Lake Pedder lies in Southwest National Park in the Australian state of Tasmania. The lake was originally famous for its sandy beaches, where small aircraft could land with parties of hikers. In the 1960’s, the Tasmanian Hydro-Electric Commission made plans to build the 460-foot- (140-meter-) high Gordon River Dam to harness the waters of the Gordon River to produce electric power. Conservationists unsuccessfully protested against the part of this plan that involved enlarging Lake Pedder. The old beaches are now under water. The new Lake Pedder has an area of about 93 square miles (240 square kilometers). The 140-foot- (43-meter-) high Scotts Peak Dam was built to help create the new Lake Pedder Reservoir, which attracts trout-fishing enthusiasts and tourists.
Lake Pedder is named after Sir John Lewes Pedder, the first chief justice of the colony of Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania). Lake Pedder was declared a national park in 1955. In 1968, Lake Pedder National Park was expanded and renamed Southwest National Park. In 1992, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added Southwest National Park to its World Heritage List as part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. UNESCO World Heritage Sites are places of unique cultural or natural importance.
