Eildon Lower Pondage Walk

Eildon is on the edge of the Blue Range, 142 km from Melbourne on the northern most section of the Goulburn Valley Highway. The first Dam (Sugarloaf Weir) was built at Eildon in the late 1920s and was replaced with a larger dam in the 1950s capable of storing up to 3,500,000 ML of water. The Goulburn River then distributes this water to irrigators, townships and the rural city of Shepparton, as well as the rural cities of Bendigo and Ballarat via pipelines.

The Lower Pondage area is a perfect location to stop, relax, enjoy a BBQ and take a lovely walk. The northern side of the Lower Pondage is close to the main shopping area of Eildon and home to the large Lions BBQ Picnic Area, toilets, under-cover and outdoor seats and tables, as well as a children's playground. The Pondage Walk loop, 3.8km in length, is flat and takes around 40 minutes.

Eildon Pondage Walk Map

Features

Numerous carpark areas around the pondage
Undercover and outdoor picnic areas
Toilets
Children's playground (northern side)
Open grassland areas
Close to the Eildon Shopping Centre
Flat Pondage walk suitable for all ages
All-year fishing in the Pondage
Extremely photographic
Two picturesque jetties
Fireplaces (northern side)
Bike-friendly walk track
The walk takes you over the lower wall
Numerous viewing areas with seats
Flora and fauna abound

Review:

This is an enjoyable walk around the Lower Pondage encompassing the weir and the most popular walk at Eildon.

Eildon Lower Pondage Walk

There are a lot of facilities around the pondage including shelters, many picnic tables, BBQs, playground, water tap, interpretative signage, bins and multiple fishing jetties.

Eildon Lower Pondage Walk

It should be noted that aquatic activities such as swimming are not permitted in the pondage due to safety reasons.

Eildon Lower Pondage Walk

There are lots of waterbirds on the water including black swans. At the weir there is an elevated concrete walkway to cross to the other side. Cyclists and pedestrians are permitted on the path but not horses.

Interpretative Signage Around the Pondage

Victoria's Family Fishery

The Eildon Pondage offers a unique and welcome opportunity for the whole family to participate in the joys of angling, while relaxing in one of the most picturesque natural settings in Victoria.

Simply park the car, select a picnic area and throw a line. It's as easy as that. Regular stocking by Victorian Fisheries of Rainbow and Brown trout, ranging in size from 150 gram yearlings to three-year-old fish weighing over five kilograms, ensures that even a novice or young child can catch a trout.

Unlike most inland waterways, the Eildon Pondage is not subject to a closed season for trout and is open all year for recreational angling, (Please note that in most cases a Recreational Fishing Licence is required by law).

The centrepiece of Victoria's famous "Trout Country", Eildon Pondage is the State's premier 'put and take' trout fishery. For over fifty years it has attracted thousands of visitors and anglers from all over Australia hoping to catch a trophy trout - and leaving with memories of the one that didn't get away.

And if you want to experience the solitude and challenge of casting for wild trout in clear mountain streams, the rivers between Eildon, Thornton and Mansfield are an angler's paradise.

Controlling the Flow

Water from the Goulburn River system is the lifeblood of many farmers in northern Victoria, who depend on it for irrigation to overcome the effects of low and unreliable rainfall. It is also used to generate hydro-electric power.

In 1915, work commenced on the construction of Sugarloaf Reservoir with a dam wall 44 metres high. Sugarloaf Reservoir was first filled to its then capacity of 377,000 megalitres in 1927.

The new Eildon Dam was built to a height of 79 metres in 1955, increasing the storage capacity to 3,390,000 megalitres and creating the largest reservoir in Australia at that time.

Through a complex system of dams, weirs and distribution channels, water from the Goulburn River is supplied by gravity across an extensive area of the State.

The 5,200 megalitre Eildon Pondage plays a vital role in this process, temporarily detaining discharges of water from the hydro power station and regulating releases downstream. This helps to minimise variations in flow due to intermittent power generation.

Water released from Lake Eildon flows down the Goulburn River to Goulburn Weir near Nagambie, where it is diverted through a network of channels across the 250,000 hectare Goulburn Murray Irrigation District, the largest area of irrigated farmland in Australia.

Goulburn Murray Water operates and manages the main storage and diversion structures on the river to meet town water supply and irrigation needs, and to minimise the effects of floods.

On average, over 90% of water released from Lake Eildon is diverted for irrigation purposes at Goulburn Weir, with an average annual diversion of 1,768,000 megalitres.

A Healthy Natural Environment

The construction of Lake Eildon and the pondage below the dam wall has not only delivered improved irrigation and power generation, but it has also created benefits for the natural environment.

This is especially true of the wetland areas of the pondage, where the relatively stable water levels, shallow edge areas and fringing vegetation provide an excellent habitat for both aquatic and land-based native animal species.

The abundant reeds growing around the water's edge are typical of a wetland environment, and the range of native and introduced plants contributes to a healthy and distinctive local ecology. Remnant native species including acacias, tea-tree, red gums and manna gums are mixed with historic plantings of poplars, willows and other introduced species.

Edge vegetation gives protection and cover for a number of small bushland birds such as wrens, scrubwrens and thornbills, which are unlikely to be seen around more open and exposed sections of the trail. The sheltered open water also offers -refuge and feeding areas for Many waterbirds including swamphen, moorhen, ducks and swans.

Reptiles and amphibians thrive in and around the wetland environment, and you may see snakes, frogs and lizards near this section of the trail. (Snakes are normally shy creatures, and if left alone will seek to retreat from human contact).

Regular stocking of introduced fish species such as rainbow and brown trout means that they are abundant throughout the pondage. A continuous supply of oxygenated fresh water supports a high diversity of aquatic invertebrates including insects, crustaceans and molluscs, with algae, phytoplankton and zooplankton forming the basis of the food chain.

From Service Centre to Tourism Icon

Construction of the Eildon Dam in the 1950s not only delivered life-sustaining irrigation waters to a large area of northern Victoria, but it has also brought substantial benefits to the local region.

Lake Eildon has dramatically changed the surrounding landscape, and the growth of the Eildon township has created a thriving community and a focus for a diverse range of recreation activities.

From its early beginnings as a housing and service centre for dam workers and their families, Eildon has become one of Victoria's favourite holiday destinations. Tourism is now a major contributor to the regional and Victorian economy.

Eildon offers everything from family fun on the lake and quiet fishing trips to cycling, walking, picnicking and camping in the national park and state forests around the lake.

With over 500 kilometres of shoreline, sheltered bays and safe swimming beaches, Lake Eildon is one of Victoria's largest inland lakes. Its tranquil waters are ideal for exhilarating water sports such as water-skiing, kayaking and wakeboarding as well as the more leisurely pastimes of fishing and houseboating.

Lake Eildon National Park, surrounding much of the lake's shore, protects areas of natural bushland and tall forest that are home to many Australian birds and animals. It is very popular for bushwalks, with hilltop panoramas over the lake and opportunities to view the abundant native wildlife.

The region's forests and mountains are .magnificent country for four-wheel-drive, mountain bike and horse-riding, and the rushing mountain-fed rivers offer the thrill of canoeing and white-water rafting, as well as some of the state's best trout fishing.