Murrumbidgee River

35°35′7″S 148°36′5″E / 35.58528°S 148.60139°E / -35.58528; 148.60139 • elevation1,560 m (5,120 ft) Mouthconfluence with Murray Rivernear Boundary Bend, NSW/Vic34°43′43″S 143°13′8″E / 34.72861°S 143.21889°E / -34.72861; 143.2188955 m (180 ft)Length1,485 km (923 mi)^[2]Basin size84,917 km² (32,787 sq mi)Discharge  • locationWagga Wagga^[3] • average120 m³/s (4,200 cu ft/s)^[3] Discharge  • locationNarrandera • average105 m³/s (3,700 cu ft/s) Discharge  • locationBalranald • average27 m³/s (950 cu ft/s) Basin featuresRiver systemMurray River, Murray-Darling basinTributaries  • leftGudgenby River, Cotter River, Goodradigbee River, Tumut River • rightBredbo River, Molonglo River, Yass River, Lachlan RiverReservoirsTantangara Reservoir, Lake Burrinjuck^[4][5]

The Murrumbidgee River (/mʌrəmˈbɪdʒi/^[6]) is a major tributary of the Murray River within the Murray–Darling basin and the second longest river in Australia. It flows through the Australian state of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, descending 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) over 1,485 kilometres (923 mi),^[2] generally in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains towards its confluence with the Murray River near Boundary Bend.

The word Murrumbidgee or Marrambidya means "big water" in the Wiradjuri language, one of the local Australian Aboriginal languages.^[7][8][1][9] The river itself flows through several traditional Aboriginal Australian lands, home to various Aboriginal peoples. In the Australian Capital Territory, the river is bordered by a narrow strip of land on each side; these are managed as the Murrumbidgee River Corridor (MRC).^[10] This land includes many nature reserves, eight recreation reserves, a European heritage conservation zone and rural leases.

Flow

The mainstream of the river system flows for 900 kilometres (560 mi).^[11] The river's headwaters arise from the wet heath and bog at the foot of Peppercorn Hill situated along Long Plain which is within the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains; and about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Kiandra. From its headwaters it flows to its confluence with the Murray River. The river flows for 66 kilometres (41 mi) through the Australian Capital Territory near Canberra,^[12] picking up the important tributaries of the Gudgenby, Queanbeyan, Molonglo and Cotter Rivers. The Murrumbidgee drains much of southern New South Wales and all of the Australian Capital Territory, and is an important source of irrigation water for the Riverina farming area.

The reaches of the Murrumbidgee in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) are affected by the complete elimination of large spring snowmelt flows and a reduction of average annual flows of almost 50%, due to Tantangara Dam.^[13] Tantangara Dam was completed in 1960 on the headwaters of Murrumbidgee River and diverted approximately 99% of the river's flow at that point into Lake Eucumbene.^[14][15] This has extremely serious effects on native fish populations and other native aquatic life and has led to serious siltation, stream contraction, fish habitat loss, and other problems. The Murrumbidgee where it enters the ACT is effectively half the river it used to be.^[15][16]

A study suggests a section of the upper river's channels are relatively new in geological terms, dating from the early Miocene (the Miocene era being from 23 to 5 million years ago). It is suggested that the Upper Murrumbidgee is an anabranch of the Tumut River (that once continued north along Mutta Mutta Creek) when geological uplift near Adaminaby diverted its flow. From Gundagai onwards the rivers flow within its ancestral channel.^[17]

In June 2008 the Murray-Darling Basin Commission released a report on the condition of the Murray-Darling basin, with the Goulburn and Murrumbidgee Rivers rated in a very poor condition in the Murray-Darling basin with fish stocks in both rivers were also rated as extremely poor, with only 13 of the original 22 native fish species still found in the Murrumbidgee River.^[18]

History

The Murrumbidgee River runs through the traditional lands of the Ngarigo, Ngunnawal, Wiradjuri, Nari Nari and Muthi Muthi Aboriginal peoples.^{[citation needed]}

