Chinocup Lake System

Noongar Boodja 

At least 11 cultural heritage sites have been recorded by the WA Museum in the Chinocup Nature Reserve. All are artefact scatters, the remains of a constant habitation of this country by the First Nations people over many millennia.

Remains of an ancient river

The scale of the enormous, ancient river systems that once flowed over this country is obvious in satellite images.

This was once part of a river of the size of the Amazon which has gradually filled with sediment over the last 250 million years, becoming what is known as a paleo-channel. Over that time continual depositing of salt from the sea breezes has left immense deposits of salt in the surrounding land, meaning that the lakes formed along the old river channel are invariably salty.

The Chinocup Nature Reserve includes one of these salt lake chains , surrounded by the original vegetation that was there before pre-European settlement, which is vitally important in this highly cleared landscape.

The reserve contains several rare and endangered plants and rare fauna has also been spotted in the past. The vegetation growing on the gypsum dunes on the south and south-east shore of Lake Chinocup has been recorded as a possible threatened ecological community, but more information is needed before it can be officially listed.

Pink Lakes 

Many of these lakes will be different shades of pink at different times of the year. This colour arises from both an algae, and a single-celled Halobacteria, both of which can thrive in the shallow saline systems.

Image: Graham Zemunik 

The exact colour of the lake will depend on the balance between Dunaliella salina and Halobacterium cutirubrum. Because there is a direct influence from salt concentration and temperature, when water levels are low and temperatures high in late summer the lakes will likely be most pink.

Plant Life

Lake Chinocup and the other lakes in this chain is surrounded by a wide expanse of fringing vegetation. These lakes are generally saline, reaching hypersaline conditions when they dry out over summer. Any plant that grows here needs to be specially adapted to these harsh conditions.

Closest to the lakes is a mixture of pigface, samphire and salt bush, obviously all plants that are adapted to the extreme saline conditions.

Further away from the lakes are stands of the stately Kondinin Blackbutt Eucalyptus kondininensis.

Eucalyptus kondinensis

Image: Nicole Hodgson

There is Melaleuca or tea tree scrub and a small area of Sheoak (Casuarina obesa). Further from the lakes and usually on higher dune areas is found mallee scrub woodlands. The overstorey of the woodlands is Eucalyptus incrassata (one of the most widespread mallee species) and Eucalyptus phaenophylla (common southern mallee).

Eucalyptus salmonophloia woodland

Image: Anne Rick

Some of the more unusual or rare species to be found in Lake Chinocup include:

Saltlake Sundew (Drosera salina)

Image: Anne Rick

This small example of drosera – the beautiful and carnivorous family of plants is a species that is specially adapted to highly saline conditions at the edge of salt lakes.

It is only known from a handful of locations, including the Chinocup Lake System, as it requires a particular habitat next to salt lakes which have a thin layer of quartz sand overlaying a heavier clay/ sand soil.

Read more and see some beautiful photos from the Fierce Flora blog.

Settler History 

In the 1880s shepherds from pastoral stations further south began to graze their sheep in this area. They were followed by the sandalwood cutters.

This area was a source of mallet bark as well, which was stripped from trees, and used for leather tanning. In 1909 / 1910 prices for mallet bark rose dramatically and there was a local boom. Most patches were cut and the bark stripped and carted to Katanning and Dumbleyung.

During this time, some of the land in the area was leased to graziers, but it wasn’t until the 1910s that farming began in earnest in the area, through the Conditional Purchase scheme in which farmers could get to own their land by clearing and farming it.

This photograph shows a ‘Corduroy’ – a crossing over a wetland area made of logs and sand. They could be hazardous for horses as the logs could roll and shift.

Written on back of this photgraph:

A pretty little view of the “corduroy” across Lake Chinokup between Nyabing & the Clegg’s at Lake Pingrup. Can you see how sandy the road is down to the corduroy? It was like that for a good long way. It is Ginger’s head.

Walk trails

There are no dedicated walk trails through the Chinocup Nature Reserve, but the woodland is quite open and accessible, and so short walks around the edges of the salt lakes are possible.

Just be careful where you put your feet, with a number of rare plants found near the salt lakes.

Birdlife 

Some rare birds have been recorded in the Chinocup Nature Reserve: 

When the lakes fill with water, they can carry bursts of waders and waterbirds. Larger lakes are used by waterbirds for breeding, while smaller lakes, especially if they are fresher, are used for feeding and drinking. Species you are likely to see include:

Directions

The most accessible place to experience the Chinocup Lake System is on Rasmussen Road. From Pingrup drive north on the Pingrup-Lake Grace Rd for 14.5km then turn left onto Rasmussen Rd.

Closest towns

Pingrup – 37km via Newdegate-Pingrup Rd

Newdegate – 47km via Newdegate-Pingrup Rd

Where to eat and stay

See the suggestions from our friends at Great Southern Treasures:

Visitor Information