The picturesque and popular waterway now resembles little more than a petrified forest.

Waterlogged tree trunks and branches are scattered across the muddied landscape.

Water authorities say it will stay this way for the next six weeks in a bid to expose the South American aquatic weed egeria densa to the winter frosts.

A similar operation in 2009 took its toll on the highly invasive weed.

A spokeswoman for the Murray-Darling Basin Authority said the weed had recolonised in shallower sections of the lake.

The lake has been gradually lowered since Easter, with the weed now above the waterline and exposed to the morning frosts.

“Raising of the lake is planned to commence in mid-July,” she said.

“Any inflows in the next six weeks will be passed through the weir.”

Refilling of the lake is designed to meet the needs of the irrigation season.

In the past the weed has affected tourism, as well as the power station.

2020 too long for bridge — page 8