Freshwater bodies of Australia. Water map of Australia: rivers and lakes. Large artesian well Famous rivers and lakes of Australia

Large rivers and lakes of Australia

Largest rivers: Murray - Darling
This system is Australia's main river and lake system. The Murray is the most famous, but there is more than one river. The Murray and Darling are two different rivers: the Darling is a tributary of the Murray.

Other famous rivers of Australia:

The Flinders River (the longest in Queensland), the Diamantina River and Cooper Creek, which run through western Queensland, eventually emptying into Lake Eyre.

The Lachlan River, which flows into the Murrumbidgee River, which in turn flows into the Murray. Lachlan is essentially one of the main irrigation systems in the state of New South Wales.

The Culgoa, Balonne, Warrego and Condamine rivers feed the Darling River.

The Gascoyne River is the longest in Western Australia.

Goulburn River (Victoria)

The Hunter River, which frequently floods in New South Wales, as well as the Clarence and Richmond.

The Dumaresque, McIntyre and Tweed rivers form part of the border between Queensland and New South Wales.

The Burdekin River, forms the main dams in northern Queensland.

Each of Australia's cities and capital is built on a river:

Sydney - Hawkesbury and Parramatta Rivers

Melbourne - Yarra

Adelaide - Torrens

Brisbane - Brisbane

Perth - Swan (Swan)

Hobart - Derwent

Capital of the Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, on the Molonglo River

Lakes of Australia

There are 800 lakes in Australia. The basins of most of them were formed in early geological eras and are relics. Many of the lakes (Amadies, Frome, Torrens) are filled only during periods of heavy rainfall, which occur every few years. In normal times they are dry basins.

Lakes of the Australian Capital Territory

Burley Griffin
An artificial lake in the center of Canberra, the capital of Australia. The structure was completed in 1964 after the Molonglo River was dammed between the city center and the Parliamentary Triangle. The site is located in the approximate geographic center of the city, and, in accordance with Griffin's original design, was the central point of the capital. On its banks were built the buildings of many central institutions, such as the National Gallery of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, National Library Australia, the Australian National University and the High Court of Australia, and the Parliament House of Australia is located nearby.

Lakes of Western Australia

Disappointment
Salt Lake in Western Australia. It dries out during the dry months. Yours modern name The lake received its name in 1897 and was named so by traveler Frank Hann, who made a significant contribution to the study of the Pilbara region. Spotting in the study area a large number of streams, he hoped to find a large freshwater lake.

Mackay
One of hundreds of dry lakes scattered across Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Lake Mackay covers approximately 100 kilometers from north to south and west to east.

Hiller
A lake in southwest Australia, notable for its pink. The edges of the lake are surrounded by sand and eucalyptus forest. The island and lake were discovered during the expedition of British navigator Matthew Flinders in 1802. Captain Flinders is said to have spotted the lake while climbing to the top of the island. For tourists, Lake Hillier is not the most convenient place. Due to the lack of water navigation in this area, the most convenient way to get there is air Transport, which is beyond the means of most people who want to see an unusual body of water.

Lakes of Queensland

Blue Lake
Lake in Queensland. Located 44 km east of Brisbane on North Stradbroke Island. Located 9 km west of Dunwich. The lake is located in the Blue Lakes National Park. The maximum depth of the lake is about 10 m. Rivers from the lake flow into the Mail swamp.

Ichem
A volcanic lake in the Australian state of Queensland, occupies one of the maars of the Atherton Plateau. Ichem is a former stratovolcano. Severely destroyed by powerful explosion 18,750 years ago. The last eruption dates back to 1292.

Kutaraba
A lake in the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, within the Great Sandy National Park.

Lakes of the Northern Territory

Amadius
A drying, endorheic salt lake in central Australia. Located approximately 350 km southwest of Alice Springs. Area - about 880 km². Due to the arid climate, Amadius is a completely dry lake for most of the year.

Anbangbang-Billabong
Billabong Lake in northern Australia, located between Nawurlandja Rock and Nourlangie Rock in Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory. The lake is about 2.5 km long and is home to many species of birds. In the morning, marsupial wallabies can be seen on the banks.

Lakes of Tasmania

Barbary
An artificial lake located in the western part of the island of Tasmania, slightly east of the city of Queenstown. It was formed as a result of the construction of the Crotty Dam, which blocked the King River. The area of ​​the lake is 49 square kilometers. Thus, it is the sixth largest in area among natural and artificial reservoirs in Tasmania.

Great Lake
A lake located in the northern part of the Central Highlands of the island of Tasmania. It is a natural lake that was significantly enlarged by the construction of a dam. The area of ​​the lake is 170 square kilometers. Thus, it is the third largest natural and artificial reservoir in Tasmania.

Dove
A lake located in the north of the Central Highlands of the island of Tasmania. The lake is located at an altitude of 934 m. The area of ​​the lake is 0.86 km². Dove Lake is located in the northern part of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. This park is part of an area called " wild nature Tasmanian Wilderness, which is the subject World Heritage UNESCO.

Pedder
A lake located in the southwestern part of the island of Tasmania. Initially, on this site there was a lake of natural origin with the same name - the “old” Lake Pedder. In 1972, the installation of several dams flooded a much larger area, effectively turning the lake into a reservoir - the "new" Lake Pedder.

St. Clair
A lake located in the Central Highlands of Tasmania. The maximum depth of the lake is 200 m; thereby, it is the very deep lake Australia. The area of ​​the lake is 30 square kilometers, the height of the water surface is 737 m above sea level. Lake St. Clair is located in the southern portion of Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park.

Lakes of South Australia

Alexandrina
A lake in South Australia adjacent to the coast of the Great Australian Bight, which is part of Indian Ocean.

Bonnie
Coastal lake in south-eastern South Australia. This is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Australia. The lake is 450 km from Adelaide and 13 km southwest of Millicent. Kanunda National Park is located next to the lake shore. For more than 60 years, large volumes of wastewater from nearby pulp and paper mills have negatively affected the lake.

Gairdner
A large inland lake in central South Australia, it is considered the fourth largest salt lake in Australia when it's flooded. The lake covers more than 160 kilometers in length and 48 kilometers in width with salt deposits reaching up to 1.2 meters thick in some places. It is located west of Lake Torrens, 150 km north-west of Port Augusta and 440 km north-west of Adelaide.

Torrance
The second largest saline endorheic rift lake in Australia, in the state of South Australia, located 345 km north of Adelaide. The indicated area of ​​the lake is very arbitrary, since over the past 150 years it has been completely filled with water only once. The lake is now part of national park Lake Torrens, which requires special permission to enter.

Frome
A large endorheic lake in the Australian state of South Australia, located east of the Flinders Ranges. Frome is a large, shallow drying lake covered with a crust of salt. The lake is about 100 km long and 40 km wide. Most of the lake is below sea level. Area - 2596 km². Occasionally it fills with brackish water from dry creeks originating in the Flinders Ranges west of Frome, or exclusively with water from Strzelecki Creek to the north.

Air
A dry lake in South Australia. It is located in the center of the vast pool of the same name. Occasionally it fills to a level of 9 m below the sea level. Moreover, its area is 9500 square meters. km., which makes it largest lake Australia. When drying out, the lowest point of the lake bottom is at an altitude of -16 m, which is lowest point countries.

Great Artesian Basin:

Also known as "Canal Country", it is one of the largest artesian groundwater basins in the world and is important source water for Australian agriculture.

Lakes Eyre Basin

The Lake Eyre basin is the largest endorheic basin in Australia and one of the largest in the world, with an area of ​​approximately 1,200,000 square kilometres, covering approximately one-sixth of the country, and is one of four sub-basins of the Great Artesian Basin.

