Landuse
The general landscape of the area is flat to very gently undulating land with occasional rocky outcrops and low hills. The majority of the vegetation of the area has been heavily cleared with remnant regrowth vegetation restricted to elevated rocky areas. Lake Cowal is located within the 400 000 ha Bland Creek Catchment area which falls steadily from east to west and drains via the Bland Creek into the southern end of Lake Cowal. The region supports mainly dryland agriculture with irrigation farming in the Jemalong/Wyldes Plains irrigation districts located to the north of the lake.
Primary land uses include cropping (predominantly wheat, barley and oats) and grazing of both sheep and cattle. Common cropping systems incorporate rotational, minimum tillage systems (direct drilling, stubble retention) but some landholders still practice conventional cultivation systems (eg. summer fallow, stubble burning etc).
A small number of piggeries were also operational prior to the development of the Cowal Gold Mine. Grazing and occasional cropping below the lake full storage water line occurs when conditions are suitable. The Lake bed provides valuable pastures on recently flooded land as opposed to adjacent lands, particularly during drought conditions.
There are a number of State Forests in the local area including Euglo and Nerang to the north, Lake View and Corringle to the west, Clear Ridge, Wyrra, Boxhall and Back Creek to the south and Little Blow Clear, Blow Clear and Hiawatha State Forests to the south west.
A game reserve which provided public access and was used for camping during duck hunting season was situated on the western edge of Lake Cowal, but has been relocated to the southern end of Lake Cowal due to the development of the Cowal Gold Mine in 2003. Travelling Stock Reserves are situated along the southern, western and northern ends of the Lake.
Historically Lake Cowal was a significant inland commercial fishery in NSW, ranking in the top five producers of fish for 14 of the past 23 years prior to 1980. Several methods of commercial fishing were employed including gill, drum and loop netting and yabby trapping. Golden perch, Redfin, European Carp and the Freshwater Yabby were worth $120,500 per annum.
