Lake Burbury is a man-made water reservoir created by the Crotty Dam inundating the upper King River valley that lies east of the West Coast Range.

Discharge from the reservoir feeds the John Butters Hydroelectric Power Station, owned and operated by Hydro Tasmania.

There are design features in the Crotty Dam to lower the surface level rapidly in the event of severe floodwaters.

The dam inundated the historical sites of the Darwin and Crotty – as well as the bridge of the North Mount Lyell Railway over the King River which was not salvaged before the flooding.

Crotty Dam and Lake Burbury have been identified as "indicative places" on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate.