Murrumbidgee River

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox river

The Murrumbidgee River (Template:IPAc-en<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>) is a major tributary of the Murray River within the Murray–Darling basin and the second longest river in Australia. It flows through the Australian state of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, descending Template:Convert over Template:Convert,<ref name=GA/> generally in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains towards its confluence with the Murray River near Boundary Bend.

The word Murrumbidgee or Marrambidya means "big water" in the Wiradjuri language, one of the local Australian Aboriginal languages.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=gnbriver>Template:NSW GNR</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The river itself flows through several traditional Aboriginal Australian lands, home to various Aboriginal peoples. In the Australian Capital Territory, the river is bordered by a narrow strip of land on each side; these are managed as the Murrumbidgee River Corridor (MRC).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This land includes many nature reserves, eight recreation reserves, a European heritage conservation zone and rural leases.

Flow

The mainstream of the river system flows for Template:Convert.<ref name="NSWDeptEnvAndCnsrvtn">Template:Cite web</ref> The river's headwaters arise from the wet heath and bog at the foot of Peppercorn Hill situated along Long Plain which is within the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains; and about Template:Convert north of Kiandra. From its headwaters it flows to its confluence with the Murray River. The river flows for Template:Convert through the Australian Capital Territory near Canberra,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> picking up the important tributaries of the Gudgenby, Queanbeyan, Molonglo and Cotter Rivers. The Murrumbidgee drains much of southern New South Wales and all of the Australian Capital Territory, and is an important source of irrigation water for the Riverina farming area.

The reaches of the Murrumbidgee in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) are affected by the complete elimination of large spring snowmelt flows and a reduction of average annual flows of almost 50%, due to Tantangara Dam.<ref name="eflow panel 1997">Template:Cite report</ref> Tantangara Dam was completed in 1960 on the headwaters of Murrumbidgee River and diverted approximately 99% of the river's flow at that point into Lake Eucumbene.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">"eflow panel 1997"</ref> This has extremely serious effects on native fish populations and other native aquatic life and has led to serious siltation, stream contraction, fish habitat loss, and other problems. The Murrumbidgee where it enters the ACT is effectively half the river it used to be.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The reduced and significantly modified flow of the river is further exacerbated by dams on its tributaries, such as Scrivener Dam, Cotter Dam, and Googong Dam.

A study suggests a section of the upper river's channels are relatively new in geological terms, dating from the early Miocene (the Miocene era being from 23 to 5 million years ago). It is suggested that the Upper Murrumbidgee is an anabranch of the Tumut River (that once continued north along Mutta Mutta Creek) when geological uplift near Adaminaby diverted its flow. From Gundagai onwards the rivers flow within its ancestral channel.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

In June 2008 the Murray-Darling Basin Commission released a report on the condition of the Murray–Darling basin, with the Goulburn and Murrumbidgee Rivers rated in a very poor condition in the Murray-Darling basin with fish stocks in both rivers were also rated as extremely poor, with only 13 of the original 22 native fish species still found in the Murrumbidgee River.<ref>Template:Cite conference</ref>

History

The Murrumbidgee River runs through the traditional lands of the Ngarigo, Ngunnawal, Wiradjuri, Nari Nari and Muthi Muthi Aboriginal peoples.Template:Citation needed

Exploration

The Murrumbidgee River was known to Europeans before they first recorded it.  In 1820 the explorer Charles Throsby informed the Governor of New South Wales that he anticipated finding "a considerable river of salt water (except at very wet seasons), called by the natives Mur-rum-big-gee". In the expedition journal, Throsby wrote as a marginal note: "This river or stream is called by the natives Yeal-am-bid-gie ...".<ref>Official Year Book of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1931 (ABS cat. no. 1301.0)</ref> The river he had stumbled upon was in fact the Molonglo River, Throsby reached the actual river in April 1821.<ref>Reed, A. W., Place-names of New South Wales: Their Origins and Meanings, (Reed: 1969).</ref>