The rivers here flow based on the amount of rainfall, and therefore, isolated reservoirs of water are vital to the local population and wildlife.

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• Read: Nature of Australia; Freshwater bodies of the Earth

Rivers and lakes of Australia

Rivers of Australia

Most of the Australian mainland receives little rainfall, so most of Australia's rivers dry up. And only those that start in the mountains Eastern Australia, as well as the rivers of Tasmania have a constant flow all year round.

Murray River along with large tributaries Darling, Murrumbidgee and Goulburn - the main river artery of Australia. It covers an area in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia with a total area of ​​about 1073 thousand square meters. km. The Murray River originates in Snowy mountains, and flows into Encounter Bay in South Australia. The total length of the Murray River is 2575 km, with the lower 970 km navigable but only for small vessels. Obstacle to entry sea ​​vessels There are sandbanks blocking the mouth of the river. The Murrumbidgee tributary, which is 1690 km long, begins in the Cooma area and flows into the Murray. The main Darling River, 2,740 km long, flows into the Murray at Wentworth.

Slightly more than half of the continent has separate drainage or belongs to internal drainage basins. On the Western Plateau, the flow is isolated, and the streams that exist there function rarely and for a short time, and end in temporary lakes or swamps confined to drainless basins. The Lake Eyre basin, one of the world's largest inland drainage basins, covers an area of ​​1143.7 thousand square meters. km and occupies most of the territory of Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia. Such large rivers of this basin as Georgina, Diamantina and Cooper Creek are also interesting. And since they are characterized by very small slopes of flow, most of the time they are real labyrinths of dry intertwining channels, but after heavy rains they fill up and quickly spread many kilometers wide. Despite this, the waters of these rivers rarely reach Lake Eyre. It is noted that only in 1950 its basin was filled for the first time since the colonization of the mainland by Europeans.

The use of Australian rivers is extremely difficult because their flow is extremely variable. In addition, there are few areas suitable for the construction of dams, especially in inland areas, and large reservoirs are needed to ensure a constant water supply. In addition, in Australian arid regions, water losses due to evaporation are very significant, and only in Tasmania is the flow quite constant in all seasons.

Most of the time, the lakes of Australia are waterless basins that are covered with salt-bearing clays. Therefore, in rare times when they are filled with water, they are silted, salty and shallow reservoirs. The largest of them: lakes Eyre, Torrens, Gairdner and Frome are located in South Australia. And there are many such small lakes in the Western Tablelands of Western Australia. Numerous lagoons with brackish or salt water are located along the southeastern coast of Australia, and they are separated from the sea by sandbanks and ridges.

Tasmania is a territory richer in fresh water, so it is here that the largest freshwater lakes are located, and some of them, in particular the Great Lake, are used for hydroelectric purposes.

Water supply from groundwater is vital to many rural areas of Australia. Experts have calculated that the total area of ​​basins with fresh groundwater reserves exceeds 3,240 thousand square meters. km. However, these waters mostly contain various dissolved solids, which often have a harmful effect on plants when watering, but in many cases this water is suitable for watering livestock.

The world's largest, the so-called Great Artesian Basin, is located in Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales and the Northern Territory, which covers an area of ​​1,751.5 thousand square meters. km. Despite the fact that groundwater is often very warm and highly mineralized, sheep farming in this region depends on it. Artesian basins have also been discovered in Western Australia and south-east Victoria, but of much smaller sizes.

Many people who are far from geography believe that the driest and most waterless continent on Earth is Africa with its famous deserts. However, this is a deep misconception. Distant and mysterious Australia, of course, where less than Africa and appears less often in international news, but in terms of aridity it ranks first. The volume of precipitation falling on its territory is 5 times less than that of Africa.

At the same time, rivers and lakes must be fed by something, from somewhere they must receive new water to replace that which has evaporated from their surface. The main source of replenishment for most rivers in the world is rain and melting snow, and it is the problem with precipitation in Australia. So this continent does not have truly large rivers, especially those that could be called high-water.

