The introduction of public paddle craft for the first time on Lake Samsonvale has seen visitor numbers at almost double over summer.

According to data compiled by Seqwater more than 105,000 people visited the lake over the 2018-19 summer, an increase of almost 50,000 on the previous year.

Lake Samsonvale was the region’s third most visited lake behind Lakes Wivenhoe and Somerset.

A new designated paddle craft zone on Lake Samsonvale was opened for the first-time last December.

The new facility is giving the community water access to one of our region’s most beautiful lakes for the first time, with plenty of paddlers taking full advantage of the new recreation opportunity

The decision to open up the lake followed an extensive water quality assessment by Seqwater. 

Wivenhoe and Somerset were again Seqwater’s top drawcards attracting about 127,000 and 118,000 visitors respectively over the summer.

Seqwater Chief Executive Officer, Neil Brennan, Seqwater was committed to balancing the requirements of providing the region’s bulk drinking water while offering some of the most enjoyable and diverse recreation experiences.

“Improving recreation opportunities is an important part of our service to South East Queensland and we are always working to make these facilities safer and more accessible for visitors to enjoy,” Mr Brennan said.

Visitors to SEQ lakes are encouraged to go to www.seqwater.com.au or download the Seqwater app to check the latest recreation and safety notices.