View source for Murray River

{{short description|Longest river in Australia}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Murray River
| native_name_lang = 
| name_other = River Murray<br/>Millewa / Dhungala (Tongala)
| name_etymology = <!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image = Map of the Murray River, south-eastern Australia.tif
| image_size = 400
| image_caption = The course of the Murray River
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-zoom = 4
| map_size = 
| map_caption = 
| pushpin_map = 
| pushpin_map_size = 
| pushpin_map_caption = <!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = Australia
| subdivision_type2 = State
| subdivision_name2 = [[New South Wales]], [[South Australia]] and [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]]
| subdivision_type3 = 
| subdivision_name3 = 
| subdivision_type4 = 
| subdivision_name4 = 
| subdivision_type5 = Cities
| subdivision_name5 = [[Albury]], [[Wodonga]], [[Echuca]], [[Swan Hill]], [[Mildura]], [[Renmark, South Australia|Renmark]], [[Murray Bridge, South Australia|Murray Bridge]]
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length= {{cvt|2,508|km|mi|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/education/geoscience-basics/landforms/longest-rivers.html|title=(Australia's) Longest Rivers|publisher=[[Geoscience Australia]]|date=10 December 2013|access-date=10 December 2013}}</ref>
| width_min = 
| width_avg = 
| width_max = 
| depth_min = 
| depth_avg = 
| depth_max =
| discharge2_location=[[Wentworth, New South Wales|Wentworth]]
| discharge2_avg=(Period: 1971–2000){{cvt|377.6|m3/s|GL/year|abbr=on}}<ref name="Rivers Network-Murray-Darling"/>
| discharge3_location=[[Euston, New South Wales|Euston]]
| discharge3_avg=(Period: 1971–2000){{cvt|441.1|m3/s|GL/year|abbr=on}}<ref name="Rivers Network-Murray-Darling"/>
| discharge4_location=[[Albury]]–[[Wodonga]]
| discharge4_avg=(Period: 1971–2000){{cvt|137.5|m3/s|GL/year|abbr=on}}<ref name="Rivers Network-Murray-Darling"/>
| discharge1_location = [[Murray Mouth]]
| discharge1_min = 
| discharge1_avg = (Period: 1971–2000){{cvt|255.5|m3/s|GL/year|abbr=on}}<ref name="Rivers Network-Murray-Darling"/>
| discharge1_max = <!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1 = ''Cowombat Flat''
| source1_location = [[Australian Alps]], [[New South Wales|NSW]]
| source1_coordinates = {{coord|36|47|46|S|148|11|40|E|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation = {{cvt|1,430|m|abbr=on}}
| mouth = [[Murray Mouth]]
| mouth_location = near [[Goolwa South]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|35|33|32|S|138|52|48|E|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation = {{cvt|0|m|abbr=on}}
| progression =[[Lake Alexandrina (South Australia)|Lake Alexandrina]] ([[Great Australian Bight]])
| river_system = '''Murray River'''
| basin_size= {{cvt|1,061,469|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}<ref name="Rivers Network-Murray-Darling"/>
| tributaries_left = [[Mitta Mitta River|Mitta Mitta]], [[Kiewa River|Kiewa]], [[Ovens River|Ovens]], [[Goulburn River|Goulburn]], [[Campaspe River|Campaspe]], [[Loddon River|Loddon]]
| tributaries_right = [[Swampy Plain River|Swampy Plain]], [[Murrumbidgee River|Murrumbidgee]], [[Darling River|Darling]]
| custom_label = 
| custom_data = 
| extra = 
}}

The '''Murray River''' (in South Australia: '''River Murray'''{{refn|group=note|The naming principles for locations in South Australia issued by the [[Government of South Australia]] include: ... "'river' should be used as a generic term following the specific name of the feature – e.g. 'Onkaparinga River' – except when referring to the River Torrens or River Murray."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/planning-and-property/planning-and-land-management/suburb-road-and-place-names/geographical-names-guidelines |title=Geographical names guidelines |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 2020 |website=Planning and property |publisher=Attorney-General's Department (Government of South Australia) |access-date=8 February 2021 }}</ref> South Australians usually follow this word order when referring to these two major rivers of the state. They may also do so in referring to the [[Darling River]], the major tributary of the Murray, despite the Darling joining the Murray in New South Wales.}}; {{Langx|nay|Millewa}}, {{Langx|xyy|Dhungala}}<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.yytolmb.com.au/about/history/
|title=History - Yorta Yorta Traditional Owner Land Management Board
|author=<!--Not stated-->
|website=www.yytolmb.com.au
|publisher=YYTOLMB
|language=en
|access-date=2023-01-19}}</ref> or {{Lang|xyy|Tongala}})<ref>{{cite web|title=People of the Murray River - Aboriginal communities|url=http://www.murrayriver.com.au/about-the-murray/murray-river-aboriginals/|website=www.murrayriver.com.au|language=en}}</ref> is a river in Southeastern [[Australia]]. It is [[List of rivers of Australia|Australia's longest river]] at {{cvt|2508|km|mi|abbr=on}} extent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/education/geoscience-basics/landforms/longest-rivers.html|title=(Australia's) Longest Rivers|publisher=[[Geoscience Australia]]|date=10 December 2013|access-date=10 December 2013}}</ref> Its [[Tributary|tributaries]] include five of the next six longest rivers of Australia (the [[Murrumbidgee River|Murrumbidgee]], [[Darling River|Darling]], [[Lachlan River|Lachlan]], [[Warrego River|Warrego]] and [[Paroo River]]s). Together with that of the Murray, the [[catchment]]s of these rivers form the [[Murray–Darling basin]], which covers about one-seventh the area of Australia. It is widely considered Australia's most important irrigated region.

The Murray rises in the [[Australian Alps]], draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains, then meanders northwest across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between the [[States and territories of Australia|states]] of [[New South Wales]] and [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] as it flows into [[South Australia]]. From an east–west direction it turns south at [[Morgan, South Australia|Morgan]] for its final {{cvt|315|km|mi}}, reaching the eastern edge of [[Lake Alexandrina (South Australia)|Lake Alexandrina]], which fluctuates in [[salinity]]. The water then flows through several [[channel (geography)|channels]] around [[Hindmarsh Island]] and [[Mundoo Island, South Australia|Mundoo Island]]. There it is joined by [[lagoon]] water from [[Coorong National Park|The Coorong]] to the south-east before emptying into [[Encounter Bay]] (a bay of the [[Southern Ocean]]) through the [[Murray Mouth]], {{cvt|10|km}} east of [[Goolwa South]].<ref name="MDBC mouth"/> Despite discharging considerable volumes of water at times, particularly before the advent of large-scale [[river regulation]], the waters at the Murray Mouth are almost invariably slow and shallow.

