Cox's River
Encyclopedia
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Description and History
Coxs River begins just west of the city of Lithgow and flows south for many kilometres before turning east to flow into Lake BurragorangLake Burragorang
Lake Burragorang is the water storage impounded by Warragamba Dam. It collects the waters of the Coxs, Kowmung, Nattai, Wingecarribee, and Wollondilly Rivers. It is the major water storage for Sydney, Australia...
, the lake that was created when Warragamba Dam
Warragamba Dam
Warragamba Dam is the primary water source for the Australian city of Sydney. It is approximately to the west of Sydney on the Warragamba River, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River, and impounds Lake Burragorang.- Overview :...
was built. It is thus a major tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
to Warragamba Dam, which supplies most of the water for Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, the capital of New South Wales.
To the Aborigines who lived in the area for thousands of years before white settlement, Coxs River was one of two corridors that could be used to cross the Blue Mountains, the other being the Bilpin Ridge, now the site of Bells Line of Road. Coxs River was the easiest way to cross the mountains, but this fact was unknown to the European settlers, for whom the mountains were a seemingly impassable barrier.
A former convict, John Wilson, may have been the first European to cross the Blue Mountains. Wilson arrived with the First Fleet in 1788 and was freed in 1792; he promptly went bush, living with the Aborigines and even functioning as an intermediary between them and the settlers. In 1797 he returned to Sydney, claiming to have explored up to a hundred miles in all directions around Sydney, including across the mountains. His descriptions and observations were generally accurate, and it is possible that he had crossed the mountains via the Coxs River corridor, guided by the Aborigines.
On the 24th June 1815 the naming of the Coxs River is mentioned in the Historical Records of Australia (Series I, Vol. VIII p. 572) It states: The junction of these two streams a very handsome river, now called by the Governor "Cox's River" which takes its course...and empties itself into the River Nepean..." The Nepean then becomes the Hawkesbury River and flows into the Pacaific Ocean at Broken Bay. Governor Macquarie named both Coxs River and Coxs Pass in honour of William Cox (pioneer)
William Cox (pioneer)
William Cox was an English soldier, known as an explorer, road builder and pioneer in the early period of British settlement in Australia.-Early life:...
1764 - 1837military officer, roadmaker and builder.
Pollution
As of 2008, there were concerns about water quality in upper Coxs River. Testing carried out by researchers from the Blue Mountains Conservation Society showed that this part of the river had high levels of heavy metals including zinc, copper and manganese, 125 times more sulphate than surrounding streams and only 5% of the oxygen that fish need. The pH level -- a test of acidity -- was up to 1000 times higher than that of neighbouring creeks, while the river was 80 times as salty as it should be. The Sydney Catchment Authority confirmed that the test was accurate, but said the water gets safer to drink in the lower river, approaching Warragamba Dam. The Department of Environment and Climate Change said that the contamination could be caused by Delta Electricity's Wallerawang power station reusing its water as a result of drought. Delta stated that it was operating within the conditions of its licence.In 2009, Dr Ian Wright of the University of Western Sydney reported that the water flowing into Coxs River contained high levels of copper, boron and other metals at "many times" the levels found upstream of the Wallerawang power station. High arsenic levels were found down stream of the plant, although it was diluted further downstream and was not thought to pose a risk to humans. The Blue Mountains Conservation Society was taking a case to the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales with the backing of Environment Defenders Office of New South Wales, intending to argue that Delta Electricity are polluting Coxs River. The Society also intended to challenge the New South Wales system of environmental licences. The Society's president, Tara Cameron, said: "These licences are just licences to pollute. They are just allowing the status quo and making people feel good without actually protecting the environment." Journalists Ben Cubby and Erik Jensen maintained that the State Government had known about the pollution for over two years.
Activities
- Katoomba to Mittagong TrailKatoomba to Mittagong TrailThe Katoomba to Mittagong Trail is a long-distance walking trail of 132km that starts in the Blue Mountains at Katoomba and finishes at Mittagong in the Southern Highlands.-Description:...
- Six Foot TrackSix Foot TrackThe Six Foot Track was originally a bridle trail from Katoomba to the Jenolan Caves, and is now a walking trail of 44.3 kilometres.- History :...
- CampingCampingCamping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
- Megalong ValleyMegalong ValleyThe Megalong Valley is part of the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is located west of Katoomba. On its eastern side, the valley is separated from the Jamison Valley by Narrow Neck Plateau. The Shipley Plateau overlooks part of the valley....
Access
- Vehicle access is available at many locations along the river. There are several areas close to HartleyHartley, New South WalesHartley is a historical village in New South Wales, Australia, in the City of Lithgow, located approximately 150 kilometres west of Sydney. It is below the western escarpment of the Blue Mountains....
. As the river progresses towards Lake BurragorangLake BurragorangLake Burragorang is the water storage impounded by Warragamba Dam. It collects the waters of the Coxs, Kowmung, Nattai, Wingecarribee, and Wollondilly Rivers. It is the major water storage for Sydney, Australia...
, vehicle access is not permitted. - HikingHikingHiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
is the most popular access method to the Coxs River. There are several well maintained historic walks that follow along scenic sections of the river. One of the most popular is the Six Foot TrackSix Foot TrackThe Six Foot Track was originally a bridle trail from Katoomba to the Jenolan Caves, and is now a walking trail of 44.3 kilometres.- History :...
. - Horse riding is another popular way to enjoy the Coxs river. There are several tour operators in the Megalong ValleyMegalong ValleyThe Megalong Valley is part of the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is located west of Katoomba. On its eastern side, the valley is separated from the Jamison Valley by Narrow Neck Plateau. The Shipley Plateau overlooks part of the valley....
that offer day and overnight rides.