| Culgoa | |
| River | |
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| State | Queensland, New South Wales |
| Mouth | confluence with the Darling River |
The Culgoa River is a continuation of one branch of the Balonne River in southern Queensland (its western branch) and flows south-west to join the Darling River near Bourke, New South Wales. It is named for the Aboriginal word meaning "Running Through". Tributaries of the Culgoa include Nebine, Mungallala and Wallam Creeks.[1]
The controversial Cubbie Station is located on the Culgoa River.[2] At the station, there is large diversion channel which allows the farm to easily siphon large quantities of river water. The cotton farm is licensed to store 450,000 ML.[3] Farmers downstream from large cotton farms such as Cubbie Station say that the river's flow has been reduced by one third of what they traditionally were.[3] Since 2000, the Lower Balonne floodplain in northwest New South Wales has not received enough water to flood the plains as it once did every two or three years.[4] This has affected cattle farmers who rely on the water for livestock to drink and to support the growth of pasture feed.
The navy frigate HMAS Culgoa (K408) was named after the river.