{{As of|2010}}, the Murray River system received 58&nbsp;per&nbsp;cent of its natural flow; the figure varies considerably.<ref>[http://thebasinplan.mdba.gov.au/ Guide to the proposed Basin Plan, Murray Darling Basin Authority 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110913173419/http://www.thebasinplan.mdba.gov.au/ |date=13 September 2011 }}</ref>

The border between Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) lies along the top of the southern or left bank of
the Murray River.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guidelines for the Determination of the State Border Between New South Wales and Victoria Along the Murray River|url=https://www.spatial.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/25935/NSWVic_v3.pdf}}</ref>

== Geography ==
[[File:MurrayBridgeMurrayRiver.JPG|right|thumb|Lower course of the Murray River at [[Murray Bridge, South Australia|Murray Bridge]]]]
[[File:Murray River at Boundary Bend.jpg|right|thumb|The confluence of the Murray River and Murrumbidgee River near the town of Boundary Bend]]
The Murray forms part of the {{cvt|3,750|km|mi|abbr=on}} long combined [[Murray–Darling basin|Murray–Darling river system]] that drains most of the inland of Victoria, New South Wales and the southern part of Queensland. The Murray carries only a small fraction of the water of comparably sized rivers in other parts of the world, and with great annual variability of its flow. It has dried up completely during extreme [[drought]]s on three occasions since official record-keeping began. More often, a sandbar formed at the mouth and stopped the flow.

The Murray is the border between New South Wales and Victoria – specifically at the top of the left bank (i.e. the Victorian side of the river).<ref>{{Citation | title = Guidelines for the Determination of the State Border between New South Wales and Victoria along the Murray River | author = New South Wales Land and Property Information/Victoria Natural Resources and Environment | year = 1993 | url = http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/104377/NSW-VIC_Border_Determination.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130926161251/http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/104377/NSW-VIC_Border_Determination.pdf | archive-date = 26 September 2013 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> In a 1980 judgement, the [[High Court of Australia]] ruled on the question as to which state had jurisdiction in the unlawful death of a man who was fishing by the river's edge on the Victorian side of the river.<ref>[https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/HCA/1980/11.html ''Ward v R'' (1980) 142 CLR 308]. Retrieved 6 April 2018</ref> This boundary definition can be ambiguous, since the river changes its course over time, and some of the [[Bank (geography)|river banks]] have been modified.

For {{convert|11|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of the line of [[longitude]] 141°E,<ref group="note">{{coord|34.02189|S|141.00000|E|format=dms}}.</ref> the border is between Victoria and South Australia, in the middle of the river.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/national-location-information/landforms/longest-rivers#heading-1 |title=(Australia's) longest river by state and territory |date=15 May 2014 |publisher=[[Geoscience Australia]] |access-date=11 April 2016}}</ref> The discrepancy was caused during the 1840s, when the border was originally surveyed, by an east–west miscalculation of 3.72&nbsp;kilometres (2.31&nbsp;miles), and led to a long-running [[South Australia–Victoria border dispute|boundary dispute]]. West of this sector,<ref group="note">{{coord|33.98065|S|140.96362|E|format=dms}}</ref> the Murray is entirely within the state of South Australia.

===Major settlements===
Major settlements along the course of the river, from its source to the Southern Ocean, and their populations from the [[2016 Australian census]] are as follows.

{| class="wikitable floatleft" style="margin:0.5em auto; width:40%; center:86%; :1em; :2em; :1em"
! colspan="3"|<br>
|-
! Town !! Population !! Data<br />source
|-
| [[Albury-Wodonga]] ||align=right|89,007||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/1001 |title=2016 census QuickStats: Albury - Wodonga |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316143918/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/1001 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| [[Yarrawonga]]–[[Mulwala]] ||align=right|9,810||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/UCL214020?opendocument |title=2016 census QuickStats: Yarrawonga - Mulwala (Yarrawonga Part) |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316143929/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/UCL214020?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/UCL114033?opendocument |title=2016 census QuickStats: Yarrawonga - Mulwala (Mulwala Part) |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316143939/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/UCL114033?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| [[Echuca]]–[[Moama]] ||align=right|18,526||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/UCL213006?opendocument |title=2016 census QuickStats: Echuca - Moama (Echuca Part) |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316143949/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/UCL213006?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/UCL113004?opendocument |title=2016 census QuickStats: Echuca - Moama (Moama Part) |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316143958/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/UCL113004?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| [[Swan Hill]] ||align=right|10,905||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC22393?opendocument |title=2016 census QuickStats: Swan Hill |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316144010/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC22393?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| [[Mildura]] and [[Merbein]] ||align=right|35,451||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC21671?opendocument |title=2016 census QuickStats: Mildura |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316144020/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC21671?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC21642?opendocument|title=2016 census QuickStats: Merbein |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Renmark, South Australia|Renmark]]–[[Paringa, South Australia|Paringa]] ||align=right|9,475||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/LGA46670?opendocument |title=2016 census QuickStats: Renmark Paringa (DC) |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316144042/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/LGA46670?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
|[[Berri, South Australia|Berri]] ||align=right|4,088||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC40096?opendocument |title=2016 census QuickStats: Berri |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316144053/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC40096?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
|[[Loxton, South Australia|Loxton]] ||align=right|4,568||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC40782?opendocument |title=2016 census QuickStats: Loxton |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316144103/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC40782?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
|[[Waikerie]] ||align=right|1,632||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/UCL415042?opendocument |title=2016 census QuickStats: Waikerie |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316144113/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/UCL415042?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
|[[Mannum]] ||align=right|1,632||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC40811?opendocument |title=2016 census QuickStats: Mannum |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316144122/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC40811?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| [[Murray Bridge, South Australia|Murray Bridge]]||align=right|16,804||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/2006?opendocument |title=2016 census QuickStats: Murray Bridge |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 February 2021 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316144131/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/2006?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|}
{{clear|left}}

