Macquarie River

Catchment area of ​​the Macquarie River

Macquarie River under the Evans Bridge in Bathurst

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

The Macquarie River is a major river in the middle of the Australian state of New South Wales. Its source lies in the Central Highlands of New South Wales near Oberon. From there, the river flows northwest through the towns of Bathurst, Wellington, Dubbo, Narromine, and Warren to the Macquarie Marshes. The Macquarie Marshes dismissed her water then west of Walgett in the lower Barwon River, a source flow of the Darling River.

The Lake Burrendong is a large reservoir ( 1.19 km ³ with content ) near Wellington, which receives the waters of the Macquarie River and its tributaries Cudgegong River and Turon River to protect the area below from flooding and to irrigate.

  • 4.1 Before European immigration
  • 4.2 European immigration

Geography

The Macquarie River is 793 km long and drops from its source to its mouth 517 m. The Lake Burrendong ( 346 m above sea level) is the only reservoir along its course.

Source

The Macquarie River rises near White Rock near Oberon in 671 m height.

Tributaries

The following rivers and streams flow into the Macquarie River ( with mouth height):

  • Fish River - 670 m
  • Winburndale Rivulet - 484 m
  • Turon River - 406 m
  • Tambaroora Creek - 398 m
  • Pyramul Creek - 360 m
  • Curragurra Creek - 351 m
  • Cudgegong River - 342 m
  • Triamble Creek - 342 m
  • Wuuluman Creek - 302 m
  • Bell River - 285 m
  • Little River - 271 m
  • Wambangalong Creek - 265 m
  • Cumboogle Creek - 263 m
  • Talbragar River - 257 m
  • Mogriguy Creek - 257 m
  • Whylandra Creek - 255 m
  • Coolbaggie Creek - 246 m
  • Hum Agen Creek - 239 m
  • Gin Gin Creek - 217 m
  • Greenhide Creek - 209 m
  • Bulla Bulla Creek - 202 m
  • Five Mile Cowal - 187 m
  • Marebone Break - 184 m
  • Oxley Break - 171 m
  • Bulgeraga Creek - 147 m
  • Bora Channel - 138 m
  • Marthaguy Creek - 124 m
  • Castlereagh River - 121 m

River crossings

  • Old Rail Bridge - Bathurst ( decommissioned)
  • New Rail Bridge - Bathurst
  • Evans Bridge - Bathurst
  • Denison Bridge - Bathurst (built 1869-1870 ). It replaced a bridge on the same site, which was washed away during a flood in 1867
  • Rawsonville Bridge - Dubbo wood truss bridge from the Dare- type, built in 1916
  • Scabbing Flat Bridge - wood truss bridge from the Dare- type, Built in 1911
  • Dundullimal Rail Bridge

Catchment area

The catchment area of ​​the Macquarie River is 74,000 km ². About 72 % of the country is flat, 17% wavy or undulating. The rest is steep to mountainous and rises slowly to heights of over 900 m. In the east, the Great Dividing Range forms the boundary of Oberon in the south to Coolah in the north. A clearly defined chain of hills stretching over 400 km north- west of the Great Dividing Range, then the boundary turns north.

From Bathurst on the upper reaches of the river flows through the following geographical areas:

  • , surrounded on all sides by the planes of Bathurst, undulating country of about 700 m height of a higher plateau. This includes an extensive flood plain to Bathurst.
  • On the plateau of Hill End over, where the Turon River discharges. The river drains a plateau that extends from near Portland as far as Sofala. It rises to about 1000 m in the south and about 700 m in the north and consists mainly of rugged slopes.
  • Burrendong Dam. Here opens a the Cudgegong River, which rises near Rylstone at an altitude of about 700 m.
  • By Wellington and Dubbo. Here flow to the Bell River and the Little River. The Bell River rises on the undulating plateau of Orange with a height of about 900 m, the highest point of the extinct volcano Mount Canobolas at 1400 m. Between Wellington and Dubbo are extensive flat zones show.
  • North of Dubbo opens the Talbragar River, the main tributary of the agent run, a. This river rises in the mountains at the interface of the Great Dividing Range and Warrumbungle Range. The land that the Talbragar River flows through is far and flat and is surrounded by hills that flatten when the valley Dubbo achieved.
  • North of Dubbo Macquarie River flows northwest through flat land after Narromine and Warren. A complex system of flood channels connecting it to the Bogan River and the Darling River.
  • The Macquarie Marshes, a large wetland, located at the end of the flow channel. In Carinda the Marthaguy Creek flows and drains an area of 6500 km ². At high water it forms an overflow for the Macquarie River and the Castlereagh River.

The rains vary over the catchment area of ​​the Macquarie River, where the peaks and plateaus gotten higher rainfall because of the shading of the surrounding mountains. The Great Dividing Range receives 750-900 mm of rain, which is distributed relatively evenly throughout the year on an average. Where Einschartungen in the Great Dividing Range moist easterly winds can continue to flow into the country, the annual rainfall is 750 mm and more to the west. Further to the north west in the middle reaches of the river and around Castlereagh, only approx 300-400 mm of rain per year.

The rains may differ significantly from year to year. It may fall twice or even less than half of the usual annual rainfall more. The evaporation varies from 1000 mm south-east of Bathurst to over 2000 mm in Bourke.

Statistics

History

Before European immigration

The Wiradjuri were the first inhabitants in the catchment area of ​​the Macquarie River. They called the river Wambool. The famous Wiradjuri warrior Windradyne came from the upper reaches of the Macquarie River and in 1829 became mortally wounded by a tribal battle on the river.

In Carinda between the Macquarie River and the Marra Creek was found on an old lake, which was known as Cuddie Springs, the oldest evidence of the world on the baking of bread ( about 30,000 years old ).

European immigration

The upper reaches of the Macquarie River was first sighted by Europeans in 1813 and was named after the then Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie, named. 1813 George Evans wrote in his diary:

Tuesday, November 30, 1813: I have finally after a march of two miles reached the hills, which I so desperately wanted to achieve, and had a wide view to the north. Mist rose from an area about 20 miles away to, which I think is a river or a large lagoon. Thursday, December 9, 1813: I called the main stream " Macquarie River"

Irrigation

The catchment area of ​​the Macquarie River is a regulated Water Management Area and includes both private and public irrigation systems:

  • Narromine - Trangie
  • Buddah Lakes
  • Tenandra
  • Trangie - Nevertire
  • Nevertire
  • Marthaguy

Floods

At Macquarie River floods frequently occur; some important are listed below. After heavy floods water can run into the Barwon -Darling River system above Brewarrina on the Macquarie Marshes:

Recreation and Leisure

Recreational activities are the total river along, especially in the cities on its banks:

  • Fishing - The following freshwater fish are found in the Macquarie River: brown trout, carp, catfish, cod perch Macquaria ambigua (german golden perch ), Maccullochella peelii ( Murray cod) and Maccullochella macquariensis ( trout cod), rainbow trout, perch, Tiger fish Bidyanus bidyanus ( silver perch ) and large crabs ( Parastacidae ).
  • Lake Burrendong - a large reservoir, which is very popular for water skiing, jet skiing, sailing and boating with boaters.
  • Parks - Bathurst is situated on the banks of the Bi - Centennial Park, where you have a picnic, cycling or can participate in events.
538238
de