Location of Australian rivers

However, if this island-continent were completely waterless, it would hardly be able to boast of any living creatures and vegetation, and people would not have developed it. So there are bodies of water here.

Another thing is that Australia's rivers are mostly concentrated in the southeast of the country. Most of the rain that falls on the mainland falls here. That is why all the major rivers of Australia flow here, among which the main one is the Murray, and with the accompanying tributary, the Darling. This system begins with mountain peaks called the Great Watershed Ridge, and despite the arid climate, it never completely dries out. This is explained by the fact that Murray is fed not only by rainwater, but also by snow, which has chosen the tops of the specified ridge and regularly melts in due time. It is this watercourse that can be called full-flowing and navigable, because it (and this is unlike other rivers in Australia) is accessible even to fairly heavy vessels all year round. Let us remind you: this is by no means typical for the described part of the land.

It should be clarified that the navigability of Murray, despite the fact that it belongs to the category “ big rivers Australia” concerns only the lower thousand kilometers (despite the total length of the river being more than two and a half thousand). And for deep-seated sea vessels, Murray is generally inaccessible: it is replete with sandy shoals, and they block the very mouth. So ships with low draft cannot enter it.

Features of Australian rivers

As anyone who remembers anything from geography lessons knows, all the rivers in the world must flow somewhere. Usually this is the sea or ocean. But the rivers of Australia have distinguished themselves here too. Most of the existing reservoirs do not drain into the ocean. Moreover, they can generally be called a non-constant quantity. The vast majority of waterways on this continent are dry rivers of Australia. That is, they fill with water during short but heavy rains, overflow, flooding the surrounding area, and again become dry riverbeds.

No less interesting is that some of Australia's large rivers and lakes (especially the latter) contain salt water. Actually, we can say that on this continent the problem is not with water, but with its fresh variety.

Darling River

This waterway is something between the Murray and other rivers. It does not have additional “food” in the form of melting snow caps - its source is located much to the north of its “big brother”. Like the rest of the rivers of Australia, the Darling is on a dry ration and mainly renews its waters from precipitation. However it is quite large waterway, which also has underground power sources. So in the dry months this river becomes much shallower, but does not dry out completely.

Australian screams

This word does not mean loud sounds made by any living creature. This is the name for small and, one might say, temporary rivulets (watercourses) that exist during the rainy season and are completely dry during the hot months. They are characteristic of desert areas inland, the most famous of which is Cooper Creek. It is impossible to say that the Creeks are equal rivers of Australia, but they play their role in its existence.

Lake system

There are very few lakes in Australia. Moreover, as already mentioned, they are salty. The largest Australian lake, named Eyre, is also by no means fresh. All such bodies of water are former inland seas in Australia. All of them are located below ocean level, so it is not at all surprising that they do not offer fresh water. The rivers and lakes of Australia are closely connected. It is river flowing water that feeds the lakes, and since there is not enough of it, these reservoirs also dry up. That is why the lake shoreline does not have clear outlines. In the dry season, Australian lakes are more like our clay pits. And even the most big lake Australia (Ayr) in the hot months breaks up into a large number of small ponds.

Australian lakes overview

Air, as was said, is the largest of them. IN rainy season it is filled with water; at its deepest point its bottom drops 15 meters. This lake is closed. Water is removed from it only by evaporation. This does not apply to rare but heavy rainfalls, during which the Eyre can even overflow its banks and flood the surrounding area. It should be noted that the large rivers and lakes of Australia are tightly interconnected, and without the former the latter long years(or even decades) stand empty.

The next largest lake by volume is Torrance. It also has no drainage and is located in the south of Australia. It is unique in that over the past century and a half it has only been filled with water once. It is a national park, so you can “visit” it only with a special permit.

