Lake Lewis is an
ephemeral
Ephemerality (from the Greek word , meaning 'lasting only one day') is the concept of things being transitory, existing only briefly. Academically, the term ephemeral constitutionally describes a diverse assortment of things and experiences, fr ...
salt lake
A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per liter). I ...
in the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
located in the locality of
Anmatjere about north-west of the town of
Alice Springs
Alice Springs () is a town in the Northern Territory, Australia; it is the third-largest settlement after Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin and Palmerston, Northern Territory, Palmerston. The name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William ...
.
The lake is fed by several nearby creeks; during periods of heavy rain, the lake can grow beyond its usual size and can last as long as six months.
The lake system encompasses a number of different terrains, including large areas of
saltpans and
claypans. Lake Lewis is bounded in the north by
Stuart Bluff Range.
The lake was named after John W Lewis, who accompanied
P.E. Warburton's expedition in 1873 from the Northern Territory to the Oakover River in Western Australia.
Lake Lewis is also an important site for birds with
Black-winged Stilts and
Grey Teals, both uncommon species in the Northern Territory, being known to visit the lake.
References
Saline lakes of the Northern Territory
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