Lake Keepit reaches 71.6 per cent for first time since 2018 as tourist numbers and wildlife thrive

A rare white kangaroo bounds across the green foreshore, pelicans dip their long beaks into the cool water to scoop up fresh fish, and water skiers cruise by.

It's a "picturesque" scene that Lake Keepit local Chris MacAlpine feels lucky to see every day at work, at Reflections Lake Keepit.

But barely a year ago, people were confronted with sun-baked earth and dying grass when they looked out at a dry Keepit Dam.

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The water level has surged to 71.6 per cent and will continue to rise as rain runoff and and melted snow flows downstream and into the dam.

It's the first time in more than four years the source has been that full, after it dropped to less than one per cent in 2019.

"Seeing the change in the volume of the dam, and where the foreshore was compared to where it is now, has been magic," Mr MacAlpine told the Leader.

"It was really confronting to see ... until you see it pretty much gone you don't realise how important it is."

Mr MacAlpine said the holiday park had been welcoming both new and regular visitors in high numbers, but it wasn't just the humans keen to see Keepit bouncing back to life.

He said there's a plethora of bird life, mobs of friendly kangaroos and hundreds of thousands of freshly released fingerling fish.

There's a regular group of pelicans and a special white kangaroo - which the park is searching for a name for.

After losing trees and lawns during the drought, there's also more greenery around.

"COVID had us all a bit worried, but it's really been a blessing for the inland parks with people exploring their own backyards," Mr MacAlpine said.

In the last three days alone, 10,771ML of water - 4308 olympic swimming pools' worth - has flowed into Keepit Dam.

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