| Don River | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Clarke Ranges |
| Mouth | Coral Sea near Bowen |
| Length | 60 km (37 mi) |
| Source elevation | 250 m (820 ft) |
| Basin area | 1,200 km2 (460 sq mi) |
The Don River is a short river in North Queensland which empties into the Coral Sea near Bowen, Queensland. It is not to be confused to the Don River in Central Queensland which is a tributary of the Fitzroy River.
The source of the river is in the Clarke Ranges, west of Proserpine. The river runs about 60 kilometres (37 mi) in a northerly direction to its mouth falling about 250 metres (820 ft) over its length. Over its length it drains about 1,200 square kilometres (460 sq mi).[1]
High salinity levels have been recorded at the mouth of the river.[2] Land use in the upper catchment is mostly beef cattle production with crops grown in the richer soils downstream.[1]
The highest recorded flood was in 1970 when the river reached 7.25 m at the Bowen Pumping Station.[1] The river delta is particularly vulnerable to flooding during cyclones.[2]
Management concerns were raised after floods in February 2008. Deposits of sand which have raised the riverbed considerably were attributed to the flooding.[3] Approval to dredge sand has already been granted by the state government however only about half of that has been removed in recent years. A flood in 2008 lead the Whitsunday Regional Council to create a channel so that similar flooding could be avoided.[4]
A management plan for the river was established late in 2008. It included measures to encourage further sand extraction.[5]