Warrego River
| Warrego River | |
|---|---|
| Origin | in Carnarvon National Park, Queensland, east of Tambo |
| Mouth | confluence with the Darling River near Bourke |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Length | 900 km (559 mi) |
| Source elevation | 800m (2600 ft) at source |
| Avg. discharge | 2.5 m³/s (river usually dry) |
| Basin area | 69 290 km² |
The Warrego River is situated in South West Queensland and north west New South Wales, Australia. It is the northernmost tributary of the Darling River.[1]
The river briefly flows westwards from its source in the Carnarvon Range towards Tambo, but then turns to flow basically southwards from the Carnarvon Ranges in central Queensland through to its junction with the Darling River, downstream from Bourke. Tributaries of the Warrego River include the Nive and Langlo rivers.
The towns of Augathella, Charleville, Wyandra, and Cunnamulla are located on the banks of the river. Cunnamulla is the only town with a levee to protect it against flooding.[2]
Warrego is an Aboriginal word meaning "river of sand".[3] Two warships of the Royal Australian Navy have been named HMAS Warrego after the river.
Contents |
[edit] Inflows
Most of the basin of the Warrego is too dry for cropping and has a very erratic rainfall of between 350 and 500 millimetres (14 and 20 in). It is covered with a natural vegetation of grassland of more fertile clay soils, and saltbush shrubland on less fertile red earths. The predominant land use is low-intensity grazing of sheep and cattle: the river's flow is much too erratic to permit irrigated cropping. The Warrego is essentially an ephemeral stream: it is not unknown for years to pass without any flow in the basin and substantial amounts of water reach the Darling River only in wet years almost always associated with La Niña events.
[edit] Outflows
Below Wyandra the river forms a series of outflowing creeks and anabranches. During floods, the Widgeegoara, Kudnapper and Noorama Creeks allow water to channel into Nebine Creek, a tributary of the Culgoa River.[4] Cuttaburra Creek connects the Warrego to the Paroo River via a distribution system that flows through channels, floodways and wetlands.[4] The Irrara Creek anabranch flows into Kerribree Creek which continues into a number of wetlands before filling Utah Lake.[4]
[edit] Flooding
When La Niña does strike, flooding is usual along the Warrego: major floods associated with La Niña events occurred in 1950, 1954 to 1956, 1971, 1973, 1998 and 2008. Oddly, the most destructive flood ever recorded on the river took place in the absence of La Niña. In April 1990, as a result of two extremely strong trough in the easterlies, over 400 millimetres (16 in) of rain (more than the annual rainfall in over 60 percent of years) fell in Cunnamulla in two weeks. The river, along with most tributaries of the Darling, reached near-record levels and the towns of Augathella and Charleville were devastated. At Charleville a river height peak of 8.54 m was recorded.[2]
[edit] Fauna
The Warrego River is one of a few rivers where silver perch breed naturally.[1] Golden perch and murray cod are also found on the river. The 590 km2 Carnarvon Station, once a large cattle property at the rivers headwaters, was acquired by the Australian Bush Heritage Fund in 2001 to protect threatened species of birds and animals.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Harrison, Rod; Ernie James, Chris Sully, Bill Classon, Joy Eckermann (2008). Queensland Dams. Bayswater, Victoria: Australian Fishing Network. pp. 155–156. ISBN 9781865131344.
- ^ a b "Flood Warning System for the Warrego River". Bureau of Meteorology (Australia). http://www.bom.gov.au/hydro/flood/qld/brochures/warrego/warrego.shtml. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
- ^ Warrego River - Things To See and Do - Queensland Holidays
- ^ a b c "WISE Basins: Warrego River". National Parks and Wildlife Services. 5 June 2006. http://wiserivers.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/Multimedia/vBlob.jsp?id=668. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