==Tributaries==

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="text-align:center;"
|+The main tributaries from the mouth:
 ! Left tributary
 ! Right 
tributary
 ! Length (km)
 ! Basin size (km<sup>2</sup>)
 ! Average discharge (m<sup>3</sup>/s)<sup>1</sup>
|-
| colspan="2" |''Murray''
|''2,508''
|''1,061,469''
|''255.5''
|-
| colspan="5" |
|-
| colspan="5" |'''Lower Murray'''
|-
|
|[[Darling River|Darling]] <sup>2</sup>
|2,844
|609,283
|38.46
|-
| colspan="5" |'''Middle Murray'''
|-
| rowspan="2" |
|[[Murrumbidgee River|Murrumbidgee]]
|1,503
|120,393.4
|144.89
|-
|[[Wakool River|Wakool]]
|383
|35,158.4
|31.4
|-
|[[Loddon River|Loddon]]
| rowspan="8" |
|392
|19,359.3
|11.07
|-
|[[Campaspe River|Campaspe]]
|248.1
|3,564.6
|11.16
|-
|Deakin Main Drain
|
|2,222.8
|4.85
|-
|[[Goulburn River|Goulburn]]
|654
|23,916
|116.57
|-
|[[Broken Creek]]
|107
|3,328
|8.34
|-
|Tullah Creek
|
|610
|0.7
|-
|[[Ovens River|Ovens]]
|191
|7,778
|62.28
|-
|Black Dog Creek
|68.5
|654
|3
|-
| colspan="5" |'''Upper Murray'''
|-
|[[Kiewa River|Kiewa]]
| rowspan="2" |
|109
|1,724
|21.85
|-
|[[Mitta Mitta River|Mitta Mitta]]
|204
|10,062
|76
|-
|
|Bowna Creek
|
|629.7
|3.54
|-
|Koetong Creek
| rowspan="3" |
|26.3
|175.1
|1.18
|-
|Burrowye Creek
|21.1
|204.9
|1.31
|-
|[[Cudgera Creek|Cudgewa Creek]]
|53.6
|823.1
|5.58
|-
|
|[[Tooma River|Tooma]]
|73.8
|1,875.7
|12.45
|-
|Corryong Creek
|
|43.4
|980.8
|6.63
|-
|
|[[Swampy Plain River|Swampy Plain]]
|59
|871.2
|7.05
|-
|Buckwong Creek
|
|27.6
|208.7
|1.1
|-
| colspan="5" |
|-
| colspan="5" |''Darling main tributaries''
|-
| rowspan="2" |
|[[Paroo River|Paroo]]
|1,210
|60,095
|1.53
|-
|Talyawalka Creek
|78.9
|5,869.9
|3.17
|-
|Acres Billabong
| rowspan="2" |
|
|5,032.5
|2.7
|-
|Kerrigundi Creek
|72.1
|1,572.5
|0.28
|-
|
|[[Warrego River|Warrego]]
|1,380
|69,290
|5.74
|-
|Yanda Creek
|
|
|4,815.5
|0.38
|-
|
|Dead Horse Creek
|32
|2,358.9
|2.62
|-
|Little Bogan
|
|43
|713.8
|0.56
|-
|
|Whiskey Creek
|
|721.2
|0.54
|-
|[[Barwon River (New South Wales)|Barwon]]
|
|707
|243,195.9
|145.96
|-
|
|[[Culgoa River|Culgoa]]
|489
|146,317.3
|88.52
|-
| colspan="5" |Barwon main tributaries
|-
|[[Bogan River|Bogan]]
|
|686
|32,196
|16.08
|-
|
|[[Bokhara River|Bokhara]]
|347
|9,048.4
|5.89
|-
|Marra Creek
| rowspan="2" |
|397
|2,786.9
|1.84
|-
|[[Macquarie River|Macquarie]]
|960
|56,307.2
|52.26
|-
| rowspan="2" |
|The Big Warrambool
|226
|6,392.8
|5.7
|-
|Sparkes Warrambool
|93.5
|1,818.7
|1.87
|-
|[[Namoi River|Naomi]]
| rowspan="4" |
|708
|39,118.4
|43.66
|-
|Two Mile Warrambool
|
|5,609.3
|4.76
|-
|[[Mehi River|Mehi]]
|320
|5,995.7
|5.12
|-
|[[Gwydir River|Gwydir]]
|488
|26,588
|23.88
|-
|
|[[Moonie River|Mooni]]
|542
|15,905.2
|3.36
|-
|[[Boomi River|Boomi]]
|
|231
|9,223.6
|8.51
|-
|
|[[Macintyre River|Macintyre]]
|319
|25,275.2
|28.89
|-
|[[Weir River (Queensland)|Weir]]
|
|482
|12,729
|9.28
|-
| colspan="5" |Culgoa main tributaries
|-
| rowspan="7" |
|Lednapper Creek
|45.9
|5,877.8
|1
|-
|[[Birrie River|Birrie]]
|197
|3,642.5
|2.41
|-
|Bow Creek
|53
|3,943.4
|1.63
|-
|Burbar Creek
|
|35,156.5
|5.88
|-
|[[Maranoa River|Maranoa]]
|519
|20,039
|3.09
|-
|[[Yuleba Creek, Queensland|Yuleba Creek]]
|158
|1,653.5
|0.45
|-
|[[Dogwood Creek (Queensland)|Dogwood Creek]]
|211
|6,615.1
|1.43
|-
|[[Condamine River|Condamine]]
|
|709
|29,861.9
|38.43
|-
| colspan="5" |
|-
| colspan="5" |[[Endorheic basin|'''Endorheic Basin''']]
|-
| colspan="2" |[[Wimmera River|Wimmera]]
|278
|7,043.7
|11.67
|-
| colspan="5" |
|-
| colspan="5" |Notes: <sup>1</sup> Period: 1971–2000;
<sup>2</sup> Darling–Barwon–Macintyre;
|-
| colspan="5" |Source:<ref name="Murray–Darling Basin Authority">{{cite web|url=https://www.mdba.gov.au/basin|title=Murray–Darling Basin Authority}}</ref><ref name="Rivers Network-Murray-Darling">{{cite web|url=https://www.riversnetwork.org/V1/index.php/component/content/?view=article&id=46&catid=195&Itemid=179|title=Rivers Network-Murray-Darling|last=Eric|first=Tilman}}</ref>
|}