Also to the south, Lake Frome is equally salty and also drainless. However, one of the creeks (with the unpronounceable name Strzelecki) is located nearby, so this body of water has water much more often than the previous one.

In the north-east of Western Australia there is almost the only Gregory. Scientists, however, suspect that drought will affect it over time, like other rivers and lakes in Australia, meaning it will become salty and rarely fill with water. So far, Gregory is the most populated lake in Australia, rich in flora and fauna (due to its freshwater).

man-made lake

Western Australia also boasts an artificial reservoir called Argyll. Thanks to it, 150 kilometers of agriculture live and feed Australians. Fishing is also good here: unlike other Australian lakes, there is a lot of fish here, including valuable species, including sleepy cod (it is loved by fishermen and connoisseurs of fish dishes more than others), barramundi and bony bream. In general, there are as many as 26 species of fish here, which can be considered a unique achievement for this continent. True, fishing (and just walking) along the banks of Argyll should be done very carefully: 25 thousand crocodiles are a good reason for vigilance.

Of course, many fans of scale may not be impressed: the large rivers and lakes of Australia are probably not as majestic as they would like. But do not forget that Australia itself is small (when compared with the continents).

List of Australian rivers

To be honest, the list of everything that can be classified as “Rivers of Australia” on the map has 70 items. However, it is hardly worth paying attention to Prospect Creek, which flows for only 17 kilometers, or Lane Cove, which does not reach this distance (its length in the rainy season is only 15 km). There are rivers of even shorter length - the same Queen, which does not stretch up to 13 km. It is clear that for a “drying up” continent, even if it belongs to the category of “drying up rivers of Australia,” it is valuable. But we will not consider it in detail. Let us dwell only on those that can be roughly classified as “large rivers of Australia”.

Which rivers in Australia can be classified as large? Adelaide is in the north of the mainland, stretches as much as 180 km, and is also navigable. The Gascoyne is the longest artery in the west, almost a thousand kilometers (978), and also has a drainage into the Flinders - the winner for the longest in the state of Queensland, flowing for 1004 km. The Lochlan, which covers 1,339 km of Australian territory and flows into the Murrumbidgee. And the Murrumbidgee itself, which reaches almost one and a half thousand kilometers (for the corrosive - 1485), and is also one of the few river sites where it was possible to build a dam.

Very ancient history

From all of the above, it is easy to conclude that Australians are very sensitive to water in general, and fresh water in particular. Research, searches and historical information are something that the inhabitants of the miniature continent take very seriously. And even if at the moment the results of the studies have no practical use, Australians are interested in them... and useful consequences can wait.

Such research includes recent research conducted by the Smithsonian Institution in collaboration with National University Australia. Scientists have created a unique software, studied everything they got from previous explorers, and conducted their own reconnaissance “on the ground.”

The result of the study was a map of the ancient distribution of waters on Australian soil. And since tectonic stability on this continent was established earlier, there is an option to track the “hidden” waters using these studies.

Let's make a reservation: many geologists do not trust the results too much and refute them using other data. But it is not yet possible to completely refute them, so Australia can, using unverified information, try to enrich itself with additional water resources.

Alternative sources of drinking water

From all of the above, it is obvious that Australia is in dire need of fresh water. Neither the rivers (most of which dry up) nor the lakes (which are mostly almost marine) provide it with the required amount of unsalted water. Therefore, the state was forced to turn to alternative sources that could provide what was missing.

Of course, groundwater is not a panacea. Their sulfur content (both pure and in compounds) is too high, but from another source fresh water often does not exist.

The good news is that there is a Great Artesian Basin beneath Australia. The bad news is that it will also end someday. And this continent already has to think about what its inhabitants will do next.

The development of Australia's river network was significantly influenced by climate and topography. The aridity of the smallest continent on Earth is due to the fact that most of it is located in the tropics. Extended from north to south, the Great Dividing Range, a mountain range in the east of the continent, is the source of the formation of the deepest and largest rivers.