In 1823, Brigade-Major John Ovens and Captain Mark Currie reached the upper Murrumbidgee when exploring south of Lake George.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1829, Charles Sturt and his party rowed down the lower half of the Murrumbidgee River in a stoutly built, large row-boat, from Narrandera to the Murray River, and then down the Murray River to the sea. They rowed back upstream, against the current to their starting point.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Sturt's description of their passage through the junction of the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers is dramatic. His description of wild strong currents in the Murrumbidgee—in the middle of summer (14 January 1830), when flows are declining and close to the seasonal summer/autumn minimum, is in contrast to the reduced flow seen at the junction today in mid-summer:

The men looked anxiously out ahead; for the singular change in the river had impressed on them an idea, that we were approaching its termination ... We were carried at a fearful rate down its gloomy and contracted banks ... At 3 p.m., Hopkinson called out that we were approaching a junction, and in less than a minute afterwards, we were hurried into a broad and noble river ... such was the force with which we had been shot out of the Morumbidgee, that we were carried nearly to the bank opposite its embouchure, whilst we continued to gaze in silent astonishment on the capacious channel [of the Murray River] we had entered ...

The Murrumbidgee basin was opened to settlement in the 1830s and soon became an important farming area.

File:Charles Sturt Monument.jpg
Charles Sturt Monument located at Wagga Beach in Wagga Wagga

Ernest Favenc, when writing on Australian exploration, commented on the relatively tardy European discovery of the river and that the river retained a name used by Indigenous Australians:

Here we may remark on the tenacity with which the Murrumbidgee River long eluded the eye of the white man. It is scarcely probable that Meehan and Hume, who on this occasion were within comparatively easy reach of the head waters, could have seen a new inland river at that time without mentioning the fact, but there is no record traceable anywhere as to the date of its discovery, or the name of its finder. When in 1823 Captain Currie and Major Ovens were led along its bank on to the beautiful Maneroo country by Joseph Wild, the stream was then familiar to the early settlers and called the Morumbidgee. Even in 1821, when Hume found the Yass Plains, almost on its bank, he makes no special mention of the river. From all this we may deduce the extremely probable fact that the position of the river was shown to some stockrider by a native, who also confided the aboriginal name, and so it gradually worked the knowledge of its identity into general belief. This theory is the more feasible as the river has retained its native name. If a white man of any known position had made the discovery, it would at once have received the name of some person holding official sway.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The river was once used as a transport route, with paddle steamers navigating the river as far as Gundagai. The river trade declined with the coming of the railways. Paddle steamers last used the Murrumbidgee in the 1930s. To allow the steamers and towed barges to pass, there were opening bridges at Hay, Balranald, and Carathool<ref>New bridges Main Roads September 1979 pages 3-5</ref><ref name=":0">Bascule and Swing Span Bridges – Movable Span Bridge Study GHD Group pages 144, 147-149</ref>

Floods

File:Murrumbidgee River in major flood and historic maker showing the '74 flood 1.jpg
Murrumbidgee River in major flood in December 2010 and flood marker showing the height of the 1974 floods in Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga in major flood in March 2012

The river has risen above Template:Convert at Gundagai nine times between 1852 and 2010, an average of just under once every eleven years. Since 1925, flooding has been minor with the exception of floods in 1974 and in December 2010, when the river rose to Template:Convert at Gundagai.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the 1852 disaster, the river rose to just over Template:Convert. The following year the river again rose to just over Template:Convert. The construction of Burrinjuck Dam from 1907 has significantly reduced flooding but, despite the dam, there were major floods in 1925, 1950, 1974 and 2012.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="WWCC">Template:Cite web</ref>

The most notable flood was in 1852 when the town of Gundagai was swept away and 89 people, a third of the town's population, were killed. The town was rebuilt on higher ground.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1925, four people died and the flooding lasted for eight days.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Australian Government Emergency Management database Template:Webarchive</ref>

The reduction in floods has consequences for wildlife, particularly birds and trees. There has been a decline in bird populations and black box flood plain eucalypt forest trees are startingTemplate:When to lose their crowns.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Major flooding occurred during March 2012 along the Murrumbidgee River including Wagga Wagga, where the river peaked at Template:Convert on 6 March 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This peak was Template:Convert below the 1974 flood level of Template:Convert.<ref name="WWCC"/>

Wetlands

Major wetlands along the Murrumbidgee or associated with the Murrumbidgee catchment include:<ref>NSW Department of Natural Resources Murrumbidgee Region Template:Webarchive</ref>

Tributaries

Template:Main Template:GeoGroup

Bridge over the Murrumbidgee at Carrathool.
File:HayMurrumbidgeeRiver.JPG
Swimming hole on the Murrumbidgee at Hay
File:Tuggeranong Murrumbidgee.jpg
Aerial photo of Tuggeranong Town Centre, with Murrumbidgee River behind, Bullen Range is behind and Tidbinbilla Tracking Station is visible too.

