Wenlock River

The Wenlock River is a major river of the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia. It rises in the Great Dividing Range, flows north-west through tropical savanna plains and wetlands, and enters the Gulf of Carpentaria on the western side of the peninsula at Port Musgrave just north of Mapoon.

The total catchment size is 7526 .^[1] The river has no water storage facilities built on it and there is little development within the drainage basin, resulting in a low population.

Much of the river is bordered by gallery rainforests which provide habitat for animals such as the White-tailed Rat, Spotted Cuscus and Palm Cockatoo. During the wet season the river floods, replenishing the wetlands. With some 48 species, the river contains the highest diversity of freshwater fish of all Australian rivers,^[2] many of which are shared with the rivers of southern New Guinea. They include Buffon's River Garfish and Fimbriate Gudgeon, as well as the Freshwater Sawfish and more common species such as the Sooty Grunter, Saratoga and Barramundi. The river is also home to one of Queensland’s largest breeding populations of the Saltwater Crocodile.^[3]

See also

• List of rivers in Australia

References