Little Para River
Encyclopedia
The Little Para River is a seasonal creek
running across the Adelaide
plains of South Australia
, whose catchment fills reservoirs that supply some of the water needs of Adelaide’s northern suburbs. It runs from its source near Lower Hermitage in the Mount Lofty Ranges
, flows north westerly to the Little Para Reservoir
and then westerly to the Barker Inlet
of the Gulf St Vincent at Globe Derby Park
. The lower portion of the river is badly affected by human activity and stormwater
runoff but the upper reaches have a good range of biodiversity
.
In 1838 John Barton Hack
shared with Colonel George Gawler
and a Mr. Williams in a 4,000 acre "Special Survey" nearby at £1 per acre. Hack established a dairy there and transported butter south to the city.
The river attracted John Harvey to form his settlement at Salisbury
in 1847 and was crucial to the development of the citrus
industry from 1852. In the 1960s the City of Salisbury
began acquiring land for public space, and a belt of park
lands with biking and walking trails now borders the river. The river’s name derives from the Kaurna
word Pari which roughly translates as a stream of flowing water.
As the river flows down from the Adelaide Hills over the Para fault
escarpment
, it has formed a large alluvial fan
on which Salisbury is built. The river is narrow and winding, formerly flooded in heavy rain and rarely reaches its sea outlet. Over time the river has been widened and levee
s added to reduce this flooding. In the 19th century lack of consistent flow in the river and the absence of an organised water supply
system led to the digging of wells. The Little Para refreshes the well's water, mostly held in clay, sand and gravel layers up to 200 feet (61 m) deep. The Little Para Reservoir
is built in the path of the river for water storage and flood mitigation. As the river's catchment is insufficient to fill the reservoir, it is mainly used to store water pumped from the River Murray. Periodically water is released from the reservoir into the river, enabling refreshing of ground water.
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
running across the Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
plains of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, whose catchment fills reservoirs that supply some of the water needs of Adelaide’s northern suburbs. It runs from its source near Lower Hermitage in the Mount Lofty Ranges
Mount Lofty Ranges
The Mount Lofty Ranges are the range of mountains just to the east of Adelaide in South Australia.-Location and description:The Mount Lofty Ranges stretch from the southernmost point of the Fleurieu Peninsula at Cape Jervis northwards for over before petering out north of Peterborough...
, flows north westerly to the Little Para Reservoir
Little Para Reservoir
Little Para Reservoir is a reservoir in South Australia serving the city of Adelaide. It was built between 1974 and 1977, costing A$11.5 million, and commissioned in January 1979....
and then westerly to the Barker Inlet
Barker Inlet
The Barker Inlet is a tidal inlet of the Gulf St Vincent in Adelaide, South Australia, named after Captain Collet Barker who first sighted it in 1831. It contains one of the southernmost mangrove forests in the world, a dolphin sanctuary, seagrass meadows and is an important fish and shellfish...
of the Gulf St Vincent at Globe Derby Park
Globe Derby Park
Globe Derby Park is a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Salisbury.-Demographics:The 2006 Census by the Australian Bureau of Statistics counted 314 persons in Globe Derby Park on census night...
. The lower portion of the river is badly affected by human activity and stormwater
Stormwater
Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt that enters the stormwater system...
runoff but the upper reaches have a good range of biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
.
In 1838 John Barton Hack
John Barton Hack
John Barton Hack was an early settler in South Australia; a prominent farmer, businessman and public figure. He lost his fortune in the financial crisis of 1840 and despite his best efforts, never regained anything like his former influence and prosperity...
shared with Colonel George Gawler
George Gawler
-External links: – Memorials and Monuments in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK...
and a Mr. Williams in a 4,000 acre "Special Survey" nearby at £1 per acre. Hack established a dairy there and transported butter south to the city.
The river attracted John Harvey to form his settlement at Salisbury
Salisbury, South Australia
Salisbury is a northern suburb in Adelaide, South Australia. It is the seat of the City of Salisbury, and in the South Australian Legislative Assembly electoral district of Ramsay and the Australian House of Representatives divisions of Wakefield and Port Adelaide...
in 1847 and was crucial to the development of the citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
industry from 1852. In the 1960s the City of Salisbury
City of Salisbury
The City of Salisbury is a local government area located on the northern fringes of Adelaide, South Australia. It has an estimated population of 130,022 people and encompasses an area of 158km². The council's main offices are situated in the Salisbury central business district.-Suburbs:-External...
began acquiring land for public space, and a belt of park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
lands with biking and walking trails now borders the river. The river’s name derives from the Kaurna
Kaurna language
"Kaurna" is the language of the Kaurna people, an Australian aboriginal ethnic group, in South Australia. It was historically spoken on the Adelaide Plains from Crystal Brook and Clare in the north, to Cape Jervis in the south. It became extinct in the 19th century but was revived and reconstructed...
word Pari which roughly translates as a stream of flowing water.
As the river flows down from the Adelaide Hills over the Para fault
Geologic fault
In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock, across which there has been significant displacement along the fractures as a result of earth movement. Large faults within the Earth's crust result from the action of tectonic forces...
escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
, it has formed a large alluvial fan
Alluvial fan
An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit formed where a fast flowing stream flattens, slows, and spreads typically at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain. A convergence of neighboring alluvial fans into a single apron of deposits against a slope is called a bajada, or compound alluvial...
on which Salisbury is built. The river is narrow and winding, formerly flooded in heavy rain and rarely reaches its sea outlet. Over time the river has been widened and levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s added to reduce this flooding. In the 19th century lack of consistent flow in the river and the absence of an organised water supply
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
system led to the digging of wells. The Little Para refreshes the well's water, mostly held in clay, sand and gravel layers up to 200 feet (61 m) deep. The Little Para Reservoir
Little Para Reservoir
Little Para Reservoir is a reservoir in South Australia serving the city of Adelaide. It was built between 1974 and 1977, costing A$11.5 million, and commissioned in January 1979....
is built in the path of the river for water storage and flood mitigation. As the river's catchment is insufficient to fill the reservoir, it is mainly used to store water pumped from the River Murray. Periodically water is released from the reservoir into the river, enabling refreshing of ground water.