Lake Pedder

Lake Pedder is a lake in southwest Tasmania that was dramatically enlarged and transformed into a reservoir as part of a hydroelectric scheme in the early 1970s. The flooding of the original lake became a focal point for the modern Australian environmental movement.

The impounded lake and surrounding highland plateau are visited for wilderness recreation including hiking, kayaking and birdwatching, typically by people prepared for remote conditions and unsealed access routes. Landscape features include extensive shoreline and nearby peaks within protected Tasmanian wilderness.

Originally a smaller natural glacial and tarn landscape, the basin was inundated when dams were built for hydropower development; the change in 1972 is central to the site’s modern history and conservation debates. Since then the area has been managed within Tasmania’s system of national parks and reserves.

Lake Pedder sits in southwest Tasmania within the island’s protected wilderness areas. The lake and its dams are reached by forest and park roads from the western Tasmanian highlands; the surrounding terrain is typically remote, with dense moorland and rugged ridgelines.

• Hydroelectric impoundment: Significantly altered by the construction of hydroelectric dams in the early 1970s, which flooded the original lake basin and created a much larger reservoir.
• Access and setting: Located within Tasmania's protected wilderness; access is by unsealed roads and is commonly combined with multi-day hikes in the Southwest National Park.