== River life ==
{{More citations needed|section|date=July 2025}}
The Murray and its tributaries support a variety of river life adapted to its vagaries. This includes native fish such as the famous [[Murray cod]], [[trout cod]], [[golden perch]], [[Macquarie perch]], [[Bidyanus bidyanus|silver perch]], [[eel-tailed catfish]], [[Australian smelt]] and [[western carp gudgeon]], as well as other aquatic species such as the Murray short-necked turtle, broad-clawed yabbies and the large-clawed ''Macrobrachium'' shrimp, in addition to aquatic species more widely distributed through Southeastern Australia such as common long-necked turtles, [[Common yabby|common yabbies]], the small claw-less ''[[paratya]]'' shrimp, water rats and [[platypus]]. The [[Murray crayfish]], an endangered species, was able to increase its numbers thanks to scientists.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hogarth |first=Dylan |date=16 May 2023|url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/adelaide-hills-murraylands/iconic-murray-crayfish-to-be-brought-back-to-sa-from-virtual-extinction/news-story/4eedfea6a345ade0308ab12237caa302?amp |title=Iconic Murray crayfish to be brought back to SA from virtual extinction |work=The Advertiser |url-access=registration |access-date=27 July 2025}}</ref> The Murray also supports fringeing corridors and forests of the [[Eucalyptus camaldulensis|river red gum]].

The health of the Murray has declined significantly since European settlement, particularly through regulation of its flows. Extreme droughts between 2000 and 2007 put significant stress on river red gum forests, leading to mounting concern over their long-term survival. The Murray has also flooded on occasion. The most significant was the [[1956 Murray River flood|flood of 1956]]: lasting for up to six months, it inundated many towns on its lower reaches in South Australia.

== Ancient history ==

===Lake Bungunnia===
<!--This section is the target of a redirect at [[Lake Bungunnia]] -->
Between 2.5 and 0.5 million years ago, the Murray terminated in a vast freshwater lake – Lake Bungunnia – formed by earth movements that blocked the river near [[Swan Reach, South Australia|Swan Reach]]. At its maximum extent, Lake Bungunnia covered {{convert|33000|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}, extending to near the [[Menindee Lakes]] in the north and to near [[Boundary Bend]] in the south.<ref>{{cite web|title=Murray River's natural history dates back 130 million years|url=http://www.murrayriver.com.au/about-the-murray/how-the-murray-river-was-formed/|work=The Murray River is an ancient river, even by the time scale of geologists. Its origins date back about 130 million years ago.|publisher=Discover Murray River|access-date=12 December 2013}}</ref> The draining of Lake Bungunnia occurred approximately 600,000 years ago.<ref>Rogers, P.A. (1995): Continental sediments of the Murray Basin. '''In:''' Drexel, J.F. & Preiss, W.V. (Eds.) The geology of South Australia. Vol.2, The Phanerozoic. p. 252. ''South Australia Geological Survey, Bulletin 54''. {{ISBN|0-7308-0621-9}}</ref>

Deep clays deposited by the lake are evident in cliffs around Chowilla in South Australia. Considerably higher rainfall would have been required to keep such a lake full; the draining of Lake Bungunnia appears to have marked the end of a wet phase in the history of the Murray–Darling Basin and the onset of widespread arid conditions similar to today. A species of ''Neoceratodus'' [[Queensland Lungfish|lungfish]] existed in Lake Bungunnia;<ref>{{cite book  | year = 1990 | title = The Murray | editor1-last= Mackay |editor1-first = Norman | editor2-first = David | editor2-last=Eastburn| publisher = Murray–Darling Basin Commission | location = Canberra | isbn = 1-875209-05-0}}</ref> today ''Neoceratodus'' lungfish are only found in several [[Queensland]] rivers.

=== Cadell Fault and formation of the Barmah red gum forests ===
{{main|Cadell Fault}}
The noted Barmah River red gum forests owe their existence to the Cadell Fault. About 25,000 years ago, displacement occurred along this fault, raising its eastern edge, which runs north–south, {{convert|8|to|12|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} above the floodplain. This created a complex series of events. A section of the original Murray River channel immediately behind the fault was rendered abandoned (it exists today as an empty channel known as Green Gully). The Goulburn River was dammed by the southern end of the fault to create a natural lake.

The Murray River flowed to the north around the Cadell Fault, creating the channel of the [[Edward River]] which exists today and through which much of the Murray's waters still flow. Then the natural dam on the Goulburn River failed, the lake drained, and the Murray changed its course to the south and started to flow through the smaller Goulburn River channel, creating "The Barmah Choke" and "The Narrows" (where the river channel is unusually narrow), before entering into the proper Murray River channel again.

The primary result of the Cadell Fault – that the west-flowing water of the Murray River strikes the north–south fault and diverts both north and south around the fault in the two main channels (Edward and ancestral Goulburn) in addition to a fan of small streams, and regularly floods a large amount of low-lying country in the area. These conditions are perfect for [[Eucalyptus camaldulensis|river red gums]], which rapidly formed forests in the area. Thus the displacement of the Cadell Fault 25,000 BP led directly to the formation of the famous Barmah river red gum forests.

The Barmah Choke and The Narrows restrict the amount of water that can travel down this part of the Murray. In times of flood and high irrigation flows the majority of the water, in addition to flooding the red gum forests, actually travels through the Edward River channel. The Murray has not had enough flow power to naturally enlarge The Barmah Choke and The Narrows to increase the amount of water they can carry.

The Cadell Fault is quite noticeable as a continuous, low, earthen embankment as one drives into Barmah from the west, although to the untrained eye it may appear man-made.
[[File:Confluence of Murray & Darling Rivers, Wentworth, NSW, 9.7.2007.jpg|thumb|center|750px|The [[confluence]] of the [[Darling River|Darling]] and Murray Rivers at [[Wentworth, New South Wales]]]]

==Murray mouth==
{{Main|Murray Mouth}}

[[File:Murray River mouth.JPG|thumb|[[Murray Mouth]] viewed from [[Hindmarsh Island]]]]
The Murray Mouth is the point at which the Murray River empties into the sea,<ref name="MDBC mouth">{{cite web|publisher=[[Murray–Darling Basin Commission]] |url=http://www2.mdbc.gov.au/river_murray/river_murray_system/murray_mouth/murray_mouth.htm |title=The Murray Mouth |access-date=20 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829075254/http://www2.mdbc.gov.au/river_murray/river_murray_system/murray_mouth/murray_mouth.htm |archive-date=29 August 2007 }}</ref> and the interaction between its shallow, shifting and variable currents and the open sea can be complex and unpredictable. During the peak period of Murray River commerce (roughly 1855 to 1920), it presented a major impediment to the passage of goods and produce between Adelaide and the Murray settlements, and many vessels foundered or were wrecked there.

