australian Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme, was, before the impact of the worst drought in Australian history, a vast expanse of water. When full, the lake holds approximately 4,758 gigalitres of water - more than nine times that of Sydney harbour - and has a surface area of around 14,500 hectares (36,000 acres) that is encompassed by a shoreline that extends for more than 224 kilometres (140 miles). Drought, together with an increasing demand for water for agriculture, for industry, and for domestic use have seen the lake's level fall to an historic low, with the dead trees and barren ground that dominate the landscape once submerged by deep blue water.

 

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