Description

Pink Lake was once known as Lake Spencer. However in 1966 the then Shire President, CR W S Paterson, requested the name be changed to Pink Lake, seeing this as a positive move in capitalising on a local tourism attraction. Unfortunately over the years Pink Lake lost its colour due to a combination of environmental circumstances that has meant the name is not quite as apt anymore. Esperances Pink Lake has lost its pink colour due to a number of contributing factors. With the construction of the railway line and South Coast Highway, Lake Warden and the eastern lakes no longer flush into Pink Lake during heavy rains, this flushing brought in accumulated salts from other lakes into Pink Lake. Commercial salt mining, which began in 1896 and ceased in 2007 also reduced salt levels in the lake. Further reductions to the lakes salt concentration has been caused by freshwater entering the system through a combination of surface water inflow and increased groundwater inflow due to clearing in the catchment area associated with nearby subdivisions of land. Essentially, increasing salt concentrations, combined with decreasing water levels from evaporation during summer, trigger the appearance of the pink colour that can be seen in lakes across the country.