View source for Gordon River

{{Short description|River in Tasmania, Australia}}
{{About|the Gordon River in Tasmania|the river in Western Australia|Gordon River (Western Australia)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Gordon
| name_native        = 
| name_native_lang   = 
| name_other         = 
| name_etymology     = 
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = Gordon_river-hbm.jpg
| image_size         = 280
| image_caption      = A tour boat on the lower Gordon River
| map                = 
| map_size           = 280
| map_caption        = 
| pushpin_map        = Australia Tasmania
| pushpin_map_size   = 280
| pushpin_map_caption= Location of the Gordon River [[mouth (river)|mouth]] in [[Tasmania]]
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[Australia]]
| subdivision_type2  = State
| subdivision_name2  = [[Tasmania]]
| subdivision_type3  = Region
| subdivision_name3  = [[Central Highlands (Tasmania)|Central Highlands]], [[South West Tasmania|South-west]], [[Western Tasmania|Western]]
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
| subdivision_type5  = 
| subdivision_name5  = 
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length             = {{convert|172|km|mi|abbr=on}} 
| width_min          = 
| width_avg          = 
| width_max          = 
| depth_min          = 
| depth_avg          = 
| depth_max          = 
| discharge1_location= 
| discharge1_min     = 
| discharge1_avg     = 
| discharge1_max     = 
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = [[King William Range]]
| source1_location   = [[Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park]]
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|42|18|48|S|146|12|56|E|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation  = {{convert|570|m|abbr=on}}
| mouth              = [[Southern Ocean]]
| mouth_location     = Wrights Bay
| mouth_coordinates  = {{coord|42|25|57|S|145|30|25|E|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation    = {{convert|0|m|abbr=on}}
| progression        = 
| river_system       = 
| basin_size         = 
| tributaries_left   = [[Adams River (Tasmania)|Adams River]], [[Serpentine River (Tasmania)|Serpentine River]], [[Albert River (Tasmania)|Albert River]], [[Orange River (Tasmania)|Orange River]], [[Olga River (Tasmania)|Olga River]], [[Sprent River (Tasmania)|Sprent River]], [[Franklin River]]
| tributaries_right  = Gell River, Boyes River, Pokana River, Holley River, [[Smith River (Tasmania)|Smith River]], [[Denison River]], [[Spence River (Tasmania)|Spence River]]
| custom_label       = [[Reservoir]]
| custom_data        = [[Lake Gordon]]
| extra              = <ref name=bonzle>{{cite web |url=http://www.bonzle.com.au/c/a?a=p&p=210598&cmd=sp |title=Map of Gordon River, TAS |work=Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia |date=2015 |access-date=30 June 2015 }}</ref>
}}
The '''Gordon River''' is a major [[perennial river]] located in the [[Central Highlands (Tasmania)|central highlands]], [[South West Tasmania|south-west]], and [[Western Tasmania|western]] regions of [[Tasmania]], Australia.

==Course and features==
[[File:Gordon River.jpg|thumb|left|Reflections of the forest on the Gordon River.]][[File:GordonRiver1.JPG|thumb|left|The "weak tea" coloured water of the Gordon River.]]
The Gordon River rises below Mount Hobhouse in the [[Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park]] draining the eastern slopes of the [[King William Range]]. The river flows generally south and to the west of the Gordon Range before flowing west through the Gordon Gap and spilling into [[Lake Gordon]], an impounded [[reservoir]] created by damming the Gordon at the [[Gordon Dam]]. Together with water fed from [[Lake Pedder]], the principal purpose of the reservoir is for generation of [[hydro-electric]]ity at the [[Gordon Power Station, Tasmania|Gordon Power Station]].