Exploration

The Murrumbidgee River was known to Europeans before they first recorded it.  In 1820 the explorer Charles Throsby informed the Governor of New South Wales that he anticipated finding "a considerable river of salt water (except at very wet seasons), called by the natives Mur-rum-big-gee". In the expedition journal, Throsby wrote as a marginal note: "This river or stream is called by the natives Yeal-am-bid-gie ...".^[19] The river he had stumbled upon was in fact the Molonglo River, Throsby reached the actual river in April 1821.^[20]

In 1823, Brigade-Major John Ovens and Captain Mark Currie reached the upper Murrumbidgee when exploring south of Lake George.^[21] In 1829, Charles Sturt and his party rowed down the lower half of the Murrumbidgee River in a stoutly built, large row-boat, from Narrandera to the Murray River, and then down the Murray River to the sea. They rowed back upstream, against the current to their starting point.^[22] Sturt's description of their passage through the junction of the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers is dramatic. His description of wild strong currents in the Murrumbidgee—in the middle of summer (14 January 1830), when flows are declining and close to the seasonal summer/autumn minimum, is in contrast to the reduced flow seen at the junction today in mid-summer:

The men looked anxiously out ahead; for the singular change in the river had impressed on them an idea, that we were approaching its termination ... We were carried at a fearful rate down its gloomy and contracted banks ... At 3 p.m., Hopkinson called out that we were approaching a junction, and in less than a minute afterwards, we were hurried into a broad and noble river ... such was the force with which we had been shot out of the Morumbidgee, that we were carried nearly to the bank opposite its embouchure, whilst we continued to gaze in silent astonishment on the capacious channel [of the Murray River] we had entered ...

The Murrumbidgee basin was opened to settlement in the 1830s and soon became an important farming area.

Ernest Favenc, when writing on Australian exploration, commented on the relatively tardy European discovery of the river and that the river retained a name used by Indigenous Australians:

Here we may remark on the tenacity with which the Murrumbidgee River long eluded the eye of the white man. It is scarcely probable that Meehan and Hume, who on this occasion were within comparatively easy reach of the head waters, could have seen a new inland river at that time without mentioning the fact, but there is no record traceable anywhere as to the date of its discovery, or the name of its finder. When in 1823 Captain Currie and Major Ovens were led along its bank on to the beautiful Maneroo country by Joseph Wild, the stream was then familiar to the early settlers and called the Morumbidgee. Even in 1821, when Hume found the Yass Plains, almost on its bank, he makes no special mention of the river. From all this we may deduce the extremely probable fact that the position of the river was shown to some stockrider by a native, who also confided the aboriginal name, and so it gradually worked the knowledge of its identity into general belief. This theory is the more feasible as the river has retained its native name. If a white man of any known position had made the discovery, it would at once have received the name of some person holding official sway.^[23]

Navigation

The river was once used as a transport route, with paddle steamers navigating the river as far as Gundagai. The river trade declined with the coming of the railways. Paddle steamers last used the Murrumbidgee in the 1930s. To allow the steamers and towed barges to pass, there were opening bridges at Hay, Balranald, and Carathool^[24][25]

Floods

The river has risen above 7 metres (23 ft) at Gundagai nine times between 1852 and 2010, an average of just under once every eleven years. Since 1925, flooding has been minor with the exception of floods in 1974 and in December 2010, when the river rose to 10.2 metres (33 ft) at Gundagai.^[26] In the 1852 disaster, the river rose to just over 12.2 m (40 ft). The following year the river again rose to just over 12.5 m (41 ft). The construction of Burrinjuck Dam from 1907 has significantly reduced flooding but, despite the dam, there were major floods in 1925, 1950, 1974 and 2012.^[27][28]

The most notable flood was in 1852 when the town of Gundagai was swept away and 89 people, a third of the town's population, were killed. The town was rebuilt on higher ground.^[29]