The Murrumbidgee River has about 90 named tributaries in total; 24 rivers, and numerous creeks and gullies. The ordering of the basin, from source to mouth, of the major tributaries is:

Rivers of the Murrumbidgee River basin
Catchment river Elevation at
confluence<ref name=bonzleRC>Template:Cite web</ref>		 River mouth Coordinates<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> River length<ref name=bonzleRC/>
Tributary
Tributary
Tributary
Murrumbidgee River Template:Convert Murray Template:Coord ~Template:Convert
Numeralla River Template:Convert Murrumbidgee Template:Coord Template:Convert
Kybeyan River Template:Convert Numeralla Template:Coord Template:Convert
Big Badja River Template:Convert Numeralla Template:Coord Template:Convert
Bredbo River Murrumbidgee
Strike-a-Light River Bredbo
Gudgenby River Murrumbidgee
Naas River Gudgenby
Orroral River Gudgenby
Cotter River Murrumbidgee
Paddys River Cotter
Tidbinbilla River Paddys
Gibraltar Creek Paddys
Molonglo River Murrumbidgee
Jerrabomberra Creek Molonglo
Sullivans Creek Molonglo
Queanbeyan River Molonglo
Goodradigbee River Template:Convert Murrumbidgee Template:Coord Template:Convert
Yass River Template:Convert Murrumbidgee Template:Coord Template:Convert
Tumut River Template:Convert Murrumbidgee Template:Coord Template:Convert
Goobarragandra River Template:Convert Tumut Template:Coord Template:Convert
Doubtful Creek Template:Convert Tumut Template:Coord Template:Convert
Lachlan River Template:Convert Murrumbidgee Template:Coord ~Template:Convert
Crookwell River Template:Convert Lachlan Template:Coord Template:Convert
Abercrombie River Template:Convert Lachlan Template:Coord Template:Convert
Bolong River Template:Convert Abercrombie Template:Coord Template:Convert
Isabella River Template:Convert Abercrombie Template:Coord Template:Convert
Boorowa River Template:Convert Lachlan Template:Coord Template:Convert
Belubula River Template:Convert Lachlan Template:Coord Template:Convert

Population centres

River crossings

The list below notes past and present bridges that cross over the Murrumbidgee River. There were numerous other crossings before the bridges were constructed and many of these still exist today.

Downstream from Wagga Wagga

Crossing Image Coordinates Built Location Description Notes
Balranald Bridge File:Balranald Bridge 005.JPG Template:Coord 1973 Balranald Sturt Highway
Matthews Bridge File:Matthews Bridge at Maude.JPG Template:Coord 1957 Maude Work started on

a replacement for

this bridge in 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Hay Bridge File:HayMurrumbidgeeRiverBridge.JPG Template:Coord 1973 Hay Cobb Highway
Carrathool Bridge File:CarrathoolBridge004.JPG Template:Coord 1924 Carrathool
Darlington Point Bridge File:DarlingtonPointBridge.JPG Template:Coord 1979 Darlington Point Kidman Way
Euroley Bridge Template:Coord 2003 Yanco
Narrandera Rail Bridge File:Murrumbidgee River railway bridge, Narrandera.jpg Template:Coord 1885 Narrandera Tocumwal railway line Not in use<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Narrandera Bridge File:NarranderaMurrumbidgeeBridge.JPG Template:Coord Newell Highway
Collingullie Bridge File:BridgeOverMurrumbidgeeRiverNearCollingullie.jpg Template:Coord Collingullie

