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Mitchell River (Queensland)
Encyclopedia
The Mitchell River is a river in the Far North Queensland
region of Australia
. The river begins on the Atherton Tableland
about 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) northwest of Cairns
, and flows about 750 kilometres (466 mi) northwest across Cape York Peninsula
from Mareeba
to the Gulf of Carpentaria
.
The river's watershed
covers an area of 71757 km² (27,705.5 sq mi). The Mitchell River has the state's largest discharge, but is intermittent and may be dry for part of the year. Southedge Dam
is the main water storage facility on the river.
It was named by Ludwig Leichhardt
on the 16 June 1845 after Sir Thomas Mitchell while he was on his overland expedition from Moreton Bay
to Port Essington
. May have been previously named Vereenighde River in 1623 by a Dutch merchant and navigator, Jan Carstenz.
, carrying away sediments to be deposited in the broad floodplains
and wetland
s of the Gulf Savannah country
.
The rivers' waters 'pulse' annually with monsoonal rains
, seasonally collecting water from across the local tropical rainforest
s in the highlands to the east; the wet sclerophyll
forests in the central uplands; a variety of woodland
s plus savannah
in the western plains; annually flooding with freshwater, the tidal plains
, wetland
s, estuaries
, and mangroves of the lower Mitchell and coastal plains.
The catchment ecology as a whole has been generally described as follows:
More specifically, while this ecologically diverse river system is relatively poorly studied, it is know to contain at least 18 rare, endangered or vulnerable animal species including the Golden Shouldered Parrot
, the Gouldian Finch
and the Northern Bettong
. The mouth of the river lies in the Gulf Plains Important Bird Area
.
, Chillagoe
, Dimbulah
, Mount Carbine
, Mount Molloy
. Other smaller towns in the Mitchell River catchment include Mutchilba
and Almaden.
and Alice River.
within the Mitchell River catchment include:
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
region of 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...
. The river begins on the Atherton Tableland
Atherton Tableland
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns, well into the tropics, but its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. It has an area of around...
about 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) northwest of Cairns
Cairns, Queensland
Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, Australia, founded 1876. The city was named after William Wellington Cairns, then-current Governor of Queensland. It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was...
, and flows about 750 kilometres (466 mi) northwest across Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
from Mareeba
Mareeba, Queensland
Mareeba is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. The town is above sea level on the confluence of the Barron River, Granite Creek and Emerald Creek. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning meeting of the waters...
to the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
.
The river's watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
covers an area of 71757 km² (27,705.5 sq mi). The Mitchell River has the state's largest discharge, but is intermittent and may be dry for part of the year. Southedge Dam
Southedge Dam
Southedge Dam, also known as Quaids Dam, is located on the Mitchell River. At full supply level the storage has a capacity of 129000ML and covers an area of 3290ha. Southedge Dam has remained unused since its construction in 1986. It was constructed and owned by Southedge Daintree Pastoral...
is the main water storage facility on the river.
It was named by Ludwig Leichhardt
Ludwig Leichhardt
Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...
on the 16 June 1845 after Sir Thomas Mitchell while he was on his overland expedition from Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
to Port Essington
Port Essington
Port Essington is an inlet and historic site located on the Cobourg Peninsula in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in Australia's Northern Territory...
. May have been previously named Vereenighde River in 1623 by a Dutch merchant and navigator, Jan Carstenz.
Biophysical aspects
The Mitchell River and its tributaries have for a long time carved their way eastwards through the rugged, weathered highlands of the Great Dividing RangeGreat Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
, carrying away sediments to be deposited in the broad floodplains
Mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats, are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. Mudflats may be viewed geologically as exposed layers of bay mud, resulting from deposition of...
and wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s of the Gulf Savannah country
Gulf Country
The Gulf Country is the name given to the region of woodland and savanna grassland surrounding the Gulf of Carpentaria in north western Queensland and eastern Northern Territory on the north coast of Australia...
.
The rivers' waters 'pulse' annually with monsoonal rains
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
, seasonally collecting water from across the local tropical rainforest
Tropical rainforest
A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type that occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north or south of the equator . This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall...
s in the highlands to the east; the wet sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
forests in the central uplands; a variety of woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s plus savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
in the western plains; annually flooding with freshwater, the tidal plains
Mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats, are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. Mudflats may be viewed geologically as exposed layers of bay mud, resulting from deposition of...
, wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s, estuaries
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
, and mangroves of the lower Mitchell and coastal plains.
