Lachlan River

Coordinates: 34°22′S 143°47′E / 34.367°S 143.783°E / -34.367; 143.783
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Lachlan
Deadmans Creek, Boorungullen Chain, Mutbilly Creek
Booligal, Oxley
Physical characteristics
SourceGreat Dividing Range
Source confluenceHannans Creek and Mutmutbilly Creek
 • locationeast of Gunning
 • coordinates34°46′58″S 149°32′7″E / 34.78278°S 149.53528°E / -34.78278; 149.53528
 • elevation699 m (2,293 ft)
MouthMurrumbidgee River
 • location
near Oxley
 • coordinates
34°22′S 143°47′E / 34.367°S 143.783°E / -34.367; 143.783
 • elevation
68 m (223 ft)
Length1,440 km (890 mi)
Basin size84,700 km2 (32,700 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average49 m3/s (1,700 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River systemMurrumbidgee catchment,
Murray–Darling basin
Tributaries 
 • leftBoorowa River
 • rightCrookwell River, Abercrombie River, Belubula River
DamsWyangala Dam, Brewster Weir
[3][4]

The Lachlan River (Wiradjuri: Kalari, Galiyarr) is an intermittent river that is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, located in the Southern Tablelands, Central West, and Riverina regions of New South Wales, Australia.

The Lachlan River is connected to the Murray–Darling basin only when both the Lachlan and Murrumbidgee Rivers are in flood. It is the only river in New South Wales with significant wetlands along its length, rather than just towards its end, including Lake Cowal-Wilbertroy, Lake Cargelligo and Lake Brewster, and nine wetlands of national significance.[2]

Course

The river rises on the western slopes of the

course.[1][3]

The Lachlan River at Oxley

The river is impounded by

Booligal, and Oxley
.

The annual flow of the Lachlan is erratic. Annual flows have ranged from less than 1,000 megalitres (35×10^6 cu ft) in 1944 to as much as 10,900 megalitres (380×10^6 cu ft) in 1950. In dry years, the Lachlan can have periods of zero flow of over a year (for example from April 1944 to April 1945), which is a complete contrast to the Murray and Murrumbidgee which have not been known to cease to flow since European settlement. The river has flooded every seven years since 1887 at Forbes.[5]

The social-ecological systems of the Lachlan River and its catchment include its upper tablelands, mixed farming slopes, through to plains, rangelands, and then lower floodplains.[6] More than 100,000 people live in the Lachlan catchment. It is estimated that 12% of the state's agricultural businesses are located from within the Lachlan River catchment.[2]

History

The Lachlan River is located in the traditional homelands of the Wiradjuri Aboriginal people.[7] The Wiradjuri lived along the Macquarie, Lachlan and Murrumbidgee Rivers,[8] in the area known as "the land of the three rivers".[9]

Acting-Surveyor

George William Evans visited the river in 1815, naming it the Lachlan River after Lachlan Macquarie, the governor of the colony of New South Wales. The Lachlan River was substantially explored by John Oxley in 1817.[10]
In the early days of colonial New South Wales, the southern part of the Lachlan was known as Fish River. It was only after further exploration that it was realised that these two rivers were the same river and the name Fish River was dropped.

The explorer and naturalist, James H B Shaw, was one of the first Europeans to write about the birds and habitat along the Lachlan River. His article appeared in the Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 – 1907), Saturday 7 March 1885, page 28, 29 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71024608

Flooding

In 1870 the river peaked at 15.9 metres (52 ft) at Cowra.

Eugowra/Trundle area and most of Eugowra's 400 residents were evacuated and some residents from Trundle.[13] Other significant years of floods were: 1891, 1916, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1974, 1976, 1993, 1998,[14] 2012, 2016 and 2021.[15]

In literature

The Lachlan River is mentioned in the Banjo Paterson poem Clancy of the Overflow as well as the folk song Streets of Forbes.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Lachlan River". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 February 2013. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ a b c "Lachlan (Kalari*) Catchment Action Plan, 2013-2023" (PDF). Lachlan Catchment Management Authority. Government of New South Wales. 1 February 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Map of Lachlan River". Bonzle.com. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  4. ^ "Our partners: local government". Lachlan Catchment Management Authority. Government of New South Wales. 2013. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  5. ^
    Forbes Shire Council. 2007. Archived from the original
    on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2007.
  6. ^ "Catchment landscapes". Lachlan Catchment Management Authority. Government of New South Wales. 2013. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  7. ^ "Landcare in the Lachlan Catchment". Landcare. 2005. Archived from the original on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2007.
  8. OCLC 62515595
    .
  9. ^ Mary Coe, in her book Windradyne: A Wiradjuri Koori quoted at page 4 in Patrick, Kathy; Samantha Simmons (1994). "Australian Museum's Aboriginal Collections: Wiradjuri" (PDF). Australian Museum. Archived from the original (pdf: 39 pages) on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2007.
  10. ^ Reed, A. W (1969). Place-names of New South Wales: Their Origins and Meanings. Reed.
  11. ^ "New South Wales State Flood Plan" (PDF). Sub plan of the State Disaster Plan. State Emergency Management Committee. 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2007.
  12. ^ "Central-Western NSW: Flood". EMA disasters database. Emergency Management Australia. Retrieved 18 September 2007.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "Widespread NSW: Flash Floods". EMA disasters database. Emergency Management Australia. Retrieved 18 September 2007.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "Flood risk in NSW". Floodplains. NSW Department of Natural resources. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2007.
  15. ^ "Lachlan river flooding at Forbes, evacuation order possible". ABC News. 14 November 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lachlan_River&oldid=1157948809"