Since the early 2000s, [[dredging]] machines have operated at the Murray Mouth for 24 hours a day, moving sand from the channel to maintain a minimal flow from the sea and into the [[Coorong National Park|Coorong's]] lagoon system. Without the dredging, the mouth would silt up and close, cutting the supply of fresh sea-water into the Coorong National Park, which would then warm up, stagnate and die.

==Mythology==
Being one of the major river systems on one of the driest continents on Earth, the Murray has significant cultural relevance to [[Aboriginal Australians]]. According to the people of [[Lake Alexandrina (South Australia)|Lake Alexandrina]], the Murray was created by the tracks of the Great Ancestor, Ngurunderi, as he pursued Pondi, the [[Murray Cod]]. The chase originated in the interior of New South Wales. Ngurunderi pursued the fish (who, like many totem animals in Aboriginal myths, is often portrayed as a man) on rafts (or ''lala'') made from [[Eucalyptus|red gums]] and continually launched spears at his target. But Pondi was a wily prey and carved a weaving path, carving out the river's various tributaries. Ngurunderi was forced to beach his rafts, and often create new ones as he changed from reach to reach of the river.

At Kobathatang, Ngurunderi finally got lucky and struck Pondi in the tail with a spear. However, the shock to the fish was so great it launched him forward in a straight line to a place called Peindjalang, near [[Tailem Bend]]. Eager to rectify his failure to catch his prey, the hunter and his two wives (sometimes the escaped sibling wives of Waku and Kanu) hurried on, and took positions high on the cliff on which Tailem Bend now stands. They sprung an ambush on Pondi only to fail again. Ngurunderi set off in pursuit again but lost his prey as Pondi dived into Lake Alexandrina. Ngurunderi and the women settled on the shore, only to suffer bad luck with fishing, being plagued by a water fiend known as [[Muldjewangk]]. They later moved to a more suitable spot at the site of present-day [[Ashville, South Australia|Ashville]]. The twin summits of Mount Misery are said to be the remnants of his rafts; they are known as ''Lalangengall'' or ''the two watercraft''.

This story of a hunter pursuing a Murray cod that carved out the Murray persists in numerous forms in various language groups that inhabit the enormous area spanned by the Murray system. The Wotojobaluk people of Victoria tell of Totyerguil from the area now known as [[Swan Hill]], who ran out of spears while chasing [[Otchtout]] the cod.

==History==
[[Roonka Flat]], near [[Blanchetown, South Australia|Blanchetown]], was a site of occupation since at least 7000BC.

===European exploration===
The first Europeans to encounter the river were [[Hume and Hovell expedition|Hamilton Hume and William Hovell]], who crossed the river where [[Albury]] now stands in 1824: [[Hamilton Hume|Hume]] named it the ''Hume River'' after his father. In 1830, [[Charles Sturt|Captain Charles Sturt]] reached the river after travelling down its tributary the [[Murrumbidgee River]] and named it the ''Murray River'' in honour of the then British [[Secretary of State for War and the Colonies]], [[George Murray (British Army officer)|Sir George Murray]], not realising it was the same river that Hume and Hovell had encountered further upstream.

Sturt continued down the remaining length of the Murray to finally reach [[Lake Alexandrina (South Australia)|Lake Alexandrina]] and the river's mouth. The vicinity of the Murray Mouth was explored more thoroughly by Captain [[Collet Barker]] in 1831.

The first three settlers on the Murray River are known to have been [[James Collins Hawker]] (explorer and surveyor) along with [[Edward John Eyre]] (explorer and later [[Governor of Jamaica]]) plus E.B. Scott (onetime superintendent of [[Yatala Labour Prison]]). Hawker is known to have sold his share in the [[Bungaree, South Australia|Bungaree Station]], which he founded with his brothers, and relocated alongside the Murray at a site near [[Blanchetown|Moorundie]].<ref name="Obituary2">{{cite news |title=The LateMr. J. C. Hawker. An Interesting Career|newspaper=The Register|date=16 May 1901|location=Adelaide}}</ref>

In 1852, [[Francis Cadell (explorer)|Francis Cadell]], in preparation for the launch of his steamer service, explored the river in a canvas boat, travelling {{convert|1300|miles}} downstream from [[Swan Hill]].<ref>{{Cite news| newspaper = South Australian Register | title = Present condition and prospects of south australia. | date = 14 September 1852 | page = 1S | access-date =4 November 2010 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13308357}}</ref>

In 1858, while acting as Minister of Land and Works for New South Wales, Irish nationalist and founder of [[Young Ireland]], [[Charles Gavan Duffy (Australian politician)|Charles Gavan Duffy]], founded Carlyle Township on the Murray River, after his close friend, Scottish historian and essayist [[Thomas Carlyle]]. Included in the township were "Jane Street", named in honour of Carlyle's wife [[Jane Carlyle]] and "Stuart-Mill Street" in honour of political philosopher [[John Stuart Mill]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://archive.org/details/conversationswit01duff/page/n9/mode/2up |title= Conversations with Carlyle |first= Charles | last= Gavan Duffy  |date= 1892 |website= Internet Archive |publisher= [[Charles Scribner's Sons]]|page= 204 |access-date= 28 February 2021 }}</ref>

In 1858, the Government [[Zoologist]], [[William Blandowski]], together with [[Gerard Krefft]], explored the lower reaches of the Murray and Darling rivers, compiling a list of birds and [[mammal]]s.

