Leichhardt River
| Leichhardt | |
| River | |
 Leichhardt River, Mount Isa, ca. 1929 | |
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| State | Queensland |
| Region | Gulf Country |
| Basin | 32,878 km2 (12,694 sq mi) |
The Leichhardt River is a river in north west Queensland, Australia. The source of the river is near the mining town Mount Isa and it runs in a generally north direction across the Gulf Country to its mouth at the Gulf of Carpentaria. The river is named after the early explorer of Australia, Ludwig Leichhardt.
Leichhardt River has a catchment area of 32,878 square kilometres (12,694 sq mi).[1] Primary activities undertaken in the watershed include mining and grazing.
The river is ephemeral and in the dry season the upstream reaches retract to a series of waterholes. The drainage basin and river estuary are in a near pristine condition.[2]
The river is dammed near Mount Isa to form Lake Moondarra. Other storage facilities in the catchment include Julius Dam, East Leichhardt Dam and Rifle Creek Dam.[1] Around 50 kilometres (31 mi) upstream from its mouth are the Leichhardt Falls. As well as Mount Isa, the small community of Kajabbi is located on the river. At Mount Isa, the river is crossed by the Barkly Highway.
In 2009 Xstrata spent $3 million for remediation work involving the removal of 40,000 tonnes of material from the riverbed.[3]
Fossil remains have been found along the river's course. In 2011 an unidentified ancient marsupial was discovered by paleontologists.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Water resources - Overview - Queensland: Basin & Surface Water Management Area: Leichhardt River". Australian National Resources Atlas. Department of Sustainabililty, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. 15 June 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
- ↑ "Estuary Assessment 2000: Basin: Leichhardt River". Australian National Resources Atlas. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. 20 June 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
- ↑ Meera Nambiar (10 November 2009). "Miner spends $3m on river clean-up". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 11 June 2012.
- ↑ David Lewis (6 December 2011). "Ancient marsupial skull like 'Planet of the Apes leftover'". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 11 June 2012.
External links
Media related to Leichhardt River at Wikimedia Commons
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Coordinates: 17°35′S 139°48′E / 17.583°S 139.800°E