Todd River
Encyclopedia
The Todd River is an ephemeral river
in the southern Northern Territory
, central Australia
. The origins of the Todd River begin in the MacDonnell Ranges
, where it flows past the Telegraph Station, almost through the center of Alice Springs, through Heavitree Gap
at the southern end of Alice Springs and continuing on for some distance, passing through the western part of the Simpson Desert
, as it becomes a tributary of the Hale River, and eventually flowing into Lake Eyre in South Australia.
The indigenous Arrernte people
know this river as Lhere Mparntwe .
The Todd is in a very arid
part of Australia and has zero to very low flow during 95% of the year. When it does flow, it carries a heavy sediment
load picked up from the grazing land around the Bond Springs homestead which lends its waters a milky chocolate colour and renders them completely opaque.
The river was named after Charles Todd
, previously Postmaster General of South Australia
.
built on the edge of the river. A large portion of the Alice Springs municipal area is situated on a flood plain of the Todd River, created by flooding upstream of the east-west barrier created by the Heavitree Range, a local segment of the MacDonnell Ranges
.
The Todd runs south through this range at Heavitree Gap along with the main road and rail links connecting Alice Springs to Adelaide
. Heavy flows of the Todd can cut road and rail access, and the bottle neck effect of the Gap can cause flooding in many parts of the town.
Heavy rainfalls in the catchment to the north of Alice Springs cause the river to start flowing through the town around 6 to 8 hours later. The river can change from its normal dry bed to a bank-to-bank flow within a matter of 15 minutes, and it is possible to follow the leading edge of the flow as it snakes through town at a walking pace.
The riverbed contains sites and trees sacred to the local Arrente people.
has been held in Alice Springs annually since 1961. The ironic
regatta
is held on the dry riverbed, and draws up to 20,000 spectators. Bottomless boats are picked up by the competitors standing within them and running down the course. The regatta carries insurance
against the risk of water
in the riverbed. The Henley-on-Todd Regatta has once been cancelled, in 1993, due to flooding - the river had too much water for the race.
Other events are held in the dry riverbed, including the closing ceremony for the 2006 Alice Festival. Camping in the riverbed is illegal, although this law is rarely enforced.
A flow of water in the river is quite an event for the people of Alice Springs, who flock to the causeways and the Telegraph Station to play in the fleeting waters. Although the riverbed is wide and of gentle gradient through the town the opaque waters combined with trees, waterborne and man-made hazards make playing in the flowing river dangerous.
Upstream from Alice Springs the Todd River descends quite rapidly, dropping 100 metres from Junction Waterhole to the Telegraph Station over 8km of River length (5km direct). This is a hilly area, and the river bed is strewn with rocks creating some lively rapids during the short-lived flood events. Many locals are wary of these waters, remembering the death of a local man in 1997 who drowned whilst riding the river on a lilo
. Local paddlers have recently taken to kayaking this excellent section of grade 2 to 3 rapids.
Ephemeral
Ephemeral things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things....
in the southern Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, central 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 origins of the Todd River begin in the MacDonnell Ranges
MacDonnell Ranges
The MacDonnell Ranges of the Northern Territory, are a long series of mountain ranges located in the centre of Australia , and consist of parallel ridges running to the east and west of Alice Springs...
, where it flows past the Telegraph Station, almost through the center of Alice Springs, through Heavitree Gap
Heavitree Gap
The Heavitree Gap, or Ntaripe in the Arrernte language, is a gap in the MacDonnell Ranges of Central Australia. It is the southern entrance to the city of Alice Springs and in addition to the Todd River it carries the main road and rail access to the South....
at the southern end of Alice Springs and continuing on for some distance, passing through the western part of the Simpson Desert
Simpson Desert
The Simpson Desert is a large area of dry, red sandy plain and dunes in Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland in central Australia. It is the fourth largest Australian desert, with an area of 176,500 km² ....
, as it becomes a tributary of the Hale River, and eventually flowing into Lake Eyre in South Australia.
The indigenous Arrernte people
Arrernte people
The Arrernte people , known in English as the Aranda or Arunta, are those Indigenous Australians who are the original custodians of Arrernte lands in the central area of Australia around Mparntwe or Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The Arrernte tribe has lived there for more than 20,000 years...
know this river as Lhere Mparntwe .
The Todd is in a very arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
part of Australia and has zero to very low flow during 95% of the year. When it does flow, it carries a heavy sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
load picked up from the grazing land around the Bond Springs homestead which lends its waters a milky chocolate colour and renders them completely opaque.
The river was named after Charles Todd
Charles Todd
Sir Charles Todd KCMG worked at the Royal Greenwich Observatory 1841-1847 and the Cambridge University observatory from 1847-1854...
, previously Postmaster General 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...
.
Significance to Alice Springs
The Todd River is integral to the city of Alice Springs, with its CBDCentral business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
built on the edge of the river. A large portion of the Alice Springs municipal area is situated on a flood plain of the Todd River, created by flooding upstream of the east-west barrier created by the Heavitree Range, a local segment of the MacDonnell Ranges
MacDonnell Ranges
The MacDonnell Ranges of the Northern Territory, are a long series of mountain ranges located in the centre of Australia , and consist of parallel ridges running to the east and west of Alice Springs...
.
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...
. Heavy flows of the Todd can cut road and rail access, and the bottle neck effect of the Gap can cause flooding in many parts of the town.
Heavy rainfalls in the catchment to the north of Alice Springs cause the river to start flowing through the town around 6 to 8 hours later. The river can change from its normal dry bed to a bank-to-bank flow within a matter of 15 minutes, and it is possible to follow the leading edge of the flow as it snakes through town at a walking pace.
The riverbed contains sites and trees sacred to the local Arrente people.
Recreation and social events
The Henley-on-Todd RegattaHenley-on-Todd Regatta
The Henley-on-Todd Regatta is a "boat" race held annually in the typically dry sandy bed of the Todd River in Alice Springs, Australia...
has been held in Alice Springs annually since 1961. The ironic
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
is held on the dry riverbed, and draws up to 20,000 spectators. Bottomless boats are picked up by the competitors standing within them and running down the course. The regatta carries insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
against the risk of water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
in the riverbed. The Henley-on-Todd Regatta has once been cancelled, in 1993, due to flooding - the river had too much water for the race.
Other events are held in the dry riverbed, including the closing ceremony for the 2006 Alice Festival. Camping in the riverbed is illegal, although this law is rarely enforced.
A flow of water in the river is quite an event for the people of Alice Springs, who flock to the causeways and the Telegraph Station to play in the fleeting waters. Although the riverbed is wide and of gentle gradient through the town the opaque waters combined with trees, waterborne and man-made hazards make playing in the flowing river dangerous.
Upstream from Alice Springs the Todd River descends quite rapidly, dropping 100 metres from Junction Waterhole to the Telegraph Station over 8km of River length (5km direct). This is a hilly area, and the river bed is strewn with rocks creating some lively rapids during the short-lived flood events. Many locals are wary of these waters, remembering the death of a local man in 1997 who drowned whilst riding the river on a lilo
Air mattress
An air mattress is an inflatable mattress/sleeping pad. Due to its buoyancy, it is also often used as a water toy/flotation device, and in UK is termed as a lilo .-For sleeping:...
. Local paddlers have recently taken to kayaking this excellent section of grade 2 to 3 rapids.