In 1925, four people died and the flooding lasted for eight days.^[30][31][32]

The reduction in floods has consequences for wildlife, particularly birds and trees. There has been a decline in bird populations and black box flood plain eucalypt forest trees are starting^[when?] to lose their crowns.^[33]

Major flooding occurred during March 2012 along the Murrumbidgee River including Wagga Wagga, where the river peaked at 10.56 metres (34.6 ft) on 6 March 2012.^[34] This peak was 0.18 metres (0.59 ft) below the 1974 flood level of 10.74 metres (35.2 ft).^[28]

Wetlands

Major wetlands along the Murrumbidgee or associated with the Murrumbidgee catchment include:^[35]

• Lowbidgee Floodplain, 2,000 square kilometres (772 sq mi) between Maude and Balranald
• Mid-Murrumbidgee Wetlands along the river from Narrandera to Carathool
• Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps
• Tomneys Plain
• Micalong Swamp
• Lake George
• Yaouk Swamp
• Black Swamp & Coopers Swamp
• Big Badja Swamp

Tributaries

The Murrumbidgee River has about 90 named tributaries in total; 24 rivers, and numerous creeks and gullies. The ordering of the basin, from source to mouth, of the major tributaries is:

Rivers of the Murrumbidgee River basin
Catchment river				Elevation at confluence[36]	River mouth	Coordinates[37][38]	River length[36]
	Tributary
		Tributary
			Tributary
Murrumbidgee River				55 m (180 ft)	Murray	34°43′43″S 143°13′8″E / 34.72861°S 143.21889°E / -34.72861; 143.21889 (Murrumbidgee River)	~900 km (559 mi)
	Numeralla River			706 m (2,316 ft)	Murrumbidgee	36°3′56″S 149°9′1″E / 36.06556°S 149.15028°E / -36.06556; 149.15028 (Numeralla River)	94 km (58 mi)
		Kybeyan River		745 m (2,444 ft)	Numeralla	36°13′13″S 149°21′25″E / 36.22028°S 149.35694°E / -36.22028; 149.35694 (Kybeyan River)	36 km (22 mi)
		Big Badja River		735 m (2,411 ft)	Numeralla	36°10′27″S 149°20′52″E / 36.17417°S 149.34778°E / -36.17417; 149.34778 (Big Badja River)	94 km (58 mi)
	Bredbo River				Murrumbidgee
		Strike-a-Light River			Bredbo
	Gudgenby River				Murrumbidgee
		Naas River			Gudgenby
		Orroral River			Gudgenby
	Cotter River				Murrumbidgee
		Paddys River			Cotter
			Tidbinbilla River		Paddys
			Gibraltar Creek		Paddys
	Molonglo River				Murrumbidgee
		Jerrabomberra Creek			Molonglo
		Sullivans Creek			Molonglo
		Queanbeyan River			Molonglo
	Goodradigbee River			345 m (1,132 ft)	Murrumbidgee	35°00′S 148°38′E / 35.000°S 148.633°E / -35.000; 148.633 (Goodradigbee River)	105 km (65 mi)
	Yass River			345 m (1,132 ft)	Murrumbidgee	34°52′36″S 148°46′55″E / 34.87667°S 148.78194°E / -34.87667; 148.78194 (Yass River)	139 km (86 mi)
	Tumut River			220 m (722 ft)	Murrumbidgee	35°1′18″S 148°10′51″E / 35.02167°S 148.18083°E / -35.02167; 148.18083 (Tumut River)	182 km (113 mi)
		Goobarragandra River		272 m (892 ft)	Tumut	35°20′S 148°15′E / 35.333°S 148.250°E / -35.333; 148.250 (Goobarragandra River)	56 km (35 mi)
		Doubtful Creek		1,290 m (4,232 ft)	Tumut	36°06′S 148°26′E / 36.100°S 148.433°E / -36.100; 148.433 (Doubtful Creek)	15 km (9 mi)
	Lachlan River			68 m (223 ft)	Murrumbidgee	34°22′S 143°47′E / 34.367°S 143.783°E / -34.367; 143.783 (Lachlan River)	~1,440 km (895 mi)
		Crookwell River		430 m (1,411 ft)	Lachlan	34°16′39″S 149°7′53″E / 34.27750°S 149.13139°E / -34.27750; 149.13139 (Crookwell River)	78 km (48 mi)
		Abercrombie River		378 m (1,240 ft)	Lachlan	34°01′S 149°28′E / 34.017°S 149.467°E / -34.017; 149.467 (Abercrombie River)	130 km (81 mi)
			Bolong River	569 m (1,867 ft)	Abercrombie	34°08′S 149°37′E / 34.133°S 149.617°E / -34.133; 149.617 (Bolong River)	60 km (37 mi)
			Isabella River	479 m (1,572 ft)	Abercrombie	34°00′S 149°39′E / 34.000°S 149.650°E / -34.000; 149.650 (Isabella River)	51 km (32 mi)
		Boorowa River		303 m (994 ft)	Lachlan	33°57′S 148°50′E / 33.950°S 148.833°E / -33.950; 148.833 (Boorowa River)	134 km (83 mi)
		Belubula River		263 m (863 ft)	Lachlan	33°33′S 148°28′E / 33.550°S 148.467°E / -33.550; 148.467 (Belubula River)	165 km (103 mi)