Only 7-10% of the drainage area falls on the Pacific zone, 33% on the Indian Ocean, and the remaining huge area of ​​Australia has internal drainage (the internal drainage area is one of the largest in the world). The total drainage is only 350 sq. km., more than 10 times less than on other continents.

Looking at a map of Australia, you will notice that many rivers (some partially, others completely) are dotted. This means that they have inconsistent water flow throughout the year. Drying up, some become thin streams, others disappear altogether. In total, there are about seventy rivers on the territory of the Australian continent, and temporary water flows with a channel are also called rivers here. Some of them are only 10 kilometers long.

Australian rivers are fed primarily by rain and depend on precipitation. Then the rivers become full-flowing, wide and deep. Thanks to the rains, some become navigable for a short time.

All waterways on this continent are used to irrigate agricultural land. Australians take great care of their rivers. All agriculture on this continent is irrigated. Most (70%) of the continent receives less than 500 mm. precipitation per year and water is a real asset to the local residents.

The rivers of the southwestern part of Australia belonging to the Indian Ocean basin can be called the most full-flowing and have a constant water flow. This is the Murray with its tributaries the Darling and Murrumbidgee. They all originate on the western slopes of the Great Australian Mountains. The eastern drainage includes rivers flowing into Pacific Ocean, they are the most stormy and fast, but also shorter (Fitzroy, Hunter, Manning). Life is in full swing in the valleys and on the banks of these rivers; here are located big cities, villages, farmsteads.

The source of the continent's largest river is located on the slopes of the Great Dividing Range. The length of this deep river is 2570 kilometers. The regime is very uneven throughout the year, Murray feeds melt water from the mountains, but receives its main filling during the rainy season. This happens in the summer, the river and its tributaries overflow, which sometimes leads to floods.

The Murray, becoming high-water, carries a large amount of clastic material, which is deposited along the banks of the channel and at the mouth. Throughout its existence, Murray has repeatedly changed its course.

In winter the bed of the main water artery Australia is becoming very shallow, and during severe droughts the upper reaches dry out completely. A reservoir built in the upper part of the river helped maintain a constant water flow. In its middle part the Murray is temporarily navigable.

The Murray flows through rubber bushes, then through the desert. Moving along the stream, you can see water meadows, National parks, golf courses, ride on ancient paddle steamers.

The river is rich in fish, there are three types of perch, smelt, eel and catfish, and a lot of trout and cod. Private fishing is popular, along with sport fishing. Turtles live here freshwater shrimp. Rabbits and carps brought to Australia caused big damage national economy and river ecosystem. The bushes along the river banks were eaten by rabbits, causing their destruction. The carp have displaced some species of native fish and have dug up the river bottom.

80% of the surrounding fields are irrigated by Murray waters.

The right tributary of the Murray River is 1,578 kilometers long. The Murrumbidgee (“Big Water”) also begins on the slopes Big Mountains in the east. This area is called the Australian Alps. The river then flows through flat terrain, then flowing into the Murray.

The Murrumbidgee itself also has many tributaries, each of which either disappears or fills with rainwater. The climate here is quite conducive to farming. Cotton, rice, grains, citrus fruits and melons are grown in this area. The river waters perform the irrigation function necessary for cultivating the land.

Murrumbidgee is very ancient river, the aborigines settled along its banks. Gray kangaroos and wombats are found here.

Upstream the river waters are rich in fish, especially trout and carp. The state of New South Wales, through which the river flows, is famous throughout the world for its vineyards and wine production.

Another tributary of the Murray River is also a right-hand one, flowing down from the mountain ranges. The Darling, at 1,472 kilometers long, is the third longest Australian river. This tributary is wandering, much less full-flowing than the Murray. Sometimes it turns into a mere trickle when there is a very dry period.

Downstream, the Darling is calm and dull, with its coastal areas occupied by semi-desert landscapes. Along with the Murray and Murrumbidgee there is excellent fishing.