[[George Ernest Morrison|George "Chinese" Morrison]], then aged 18, navigated the river by canoe from [[Wodonga]] to its mouth, in 65 days, completing the 1,555-mile (2,503&nbsp;km) journey in January 1881.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pearl|first=Cyril|title=Morrison of Peking|publisher=Angus & Robertson|place=Sydney, Australia|date=1967|pages=11–12}}</ref>

==River transport==
{{Main|List of Murray–Darling steamboats}}
[[File:PS Murray Princess 2.JPG|thumb|right|The [[PS Murray Princess|PS ''Murray Princess'']] is the largest paddlewheeler operating on the Murray River.]]
[[File:PSMelbourneLock11.jpg|right|thumb|The PS Melbourne passing through Lock 11 at [[Mildura]]]]
Shipping cannot enter the Murray from the sea because it does not have an [[estuary]]. However, in the 19th century the river supported a substantial commercial trade using shallow-draft [[paddle steamer]]s, the first trips being made by two boats from South Australia on the spring flood of 1853. The ''Lady Augusta'', captained by [[Francis Cadell (explorer)|Francis Cadell]], reached [[Swan Hill]] while another, ''Mary Ann'', captained by [[William Randell]], reached [[Moama]] (near [[Echuca]]).<ref>{{Cite news|newspaper = [[Sydney Morning Herald]] | title = Navigation of the Murray | page = 2 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12950034 | date = 1 November 1853 | access-date =4 November 2010}}</ref> In 1855 a steamer carrying gold-mining supplies reached Albury but Echuca was the usual turn-around point, though small boats continued to link with up-river ports such as [[Tocumwal]], [[Wahgunyah]] and Albury.<ref>''Railways and Riverboats'' Rowland, E.C. [[Australian Railway History|Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin]], January 1976 pp1-16</ref>

The arrival of steamboat transport was welcomed by pastoralists who had been suffering from a shortage of transport due to the demands of the gold fields. By 1860 a dozen steamers were operating in the high water season along the Murray and its tributaries. Once the railway reached Echuca in 1864, the bulk of the [[wool]]clip from the [[Riverina]] was transported via river to Echuca and then south to Melbourne.

The steam paddleship ''Etona'' was launched as a [[Christian mission|mission]] steamer, replacing an earlier steam launch, also named ''Etona'', which had been operating on the Murray since 1891. The vessel was based at [[Murray Bridge, South Australia|Murray Bridge]], and operated between [[Goolwa, South Australia|Goolwa]] and the Victorian border, stopping at towns such as [[Mannum]], [[Morgan, South Australia|Morgan]] and [[Renmark, South Australia|Renmark]] as well as isolated settlements and workcamps.<ref name="murrayriver.com">[http://www.murrayriver.com.au/paddleboats/river-boat-trail-murray-bridge#floatingmission A Floating Mission] Discover Murray River. Retrieved 3 September 2022.</ref> The forepart of the vessel was used a chapel fitted with an altar and organ, with a capacity of 20 people.<ref>[https://www.maas.museum/inside-the-collection/2013/09/16/paddle-steamers-one-of-australias-inland-pioneering-transport-systems/ Paddle steamers – one of Australia’s inland pioneering transport systems] [[Powerhouse Museum|Powerhouse Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences]]. Retrieved 3 September 2022.</ref> There was also a cabin. The minister on board, Rev. William Bussell, doubled as captain.<ref name="Plowman">{{cite book |last1=Plowman |first1=Peter |title=Murray Darling Paddleboats |date=2005 |publisher=Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd |location=Dural Delivery Centre |isbn=1877058378 |page=24}}</ref><ref name="murrayriver.com" /> On 16 August 1898, ''Etona'' arrived at [[Renmark, South Australia|Renmark]], where the [[Anglican Archbishop of Adelaide|Bishop of Adelaide]], Rev. Dr. [[John Harmer (bishop)|John Harmer]], held services the following Sunday with the assistance of Rev H M Wylie.<ref>{{cite web |title=Country News |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/162327969/18997458 |website=Adelaide Observer |access-date=1 August 2022 |page=22 |date=20 August 1898}}</ref> In September of the same year, the service due in [[Holder, South Australia|Holder]] on the 18th was suspended due to the vessel grounding on a sandbank.<ref>{{cite web |title=Country News |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/162329511?searchTerm=steam%20etona |website=Adelaide Observer |access-date=1 August 2022 |page=10 |date=10 September 1898}}</ref> During its year of launch, the boiler of ''Etona'' gave way, being replaced at a cost of £87.<ref>{{cite news |title=New South Wales Elections |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146810147?searchTerm=steam%20etona# |access-date=1 August 2022 |work=Narracoorte Herald |agency=Trove |date=2 August 1898}}</ref>

The Murray was plagued by "snags", fallen trees submerged in the water, and considerable efforts were made to clear the river of these threats to shipping by using [[barge]]s equipped with steam-driven [[winch]]es. In recent times, efforts have been made to restore many of these snags by placing dead gum trees back into the river. The primary purpose of this is to provide habitat for fish species whose breeding grounds and shelter were eradicated by the removal of the snags.<ref>{{cite web |title=Department for Environment and Water - Re-snagging: restoring… |url=https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/water-and-river-murray/projects-plans-security-and-legislation/water-projects/sustaining-riverland-environments/re-snagging |website=Department for Environment and Water |access-date=6 October 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

Author [[E.J. Brady]] chronicled an eventful journey downriver in a small motor boat from Albury to the coast in 1911 in ''River Rovers.''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brady |first1=E.J. |title=River Rovers |date=1911 |publisher=George Robertson & Co |location=Melbourne |edition=First}}</ref>

[[File:Night travel on the Murray c1880.jpg|thumb|right|A [[paddle steamer]] passing another on the Murray at night, about 1880]]
The volume and value of river trade made Echuca Victoria's second port and in the decade from 1874 it underwent considerable expansion. By this time up to thirty steamers and a similar number of barges were working the river in season. River transport began to decline once the railways touched the Murray at numerous points. The unreliable levels made it impossible for boats to compete with the rail and later [[road transport]]. However, the river still carries pleasure boats along its entire length.

Today, most traffic on the river is recreational. Small private boats are used for [[water skiing]] and fishing. [[Houseboats]] are common, both commercial for hire and privately owned. There are a number of both historic [[paddle steamers]] and newer boats offering cruises ranging from half an hour to five days.

