The 1960's and 70's were the defining decades that saw enormous development in the East Kimberley region with the construction of the Diversion Dam and Argyle Dam. Argyle Dam is the largest man made water storage structure in the Southern hemisphere and holds, in water volume, the equivalent of 22 Sydney Harbours. The Diversion Dam and Lake Argyle provide the water supply for the Ord Irrigation scheme, a scheme of enormous agricultural potential. Today in the Valley the major crops are Sugar cane, Mangoes, a wide variety of melons, Sandlewood and seed crops.
The Lakes and waterways created by the completion of the two dams provide a wide range of leisure and recreational uses to locals and visitors alike from water skiing, fishing, canoeing and boating and also numerous tourist operators offer an extensive variety of tours, cruises and accommodation options. Try your luck at fishing, do a bit of "croc" spotting or simply let the world float by. The Kununurra Visitor Centre can advise on all there is to see and do while enjoying the lakes and rivers in the region.