The Darling, merging with the Murray, carries its waters into the Great Australian Bight. Like all local rivers, the waters of the Darling are useful for irrigating fields and raising livestock

The Lachlan River is a tributary of the Murrumbidgee. Ten kilometers from the city of Gunning is the source of this river. The expanses of the Lachlan waterway are 1,339 kilometers long.

IN upper reaches the river flows in mountainous areas, the banks abruptly end, the waters are stormy and rapids.

Lachlan is fed only by rain, a dam has been built on it, and there are reservoirs. This helps maintain the water level. Often, during spring and summer rainfall, floods occur here and the level rises significantly. The highest rise in water was recorded at 16 meters, causing destruction of the surrounding area and the evacuation of residents. At this time the river becomes suitable for navigation. Its waters are taken for irrigation all year round.

Rivers in Australia are also called creeks. This drying, but long-bed river stretches for 1,300 kilometers.

Cooper Creek (called Barcoo in its upper reaches) begins in the east of Warrego, a range belonging to the Great Australian Mountains. Curving, it flows north, then west, then to the southwestern territories.

During the rainy season, the channel fills with water, and only during this period does Cooper Creek reach Lake Eyre, into which it flows.

This river belongs to the internal drainage basin. Climatic conditions hot, dry. It rains very rarely. Previously, the river was used by the aborigines to travel by boat, catch fish, and as a source of fresh water.

The surrounding areas are pastures, and the soils are quite fertile.

In Queensland, the northern state of Australia, the Flinders River flows, 1004 kilometers long. It got its name from the sea traveler Matthew Flinders.

The Gregory Mountains, where this river originates, are located in the northern Great Dividing Range. The Flinders carries the water flow north to the Gulf of Carpentaria, the path is very winding, there are several tributaries.

Along the flow path there are pastures, and livestock farming is widely developed in the northern areas.

Western Australia is the most deserted and arid area. The rivers here are exclusively “screams”. The longest dry river in the west is the Gascoyne (length 978 kilometers).

It flows across the plateau and flows into the Indian Ocean, into Shark Bay. During the dry season, the riverbed dries up completely; in the spring, heavy rainfall occurs and floods and flooding begin. There is no surface flow at the mouth; the river simply does not carry water to the ocean. There is underground drainage.

When the water disappears in the river, life around it freezes and agriculture suffers. Plant growing is poorly developed. In the area adjacent to the Indian Ocean, beef cattle and sheep breeding are developed. The western territories are rich in mineral resources: gold, oil, gas and iron ores.

More than seventy rivers flow through Australia, but the hydrological map of the continent can hardly be called saturated.

This continent is different from the rest in many ways, including its rivers. The fundamental difference is the low water content of the rivers and the lack of seasonality of floods. But, despite this, the rivers of Australia, as throughout the world, are the place of concentration of the inhabitants of the mainland, and therefore the birth of their distinctive culture.

General characteristics of Australian rivers

The hydrological basin of the continent can be divided into three parts: eastern, western and central. Most rivers have their source in the east of the mainland, in the Great Dividing Range. This mountain formation, sometimes called the Australian Alps, is also the birthplace of the largest river - Murray. main feature One of the main characteristics of Australian hydrology is the lack of seasonality of floods, caused by low rainfall over most of the country.

It leads to non-standard model settlement of people on the banks and the need for irrigation - artificial irrigation. Most rivers have a source in the mountains, but support for full flow by tributaries is present mainly only in the Murray. A small volume of water leads to the formation of internal runoff into small lakes. More than half of the country's rivers end this way. During periods of drought, many riverbeds partially dry out, and during the dry season they themselves turn into separate hydraulic systems.

Only about a tenth forms an estuary on the ocean coast.