Population centres

• Tharwa
• Canberra particularly Tuggeranong
• Jugiong
• Gundagai
• Wantabadgery
• Wagga Wagga
• Narrandera
• Yanco
• Leeton
• Darlington Point
• Hay
• Balranald

River crossings

The list below notes past and present bridges that cross over the Murrumbidgee River. There were numerous other crossings before the bridges were constructed and many of these still exist today.

Downstream from Wagga Wagga

Crossing	Image	Coordinates	Built	Location	Description	Notes
Balranald Bridge		34°38′47.2″S 143°33′56.6″E / 34.646444°S 143.565722°E / -34.646444; 143.565722	1973	Balranald	Sturt Highway
Matthews Bridge		34°28′40″S 144°18′03.4″E / 34.47778°S 144.300944°E / -34.47778; 144.300944	1957	Maude		Work started on a replacement for this bridge in 2020.[39]
Hay Bridge		34°30′58.4″S 144°50′32.4″E / 34.516222°S 144.842333°E / -34.516222; 144.842333	1973	Hay	Cobb Highway
Carrathool Bridge		34°26′57.4″S 145°25′02.3″E / 34.449278°S 145.417306°E / -34.449278; 145.417306	1924	Carrathool
Darlington Point Bridge		34°34′01.2″S 146°00′09.5″E / 34.567000°S 146.002639°E / -34.567000; 146.002639	1979	Darlington Point	Kidman Way
Euroley Bridge		34°38′19.6″S 146°22′25.8″E / 34.638778°S 146.373833°E / -34.638778; 146.373833	2003	Yanco
Narrandera Rail Bridge		34°45′30.7″S 146°32′08.5″E / 34.758528°S 146.535694°E / -34.758528; 146.535694	1885	Narrandera	Tocumwal railway line	Not in use[40]
Narrandera Bridge		34°45′20.8″S 146°32′53.7″E / 34.755778°S 146.548250°E / -34.755778; 146.548250			Newell Highway
Collingullie Bridge		35°01′59.3″S 147°06′29.6″E / 35.033139°S 147.108222°E / -35.033139; 147.108222		Collingullie