Wagga Wagga to Burrinjuck

Template:GeoGroup

Crossing Image Coordinates Built Location Description Notes
Gobbagombalin Bridge File:Aerial view of the northern end of the Gobbagombalin Bridge (2).jpg 1997 Wagga Wagga Olympic Highway <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Wiradjuri Bridge File:Aerial view of the Wiradjuri Bridge over the Murrumbidgee River.jpg 1995 Hampden Avenue, replaced the Hampden Bridge
Hampden Bridge File:Hampden bridge-wagga1.jpg 1895 Demolished in 2014 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Murrumbidgee River
Rail Bridge		 File:Aerial view of the Murrumbidgee River Railway Bridge in Wagga Wagga.jpg 2006 Main Southern railway line. Replaced the previous bridge built in 1881
Eunony Bridge File:Aerial view of the Eunony Bridge over the Murrumbidgee River, post redevelopment works (2).jpg 1975

and

2020

Eunony Bridge Road, top bridge decking replaced in 2020 with the original pylons
Low Bridge File:Mundarlo - Murrumbidgee River Crossing.jpg Template:Coord Mundarlo
Sheahan Bridge File:Aerial view of Sheahan Bridge.jpg Template:Coord 1977

and

2009

Gundagai The bridge was duplicated in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Photograph shows Hume Highway; looking south from Gundagai, bridge in mid distance.
Gundagai Rail Bridge File:Aerial view of the Murrumbidgee River Railway Bridge and Prince Alfred Bridge.jpg Template:Coord 1902 Tumut railway line, now disused
Prince Alfred Bridge File:Prince Alfred Bridge over the Murrumbidgee River in Gundagai.jpg Template:Coord 1867 Prince Alfred Road, former Hume Highway. Main iron spans at southern end still in use for local traffic. Northern wooden spans now disused and in dilapidated condition.
Gobarralong Bridge File:Gobarralong Bridge, Murrumbidgee River, New South Wales.JPG Template:Coord Gobarralong
Jugiong Bridge File:Murrumbidgee River at Jugiong, NSW, Australia (Bundarbo Road Bridge).JPG Template:Coord Jugiong

Upstream from Burrinjuck

Crossing Image Coordinates Location Description Notes
Taemas Bridge File:Taemas Bridge, NSW, approach from the south.jpg Template:Coord Wee Jasper 1930
Uriarra Crossing File:Uriarra Crossing, ACT.JPG Template:Coord Uriarra
Cotter Road bridge File:MurrumbidgeeCotter junction.jpg Template:Coord Australian Capital Territory Cotter Road, near the confluence with the Cotter River
Point Hut crossing File:Point Hut Crossing, ACT.JPG Template:Coord Gordon
Tharwa Bridge File:Tharwa bridge.JPG Template:Coord Tharwa 1895
Angle Crossing File:Angle Crossing on Murrumbidgee River, ACT.jpg Template:Coord Williamsdale Angle Crossing Road, a ford
Bumbalong Bridge File:Bumbalong bridge across Murrumbidgee (Nov.2020).jpg Template:Coord Colinton Little known and little used, low-level bridge that links the otherwise isolated locality of Bumbalong to the locality of Colinton. Bumbalong Road connects the local road from the bridge to the Monaro Highway at Colinton.
Billilingra Bridge File:Bridge across Murrumbidgee River, Billilingra Road, Billingra, NSW.JPG Template:Coord Billilingra
Binjura Bridge File:Bridge across Murrumbidgee River, Mittagang Road, near Cooma, NSW.jpg Template:Coord Binjura
Bolaro Bridge File:Bridge across Murrumbidgee River, Bolaro, New South Wales.JPG Template:Coord Bolaro
Yaouk Bridge File:Murrumbidgee River at Yaouk, NSW, Australia.JPG Template:Coord Yaouk
Tantangara Bridge File:Bridge across the Murrumbidgee River, Tantangara, NSW.JPG Template:Coord Tantangara Tantangara Road, immediately downstream from the Tantangara Reservoir wall
Tantangara Dam File:Tantangara Dam, on Murrumbidgee River, NSW.JPG Template:Coord Tantangara Tantangara Reservoir was constructed between 1958 and 1960. No public access to the dam to cross the river.
Long Plain Bridge File:Murrumbidgee River crossing, Long Plain Road, New South Wales.JPG Long Plain

Images

Distances along the river

See also

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References

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Template:Rivers of the Murrumbidgee River catchment Template:Rivers of New South Wales Template:Rivers of the Australian Capital Territory Template:Rivers of the Murray–Darling basin Template:Authority control

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