Rain nutrition, being the main source of full water, also influenced the formation of the special attitude of the aborigines to the rivers. If, for example, in Ancient Egypt The annual flood of the Nile was expected and guaranteed life, but in Australia there is no regular filling of river beds. All this was reflected in the creation of a special indigenous tradition, traces of which are now available on popular ethnographic tours of Australia.

Also, in our pragmatic times, no one will risk investing in the creation of river passenger and freight transport in unstable riverbeds. Therefore, land and air transport are developed in Australia, and rivers are used to organize tourist trips on ships.

Great Dividing Range and its rivers

The mountain range cutting the country from north to south stretches for four thousand kilometers. The main channels of the city-forming rivers begin from here. The steeper eastern slopes form a fast flow of mountain streams. The largest river, the Murray, can also be classified as similar. It starts on the slope highest mountain continent Kosciuszko and, having traveled more than two thousand kilometers, ends its journey in the lake Alexandrina.

In addition to the Murray, smaller rivers also flow into it, such as Bremer, Finnis And Angas. The lake is a kind of clipboard between freshwater rivers and the Great Gulf of Alexandria of the Indian Ocean, from which it is separated by the Murray Mouth Channel.

There are many things in Australia that are unusual for Europeans, including the Murray tributary Darling. The peculiarity of the river flowing into the Murray is that its length, together with its own tributaries, is three hundred kilometers longer than the length of the Murray. In a tributary-river tandem, the tributary is longer, but due to its full flow, it is the Murray that is recognized as the main water artery.

Besides the Darling, the Murray is also home to the continent's second largest river, Murrumbidgee. Its full flow is currently significantly reduced due to the construction of a dam and a number of reservoirs. However, the water flow still remains sufficient to form, together with other tributaries of the Murray - Lachlan, Loddon, Campasle and Golborne - the only full-flowing hydraulic system of the Murray-Darling country that is stable all year round.

Despite the stability of water filling, main river Australia changed its course quite often. When traveling to the capital of South Australia, Adelaide, it is possible to explore the former river bed located near the city. While key today, the Murray Darling was probably also a key Aboriginal site, as evidenced by rock art. In addition to ethnography, active recreation on the shores is also available - fishing, golf.

Rivers in Western Australia and Tasmania

According to the direction of flow, Australian rivers can be divided into those flowing towards the ocean and inland. In the central part of the country, which for the most part is a desert area, there are so-called cries from the rivers. These are predominantly seasonal, drying up streams, the beds of which are partially filled with rainwater. They are not an exclusively Australian phenomenon, but it is on this continent that their concentration is quite high due to the climate.

In the central part of the continent, closer to its southern tip, there is Lake Eyre. It is the largest in Australia, and it also suffered the fate of a drying up reservoir. At the peak of drought, the bottom of this particular lake becomes the lowest point in the country. The lake is a mouth, a place of influx of many inland rivers, such as Georgina, Cooper Creek (1420 km) and Diamantina (941 km).

The west of the continent is known primarily for the river Ashburton. It is low-water and, like most rivers in Australia, dries up. But its length of 825 km makes Ashburton the unspoken leader in this part of the mainland. Also, it is not inland, but flows into the Indian Ocean.

Most other rivers in the west end in small lakes or wetlands.

The name Australia belongs not only to the continent, but also to the state. It also includes the state of Tasmania, located on the island of the same name. Here the situation with rivers is completely different than on the continent. The mountainous terrain has given rise to an abundance of rivers, many of which are even navigable in their lower reaches. The most famous among them are South Esk(252 km) and Derwent(215 km).

Dry tropical climate, big square mainland and limited groundwater have created a special hydrological situation in Australia. More than half of the rivers have internal flow, and the main source of water is seasonal rains.

Salvation for the inhabitants of the continent is considered the second largest in the world Great Artesian Pool. Occupying a quarter of the continent's territory, this gigantic underground water reservoir is located at a depth of three hundred meters to two kilometers. Today it serves as the main source drinking water and irrigation installations.