Wagga Wagga to Burrinjuck

Crossing	Image	Coordinates	Built	Location	Description	Notes
Gobbagombalin Bridge			1997	Wagga Wagga	Olympic Highway	[41]
Wiradjuri Bridge			1995		Hampden Avenue, replaced the Hampden Bridge
Hampden Bridge			1895		Demolished in 2014	[42]
Murrumbidgee River Rail Bridge			2006		Main Southern railway line. Replaced the previous bridge built in 1881
Eunony Bridge			1975 and 2020		Eunony Bridge Road, top bridge decking replaced in 2020 with the original pylons
Low Bridge		35°04′42.3″S 147°49′17.7″E / 35.078417°S 147.821583°E / -35.078417; 147.821583		Mundarlo
Sheahan Bridge		35°04′05.9″S 148°05′42.8″E / 35.068306°S 148.095222°E / -35.068306; 148.095222	1977 and 2009	Gundagai	The bridge was duplicated in 2009.[43] Photograph shows Hume Highway; looking south from Gundagai, bridge in mid distance.
Gundagai Rail Bridge		35°04′23.7″S 148°06′16.2″E / 35.073250°S 148.104500°E / -35.073250; 148.104500	1902		Tumut railway line, now disused
Prince Alfred Bridge		35°04′27.8″S 148°06′24.8″E / 35.074389°S 148.106889°E / -35.074389; 148.106889	1867		Prince Alfred Road, former Hume Highway. Main iron spans at southern end still in use for local traffic. Northern wooden spans now disused and in dilapidated condition.
Gobarralong Bridge		34°59′34.2″S 148°14′13.2″E / 34.992833°S 148.237000°E / -34.992833; 148.237000		Gobarralong
Jugiong Bridge		34°49′30.3″S 148°19′55.6″E / 34.825083°S 148.332111°E / -34.825083; 148.332111		Jugiong

Upstream from Burrinjuck

Crossing	Image	Coordinates	Location	Description	Notes
Taemas Bridge		35°00′12.7″S 148°50′53.2″E / 35.003528°S 148.848111°E / -35.003528; 148.848111	Wee Jasper	1930
Uriarra Crossing		35°14′38.0″S 148°57′07.1″E / 35.243889°S 148.951972°E / -35.243889; 148.951972	Uriarra
Cotter Road bridge		35°19′22.2″S 148°57′01.4″E / 35.322833°S 148.950389°E / -35.322833; 148.950389	Australian Capital Territory		Cotter Road, near the confluence with the Cotter River
Point Hut crossing		35°27′07.1″S 149°04′25.4″E / 35.451972°S 149.073722°E / -35.451972; 149.073722	Gordon
Tharwa Bridge		35°30′30.9″S 149°04′13.9″E / 35.508583°S 149.070528°E / -35.508583; 149.070528	Tharwa	1895
Angle Crossing		35°34′59.0″S 149°06′32.6″E / 35.583056°S 149.109056°E / -35.583056; 149.109056	Williamsdale		Angle Crossing Road, a ford
Bumbalong Bridge		35°51′31.266″S 149°08′4.780″E / 35.85868500°S 149.13466111°E / -35.85868500; 149.13466111	Colinton		Little known and little used, low-level bridge that links the otherwise isolated locality of Bumbalong to the locality of Colinton. Bumbalong Road connects the local road from the bridge to the Monaro Highway at Colinton.
Billilingra Bridge		36°00′04.2″S 149°07′59.6″E / 36.001167°S 149.133222°E / -36.001167; 149.133222	Billilingra
Binjura Bridge		36°10′13.4″S 149°05′28.1″E / 36.170389°S 149.091139°E / -36.170389; 149.091139	Binjura
Bolaro Bridge		35°58′50.0″S 148°50′24.5″E / 35.980556°S 148.840139°E / -35.980556; 148.840139	Bolaro
Yaouk Bridge		35°49′34.1″S 148°48′10.9″E / 35.826139°S 148.803028°E / -35.826139; 148.803028	Yaouk
Tantangara Bridge		35°47′58.2″S 00°40′34.0″E / 35.799500°S 0.676111°E / -35.799500; 0.676111	Tantangara		Tantangara Road, immediately downstream from the Tantangara Reservoir wall
Tantangara Dam		35°47′43.7″S 148°39′47.5″E / 35.795472°S 148.663194°E / -35.795472; 148.663194	Tantangara		Tantangara Reservoir was constructed between 1958 and 1960. No public access to the dam to cross the river.
Long Plain Bridge			Long Plain