===River crossings===
{{Main|List of crossings of the Murray River}}
The Murray River has been a significant barrier to land-based travel and trade. Many of the ports for transport of goods along the Murray have also developed as places to cross the river, either by bridge or ferry. The first bridge to cross the Murray, which was built in 1869, is in the town of Murray Bridge, formerly called Edwards Crossing. To distinguish this bridge from the many others that span the Murray River, this bridge is known as [[Murray River road bridge, Murray Bridge]] Tolls applied on South Australian ferries until abolished in November 1961.<ref>Ferry charges abolished ''[[Truck & Bus Transportation]]'' December 1961 page 4</ref>

== Water storage and irrigation ==
[[File:Murray howlong.jpg|left|thumb|A branch of the Murray in its middle reaches, near [[Howlong]]]]
Small-scale pumping plants began drawing water from the Murray in the 1850s and the first high-volume plant was constructed at Mildura in 1887. The introduction of pumping stations along the river promoted an expansion of farming and led ultimately to the development of [[irrigation]] areas (including the [[Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mdba.gov.au/topic/irrigation|title=Irrigation|website=www.mdba.gov.au|access-date=2017-08-15|archive-date=15 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815111205/https://www.mdba.gov.au/topic/irrigation|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1915, the three Murray states – New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia – signed the River Murray Agreement which proposed the construction of storage reservoirs in the river's headwaters as well as at [[Lake Victoria, New South Wales|Lake Victoria]] near the South Australian border. Along the intervening stretch of the river a series of [[canal lock|lock]]s and [[weir]]s were built. These were originally proposed to support navigation even in times of low water, but riverborne transport was already declining due to improved highway and railway systems.

The disruption of the river's natural flow, run-off from agriculture, and the introduction of pest species such as the [[European carp]] has led to serious environmental damage along the river's length. There are widespread concerns that the river will be unusably salty in the medium to long term – a serious problem given that the Murray supplies 40&nbsp;per cent of the water supply for [[Adelaide]]. Efforts to alleviate the problems have proceeded but disagreement between various groups has hampered progress.{{When|date=December 2011}}

Introduced fish species such as [[common carp|carp]], ''[[gambusia]]'', [[Misgurnus|weather loach]], [[European perch|redfin perch]], [[brown trout]], and [[rainbow trout]] have also had serious negative effects on native fish. The most pernicious are carp, which have contributed to environmental degradation of the Murray and its tributaries by destroying aquatic plants and permanently raising [[turbidity]]. Carp is the most common species, and can be found in all segments of the river.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://vfa.vic.gov.au/recreational-fishing/fishing-locations/inland-angling-guide/special-articles/the-murray-river | title=The Murray River | date=23 December 2013 }}</ref>

===Reservoirs===
Four large reservoirs were built along the Murray. In addition to Lake Victoria (completed late 1920s), these are [[Lake Hume]] near [[Albury-Wodonga]] (completed 1936), [[Lake Mulwala]] at [[Yarrawonga]] (completed 1939), and [[Lake Dartmouth]], which is actually on the [[Mitta Mitta River]] upstream of Lake Hume (completed 1979). The Murray also receives water from the complex dam and pipeline system of the [[Snowy Mountains Scheme]]. An additional reservoir was proposed in the 1960s at [[Chowilla Dam]], which was to have been built in South Australia and would have flooded land mostly in Victoria and New South Wales. It was cancelled in favour of building Dartmouth Dam due to costs and concerns relating to increased salinity.

===Barrages===
[[File:Map -- location of barrages at the mouth of the River Murray.tif|thumb|Locations of the barrages at the mouth of the Murray]]
[[File:Goolwa Barrage.JPG|thumb|[[Goolwa Barrages|Goolwa Barrage]] viewed from the freshwater side]]

From 1935 to 1940 a series of [[Barrage (dam)|barrages]] was built near the Murray Mouth to stop seawater entering the lower part of the river during low flow periods. They are the Goolwa Barrage, with a length of {{convert|632|m}}; Mundoo Channel Barragel {{convert|800|m}}; Boundary Creek Barragel {{convert|243|m}}; Ewe Island Barrage, {{convert|853|m}}; and Tauwitchere Barrage, {{convert|3.6|km}}.

[[File:Dead and dying River Red Gums on the Murray River near Berri, South Australia.jpg|right|thumb|Dead and dying [[Eucalyptus|river red gum]]s on the lower Murray near [[Berri, South Australia]]]]
These dams inverted the patterns of the river's natural flow from the original winter-spring flood and summer-autumn dry to the present low level through winter and higher during summer. These changes ensured the availability of water for irrigation and made the Murray Valley Australia's most productive agricultural region, but have seriously disrupted the life cycles of many ecosystems both inside and outside the river, and the irrigation has led to [[Salinity in Australia|dryland salinity]] that now threatens the agricultural industries.

In 2006, the [[Government of South Australia]] released a plan to investigate the construction of controversial [[Wellington Weir]].{{Update inline|date=February 2021}}

===Locks===
Lock 1 was completed near [[Blanchetown]] in 1922. [[Torrumbarry weir]] downstream of [[Echuca]] began operating in December 1923. Of the several locks that were proposed, only thirteen were completed; Locks 1 to 11 on the stretch downstream of [[Mildura]], Lock 15 at [[Euston, New South Wales|Euston]] and Lock 26 at [[Torrumbarry]]. Construction of the remaining weirs purely for navigation purposes was abandoned in 1934. The last lock to be completed was Lock 15, in 1937.<ref name="Locks"/> Lock 11, just downstream of Mildura, creates a {{convert|100|km|mi|adj=on}} long lock pool that aided irrigation pumping from Mildura and [[Red Cliffs, Victoria|Red Cliffs]].

Each lock has a navigable passage next to it through the weir, which is opened during periods of high river flow, when there is too much water for the lock. The weirs can be completely removed, and the locks completely covered by water during flood conditions. Lock 11 is unique in that the lock was built inside a bend of the river, with the weir in the bend itself. A channel was dug to the lock, creating an island between it and the weir. The weir is also of a different design, being dragged out of the river during high flow, rather than lifted out.

