Lake Gregory (Western Australia)

Lake Gregory Paraku (Walmajarri)
Lake Gregory from space, September 1993. The main body of the lake appears bluish-turquoise in the center of the picture. The multi-braided channels (upper right) that feed water into Lake Gregory from the northeast are part of the Sturt Creek drainage system. There appears to be an excess of standing water in the channels (muddy-looking, yellowish) north and west of the main part of the lake. The surrounding landscape consists of grasslands with numerous sand ridges (thin, dark, parallel lines on the lower left side of the image).
Lake Gregory Location in Western Australia
Location	Kimberley, Western Australia
Coordinates	20°12′S 127°27′E / 20.200°S 127.450°E / -20.200; 127.450Coordinates: 20°12′S 127°27′E / 20.200°S 127.450°E / -20.200; 127.450
Type	Freshwater
Basin countries	Australia
References

Lake Gregory, or Paraku in the Walmajarri language, is a permanent freshwater lake located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, situated between the Great Sandy Desert and the Tanami Desert. It is usually fresh water, but can become saline after a number of dry years.

The lake is situated approximately 220 kilometres (137 mi) south of Halls Creek near where the Tanami Desert meets the Great Sandy Desert. The nearest town is the Mulan Community located 8 kilometres (5 mi) to the east of the lake shore. The boundaries of two pastoral leases also encompass parts of the lake; Billiluna Station to the north and Lake Gregory Station to the south.

Lake Gregory is situated on the edge of Mulan Aboriginal Community, home to the Walmajarri people. It is a traditional site to the people, containing several culturally significant sites. The Paraku Indigenous Protected Area works with traditional owners and rangers to monitor and maintain the lake and its surroundings.

The lake is about 200 metres (656 ft) above sea level. The system includes an area of about 400 square kilometres (154 sq mi) that is subject to regular flooding within a much larger, approximately 5,000 square kilometres (1,931 sq mi), paleolake bed.

The depth of the lake can vary from 1 to 10 metres (3 to 33 ft).

It lies at the far southwest extremity of the Tanami subregion of the Tanami Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia region. The Tanami subregion is composed mainly red Quaternary sandplains overlying Permian and Proterozoic strata that are exposed as hills and ranges around the area. Alluvial and lacustrine calcareous deposits occur throughout the subregion. In the north they are associated with Sturt Creek drainage and further south as part of the lake bed.