Fauna and Flora
Being a large river system, the Mitchell River may contain within its catchment one of Australia's most ecologically diverse aquatic systems consisting of a rich variety of both wet and dry tropical monsoonal habitats.The catchment ecology as a whole has been generally described as follows:
The vegetation in the Mitchell River Catchment area ranges from the World Heritage Wet Tropic rainforestWet Tropics of QueenslandThe Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site consists of approximately 8,940 km² of Australian wet tropical forests growing along the north-east Queensland portion of the Great Dividing Range, stretching from Townsville to Cooktown, running in close parallel to the Great Barrier Reef...
on the eastern highlands to the open savannah on the western and lower Mitchell plains. The extensive mangroves and lagoon systems at the delta of the Mitchell River are recognised worldwide. The permanent waters in the upper catchment are associated with springs and water holes..
More specifically, while this ecologically diverse river system is relatively poorly studied, it is know to contain at least 18 rare, endangered or vulnerable animal species including the Golden Shouldered Parrot
Golden-shouldered Parrot
The Golden-shouldered Parrot is a rare bird of southern Cape York Peninsula, in Queensland, Australia. A small attractive parrot related to the more common Red-rumped Parrot, it is considered to be a superspecies with the Hooded Parrot The Golden-shouldered Parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius) is a...
, the Gouldian Finch
Gouldian Finch
The Gouldian Finch, Erythrura gouldiae , also known as the Lady Gouldian Finch, Gould's Finch or the Rainbow Finch, is a colorful passerine bird endemic to Australia. There is strong evidence of a continuing decline, even at the best-known site near Katherine in the Northern Territory...
and the Northern Bettong
Northern Bettong
The Northern Bettong is a small potoroid marsupial which is restricted to some areas of mixed open Eucalyptus woodlands and Allocasuarina forests bordering rainforests in far northeastern Queensland, Australia....
. The mouth of the river lies in the Gulf Plains Important Bird Area
Gulf Plains Important Bird Area
The Gulf Plains Important Bird Area comprises 8868 km2 of the low-lying coastal plains bordering the south-eastern corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria in north-west Queensland, Australia...
.
Towns
The major towns in the river's catchment are KowanyamaKowanyama, Queensland
Kowanyama is a town on the Gulf of Carpentaria side of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia.At the 2006 census, Kowanyama had a population of 1,017....
, Chillagoe
Chillagoe, Queensland
Chillagoe in northern Queensland, Australia, was once a thriving mining town for a range of minerals, but is now reduced to a small zinc mine and some marble quarries. At the 2006 census, Chillagoe had a population of 227....
, Dimbulah
Dimbulah, Queensland
Dimbulah is a town located in Far North Queensland, Australia, 114 kilometres from Cairns by road, on the Atherton Tableland. The town was established in 1876 to service the Tyrconnell Gold Mine, one of the richest mines on the Hodgkinson Gold Fields...
, Mount Carbine
Mount Carbine, Queensland
Mount Carbine is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia. It lies close to the Mount Carbine Tableland. At the 2006 census, Mount Carbine had a population of 91.-Notes and references:...
, Mount Molloy
Mount Molloy, Queensland
Mount Molloy is a historic mining and timber town lying 160 kilometres north of Cairns. At the 2006 census, the town and surrounding area had a population of 276.At its height it was a copper mine in the 1890s...
. Other smaller towns in the Mitchell River catchment include Mutchilba
Mutchilba, Queensland
Mutchilba is a small farming town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is located on the Mareeba-Dimbulah Road 34 kilometres west of Mareeba. It is known for its large production of mangoes.-Mango Mardi Gras:...
and Almaden.
Tributaries
Tributaries to the Mitchell River (from east to west) include the Tate River, Lynd River, Walsh River, Palmer RiverPalmer River
The Palmer River is a river southwest of Cooktown in northeastern Australia. It was the site of a gold rush in the late 19th century which started in 1872. The Palmer River flows west across Cape York to the Gulf of Carpentaria, via the Mitchell River...
and Alice River.
Protected Areas
Protected AreasProtected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
within the Mitchell River catchment include:
- Hann Tableland National ParkHann Tableland National ParkHann Tableland is a national park in Queensland , 1436 km northwest of Brisbane....
- Mitchell-Alice Rivers National ParkMitchell-Alice Rivers National ParkMitchell-Alice Rivers is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1748 km northwest of Brisbane....
- Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National ParkChillagoe-Mungana Caves National ParkChillagoe-Mungana Caves is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1455 km northwest of Brisbane....
- Part of Bulleringa National ParkBulleringa National ParkBulleringa is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1448 km northwest of Brisbane....
to the South - Most of the 40 Mile Scrub National ParkForty Mile Scrub National ParkForty Mile Scrub is a national park in Queensland , 1342 km northwest of Brisbane....
Maps
- Mitchell River Watershed Management Group's Map of the Mitchell River's catchment area
- Mitchell River Watershed Management Group's Map of Towns, Communities, Stations and Riverways in the Catchment
- Mitchell River Watershed Management Group's Map of the Biophysical Regions through which the Mitchell River passes
- Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water Map of Mitchell River Catchment waterways (including Water Resource Plan boundaries)
