The Lakes of Springfield Lakes

The Lakes of Springfield Lakes

Springfield Lakes has three lakes.  None of them are natural, they have all been created by human activity as part of the development of the suburb.  

The first lake to be constructed was Spring Lake, the most northern of the three, was constructed in the late 1990s near the IGA and Spring Lake Metro.  The lower, larger lake is sometimes referred Spring Lake West.  This lake is fed by a number of short unnamed watercourses that are themselves fed by natural springs that used to emit water in all times except drought.  However, these days house roofs, drainpipes and curb & channelling stop water from entering the soil and groundwater, and the lake only receives water after rain.  Spring Lake drains out through a very large grate and under the road to a wetland on the other side of the Centenary Highway.

Then next lake to the south, Regatta Lake, was the next to be constructed around 2006.  This lake is also fed by natural springs that once existed on the Peninsula, and also from an unnamed ephemeral creek that arises in the Greenbank Military Reserve.  The lake exists because of the large rock and earth dam wall that was constructed across the creek valley.  Lakeside Avenue now sits on this dam and crosses the lake at both its top and bottom ends.  Regatta Lake drains through a grate and pipes under the dam and directly into Discovery Lake.

Discovery Lake was formed when a specially engineered concrete weir was constructed across the channel of Opossum Creek around 2010.  This is drowned the Opossum Creek valley forming the lake.  Springfield Lakes Boulevard now runs on a bridge above the weir, to allow unhindered vehicular access even in times of flood.  This lake is fed from Regatta Lake and Opossum Creek.