Tarrabool Lake is a lake located in the Northern Territory of Australia in the locality of Creswell on the western fringe of the Barkly Tableland.[3] The size of the lake fluctuates as a function of the amount of precipitation that the surrounding area receives in any given year. Although the lake is fed by several creeks, it receives most of its runoff from Creswell Creek,[4] which enters the northeast end of the lake.

Tarrabool Lake
Satellite photo of Lakes Tarrabool, Corella, and Sylvester
The lake (left) as seen from space. Cluster on the right includes Corella Lake and Lake Sylvester (September 1993)[1]
A map of Australia's Northern Territory with a mark indicating the location of Tarrabool Lake
A map of Australia's Northern Territory with a mark indicating the location of Tarrabool Lake
Tarrabool Lake
LocationCreswell, Northern Territory[2]
Coordinates18°15′35″S 135°05′53″E / 18.259808°S 135.098123°E / -18.259808; 135.098123
Basin countriesAustralia

When fully inundated, Tarrabool is the largest wooded swamp in tropical Australia. It is a major breeding area for colonial water birds, especially Australian pelicans and straw-necked ibis. The lake is part of the Tarrabool Lake - Eva Downs Swamp System Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance as a breeding site for waterbirds.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "National Aeronautics and Space Administration". NASA. Archived from the original on 28 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Place Names Register Extract for "Tarrabool Lake"". NT Place Names Register. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  3. ^ Randal, M.A (1967). "Groundwater in the Barkly Tableland, Northern Territory". ecat.ga.gov.au (Bulletin Record 091). Geoscience Australia, Canberra. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  4. ^ Daniel Fitzgerald (2 May 2016). "Wet season wraps up with below average rainfall for many cattle stations". ABC News. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  5. ^ "IBA: Tarrabool Lake - Eva Downs Swamp System". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 31 October 2011.