{| class="wikitable sortable floatleft mw-collapsible" border= "1" style="width:50%; font-size: 86%; float:left; margin-left:1em; margin-right:3em; margin-bottom:2em"
|+{{big|Lock distances and elevations}}<ref name="Locks">{{cite web |url=https://www.mdba.gov.au/river-information/running-river-murray/weirs-locks |title=Weirs and locks |date=28 October 2015 |publisher=[[Murray–Darling Basin Authority]] |access-date=17 June 2017 |archive-date=14 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714162412/https://www.mdba.gov.au/river-information/running-river-murray/weirs-locks |url-status=dead }}</ref>
! Name !!No. !! River&nbsp;distance{{big|<nowiki>*</nowiki>}} !! Elevation{{big|<nowiki>**</nowiki>}} !! Com-<br />pleted
|-
|Blanchetown || 1 ||{{convert|274|km|mi|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||{{convert|3.3|m|ft|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||1922
|-
|Waikerie || 2||{{convert|362|km|mi|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||{{convert|6.1|m|ft|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||1928
|-
|Overland Corner ||3||{{convert|431|km|mi|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||{{convert|9.8|m|ft|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||1925
|-
|Bookpurnong ||4||{{convert|516|km|mi|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||{{convert|13.2|m|ft|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||1929
|-
|Renmark||5||{{convert|562|km|mi|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||{{convert|16.3|m|ft|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||1927
|-
|Murtho||6||{{convert|620|km|mi|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||{{convert|19.2|m|ft|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||1930
|-
|Rufus River||7||{{convert|697|km|mi|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||{{convert|22.1|m|ft|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||1934
|-
|Wangumma||8||{{convert|726|km|mi|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||{{convert|24.6|m|ft|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||1935
|-
|Kulnine||9||{{convert|765|km|mi|sigfig=3 |abbr=on}}||{{convert|27.4|m|ft|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||1926
|-
|Wentworth||10||{{convert|825|km|mi|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||{{convert|30.8|m|ft|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||1929
|-
|Mildura||11||{{convert|878|km|mi|sigfig=3 |abbr=on}}||{{convert|34.4|m|ft|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}||1927
|-
|Euston||15||{{convert|1110|km|mi|sigfig=3 |abbr=on|comma=off }}||{{convert|47.6|m|ft|sigfig=3|abbr=on|comma=off }}||1937
|-
<!--Next two rows are formatted differently to force the column to widen-->
|Torrumbarry||26||1638&nbsp;km&nbsp;(1020&nbsp;mi) ||86.05&nbsp;m&nbsp;(280&nbsp;ft) ||1924
|-
|Yarrawonga Weir||n/a||1992&nbsp;km&nbsp;(1238&nbsp;mi) ||124.9&nbsp;m&nbsp;(410&nbsp;ft)||1939
|-
| colspan="5"|{{big|<nowiki>*</nowiki>}} Distance is from the Murray Mouth.<br />{{big|<nowiki>**</nowiki>}} Elevation is above sea level, at full supply level (i.e., maximum capacity).
|-
|}

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|[[Image: Lock Five Renmark River Murray(GN05819) (cropped).jpg |border|800x260px |none]]
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|width="100"| Lock 1 and weir at [[Blanchetown]] 
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|width="100"| Lock 5 at [[Renmark, South Australia|Renmark]], about 1935 
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|[[Image: Lock11Mildura.jpg |border|800x260px |none]]
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|width="100"| Lock 11, [[Mildura]]
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==See also==
* [[River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve]]
{{stack|{{portal|Australia|Water|Environment}}}}
'''Major tributaries'''
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Darling River]]
* [[Murrumbidgee River]]
* [[Goulburn River]]
* [[Mitta Mitta River]]
* [[Ovens River]]
* [[Campaspe River]]
* [[Kiewa River]]
* [[Lachlan River]]
{{div col end}}
'''Population centres'''
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Albury-Wodonga]]
* [[Echuca]]
* [[Swan Hill]]
* [[Mildura]]
* [[Renmark, South Australia|Renmark]]
* [[Murray Bridge, South Australia|Murray Bridge]]
* [[Goolwa South]]
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book | last= Isaacs |first= J. |year= 1980 |title= Australian Dreaming: 40,000 Years of Aboriginal History |publisher= Lansdowne Press |location= Sydney | isbn= 0-7018-1330-X}}
*Frankel, David. (2017). ''Between the Murray and the Sea: Aboriginal Archaeology in South-eastern Australia.'' Sydney: Sydney University Press. {{ISBN|9781743325520}}.
*{{cite book  | year = 1990 | title = The Murray | editor1-last= Mackay |editor1-first = Norman | editor2-first = David | editor2-last=Eastburn| publisher = Murray–Darling Basin Commission | location = Canberra | isbn = 1-875209-05-0}}
*{{cite book |last=Berndt |first=Ronald M. & Catherine H. |year=1993 |title=A World That Was: The Yaraldi of the Murray River and the Lakes, South Australia |publisher=UBC Press |location=Vancouver, Canada |isbn=0-7748-0478-5 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/worldthatwasyara0000bern }}
*{{cite book |last=Jennings |first= J.T. |year= 2009 |title= Natural History of the Riverland and Murraylands |publisher= Royal Society of South Australia |location= Adelaide |isbn=978-0-9596627-9-5}}

'''Online audio and other'''
* {{cite web|url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/ieo/Murray/maplg.htm|title=Murray River catchment (NSW)|format=map|work=Office of Environment and Heritage|publisher=[[Government of New South Wales]]}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20111110034309/http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/lnl/index/murray.htm Down the River Murray] An [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] [[Radio National]] 5-part series on the river and its people
*[http://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/country-nsw/the-murray Murray Region Tourist Information - VisitNSW]

==External links==

{{Commons category|Murray River|<br />Murray River}}

*[http://www.murrayriver.com.au/ Murray River - Official Murray River travel website]

{{River Murray paddle steamers}}
{{Rivers of New South Wales |state=autocollapse}}
{{Rivers of Victoria (Australia)|state=autocollapse}}
{{Rivers of South Australia|state=autocollapse}}
{{Rivers of the Murray–Darling basin|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Murray River| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of South Australia]]
[[Category:Borders of New South Wales]]
[[Category:Borders of Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Snowy Mountains Scheme]]
[[Category:Rivers in the Riverina]]
[[Category:Goulburn Broken catchment]]
[[Category:Mallee catchment]]
[[Category:North-Central catchment]]
[[Category:North-East catchment]]
[[Category:Rivers of Hume (region)]]
[[Category:Rivers of Loddon Mallee (region)]]