Flowing from east to west through Lake Gordon, the river continues west, passing through the [[Gordon Splits]], a series of gorges once considered impassable until 1958 when [[Olegas Truchanas]], a conservationist and nature photographer, was the first person to navigate the Gordon River in a kayak.<ref>{{cite book |author=Angus, Max |editor=Laird, Norman |publication-date=1975 |title=The World of Olegas Truchanas |location=Hobart |publisher=Olegas Truchanas Publication Committee |isbn=0-9598212-0-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/worldofolegastru0000angu }}</ref> The river flows north by west and then due north and finally due west as it reaches its [[mouth (river)|mouth]] and empties into [[Macquarie Harbour]] at Wrights Bay.

From source to mouth, the river is joined by 25 tributaries including the [[Gell River|Gell]], [[Boyes River|Boyes]], [[Pokana River|Pokana]], [[Holley River|Holley]], [[Adams River (Tasmania)|Adams]], [[Serpentine River (Tasmania)|Serpentine]], [[Albert River (Tasmania)|Albert]], [[Orange River (Tasmania)|Orange]], [[Smith River (Tasmania)|Smith]], [[Denison River|Denison]], [[Olga River (Tasmania)|Olga]], [[Sprent River (Tasmania)|Sprent]], [[Franklin River|Franklin]], and the [[Spence River (Tasmania)|Spence]] rivers.

The river descends {{convert|570|m}} over its {{convert|172|km|adj=on}} [[Watercourse|course]];<ref name=bonzle/> much of which is located in an uninhabited wilderness area, contained with the [[Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park]] and [[Southwest National Park]]. The lower part of the Gordon River is part of the [[Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area]] and contains a cold-climate rainforest and rare trees. As with many rivers in western Tasmania, the water is fresh and drinkable, yet has the colour of weak tea due to the absorption of tannin from [[Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus|button grass]] growing in the catchment area.

Additional dams were proposed for the lower part of the river. However, these plans were changed as a result of significant opposition and public opinion. In particular, the [[Franklin Dam]] was proposed just downstream of the junction with the [[Franklin River]], and would have flooded much of both rivers. It was a major political and environmental issue in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite book |author-link=Richard Flanagan |author=Flanagan, Richard |date=1985 |title=A terrible beauty: history of the Gordon River country |location=Richmond, Vic. |publisher=Greenhouse |isbn=0-86436-001-0 }}</ref>

Boat excursions to the lower Gordon River from Macquarie Harbour are popular with tourists in [[Strahan, Tasmania|Strahan]]. Seaplane flights depart Strahan during the warmer months and include an out landing on the Gordon River (usually a duration of one hour).

==See also==
{{stack|{{Portal|Australia|Environment|Water}}}}
* ''[[Commonwealth v Tasmania]]''
* [[King River (Tasmania)|King River]]
*{{Section link|List of rivers of Australia|Tasmania}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |editor1=Gee, H. |editor2=Fenton, J. |publication-date=1978 |title=[[The South West Book]] - A Tasmanian Wilderness |location=Melbourne |publisher=[[Australian Conservation Foundation]] |isbn=0-85802-054-8}}
*{{cite book |author1=Kerr, Garry |author2=McDermott, Hary |date=2000 |title=The Huon Pine Story (The History of Harvest and Use of a unique Timber |location=Portland, Victoria |publisher=Mainsail Books |isbn=0-9577917-0-4 }}
*{{cite book |author=Lines, William J. |publication-date=2006 |title=Patriots : defending Australia's natural heritage |location=St. Lucia, Qld. |publisher=[[University of Queensland]] Press |isbn=0-7022-3554-7 }}
*{{cite book |author=Neilson, D. |publication-date=1975 |title=South West Tasmania - A land of the Wild |location=Adelaide |publisher=Rigby |isbn=0-85179-874-8 }}

{{GordonPowerDevelopment |state=autocollapse}}
{{Rivers of Tasmania |state=autocollapse}}
{{Western Tasmania |state=autocollapse}}
{{SouthWestTasmania |state=autocollapse}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Macquarie Harbour]]
[[Category:Gordon River, Tasmania]]
[[Category:Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park]]
[[Category:Gordon River power development scheme]]