Balonne River
Template:Short description Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox river The Balonne River, part of the Murray-Darling Basin system, is a short yet significant part of the inland river group of South West Queensland, Australia.
Course and features
The river is a continuation of the Condamine River. After flowing through Surat the river flows south south-westerly down through the E.J. Beardmore Dam (Lake Kajarabie).<ref name=bonzle/> Passing through St George it continues in the same south-west direction, until about Template:Convert north of Dirranbandi, where it branches, with the western branch then being called the Culgoa River. The eastern branch continues on as the Balonne River through Dirranbandi. Shortly after flowing through Dirranbandi, the Balonne River again branches into the Bokhara River on the west side (the right side when going down stream) and the Narran River on the eastern (left) side.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> The Narran River flows into Narran Wetlands. The Bokhara River joins with the Barwon River west of Brewarrina. The confluence of the Culgoa River (a western branch of the Balonne River) and the Barwon River (which includes a former central branch of the Balonne) forms the start of the Darling River.
The Balonne-Condamine catchment area is Template:Convert, of which an area of Template:Convert is composed of riverine wetlands and Template:Convert is estuarine wetlands.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The five longest tributaries of the Balonne River are the Condamine River, the Maranoa River, Dogwood Creek, Yuleba Creek and Tartulla Creek. At St George, the river is crossed by the Andrew Nixon Bridge which carries the Balonne Highway.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Water storage
Template:Main E.J. Beardmore Dam was formed by the construction of a weir in 1972 at the junction of the Maranoa and Balonne Rivers.<ref name="qlddams">Template:Cite book</ref> When the dam is full the water backs up for Template:Convert along the Balonne. Downstream from Beardmore Dam is the Jack Taylor Weir, which was built in 1953.<ref name="qlddams"/> On the Balonne tributary, Dogwood Creek there is another weir, the Gill Weir, which can hold Template:Convert.
History
Major Thomas Mitchell crossed the Balonne River on St George's Day, 23 April 1846. Mitchell named the river after the Mandandanji word for water or running stream, balun or balonn or balonne.<ref name=QPN>Template:Cite QPN</ref>
Gallery
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E.J. Beardmore Dam viewed from the downstream side
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Irrigation channel for cotton fed from E.J. Beardmore Dam
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Jack Taylor Weir viewed from downstream side at St George, Queensland
See also
References
Template:Rivers of Queensland Template:Rivers of the Darling River catchment Template:Rivers of the Murray–Darling basin Template:Authority control