Images

• 
  Second photo of source and area of Murrumbidgee
• 
  Water oozing from heath at source area of Murrumbidgee
• 
  Tantangara Dam
• 
  Yaouk Bridge
• 
  Murrumbidgee at Bolaro
• 
  Tharwa Bridge looking south; Tharwa is to the right
• 
  Point Hut Crossing, ACT, looking south
• 
  Junction with Cotter, in moderate flood
• 
  Uriarra Crossing, ACT, in moderate flood
• 
  Approach to Taemas Bridge
• 
  Taemas Bridge, from north
• 
  Jugiong Bridge
• 
  The Prince Alfred bridge crosses the Murrumbidgee River at Gundagai, photographed c. 1885
• 
  The Murrumbidgee at Gundagai
• 
  Murrumbidgee River Crossing at Mundarlo
• 
  Eunony Bridge viewed from Eunanoreenya looking towards Gumly Gumly
• 
  Former Wagga Wagga railway bridge
• 
  New concrete railway bridge at Wagga Wagga
• 
  Hampden Bridge at Wagga Wagga
• 
  Wiradjuri Bridge
• 
  Gobbagombalin (Gobba) Bridge

Distances along the river

• Gundagai to Wagga Wagga – 138 km (86 mi)
• Wagga Wagga to Yarragundy – 37 km (23 mi)
• Yarragundy to Yiorkibitto – 77 km (48 mi)
• Yiorkibitto to Grong Grong – 58 km (36 mi)
• Grong Grong to Narrandera – 21 km (13 mi)
• Narrandera to Yanco or Bedithera – 18 km (11 mi)
• Yanco to Yanco Station – 29 km (18 mi)
• Yanco to Gogeldrie – 21 km (13 mi)
• Gogeldrie to Tubbo – 24 km (15 mi)
• Tubbo to Cararburry – 55 km (34 mi)
• Cararbury to Carrathool – 66 km (41 mi)
• Carrathool to Burrabogie – 56 km (35 mi)
• Burrabogie to Illilliwa – 42 km (26 mi)
• Illilliwa to Hay – 22 km (14 mi)
• Hay to Toogambie – 63 km (39 mi)
• Toogambie to Maude – 40 km (25 mi)
• Maude to Lachlan Junction – 71 km (44 mi)
• Lachlan Junction to Balranald – 137 km (85 mi)
• Balranald to Canally – 42 km (26 mi)
• Canally to Weimby, Murray Junction – 61 km (38 mi)
• Total distance from Gundagai to Murrumbidgee Junction – 1,078 km (670 mi)^[44]

See also

• List of rivers of Australia § New South Wales
• List of rivers of Australia § Australian Capital Territory
• List of Murrumbidgee River distances
• List of Darling River distances
• List of Murray River crossings
• List of Murray River distances
• Murray–Darling basin includes useful chart of tributaries

References

External links

• Nomination of Lower Murrumbidgee Catchment for UNESCO's HELP Pilot Demonstration Status by CSIRO
• Murrumbidgee River Flows recorded by NSW Water Archived 11 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine
• River pilot maps 1880-1918 / Echuca Historical Society
• Snowy Flow Response Monitoring and Modelling
• Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority Archived 26 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine website
• Upper Murrumbidgee Demonstration Reach "Map" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2013. 1.22MB
• "Murrumbidgee and Lake George catchments" (map). Office of Environment & Heritage. Government of New South Wales.
• "Murray River catchment (NSW)" (map). Office of Environment & Heritage. Government of New South Wales.