The council released an updated timeline for the lake at a media conference yesterday, with water just one part of the overall plan.

The timeline included:

* Spring 2008: Swans and water birds to return. Fairy grass controlled;

* Winter 2009: Dredging of the rowing course;

* Summer 2010: Rowing and canoeing. Fishing and power boats;

* Summer 2011: Recreational sailing returns;

* Autumn 2011: Local rowing regattas;

* Spring 2012: State level rowing, angling and yachting returns.

The council projects that 600 megalitres of water a year will be pumped into the lake via a pipeline from the North Ballarat Wastewater Treatment Plan and 250 megalitres from Paul's drain diversion starting in December.

The council plan also included changes to the shape of the lake with the extension of the foreshore in some areas and submerged islands or reed beds in the middle of the lake.

And the rowing course will be dredged to increase its depth from 1.7m to 2.2m allowing Ballarat to host national events.

Ballarat Mayor Stephen Jones said making changes to the lake was about planning for the future.

"I'd love to see it rain tomorrow and it be full tomorrow, but that's perhaps not going to happen," he said.

"This plan I suppose addresses that if we keep getting the rainfall that we've been getting for the last seven years or so this plan shows that we'll have a full lake by 2012."

The plans are expected to be the subject of a major public consultation process.

"We need to involve as much of the community as possible in considering those choices," City of Ballarat CEO Anthony Schinck said.

He said the lake was very much linked to the health and wellbeing of residents in the city.

"It's a very positive outlook (for the lake) but it will be a very gradual one between now and 2012."

He said the timeline was formulated using the latest rainfall and climate change data available and would be regularly updated.