McArthur | |
---|---|
Etymology | James McArthur |
Location | |
Country | Australia |
Territory | Northern Territory |
Region | Katherine Region |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Barkly Tableland |
• location | east of Elliott |
• elevation | 234 m (768 ft) |
Mouth | Gulf of Carpentaria |
• location | east of Borroloola |
• coordinates | 15°54′S136°40′E / 15.900°S 136.667°E Coordinates: 15°54′S136°40′E / 15.900°S 136.667°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Length | 521 km (324 mi) |
Basin size | 20,010 km2 (7,730 sq mi) |
Discharge | |
• average | 103.6 m3/s (3,660 cu ft/s) |
[1] |
The McArthur River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia which flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria at Port McArthur, opposite the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands. The river was named by Ludwig Leichhardt while he explored the area in 1845. [2] He named the River after James MacArthur and the MacArthur family of Camden, who were enthusiastic supporters of his expedition. [3] The McArthur River has significance for the local Aboriginal communities, who use it for fishing and other traditional activities. [4]
The McArthur River basin covers 20,010 km2 (7,726 sq mi). [5] [6] The basin is situated between the Rosie River catchment to the north, the Limmen Bight River to the east, the Barkly River catchment to the south and the Robinson River catchment to the west. The mean annual runoff is 3,270,000 ML (115,000×10 6 cu ft) per year. [7] The headwaters of the rivers rise on the northern edge of the Barkly Tableland. Tributaries of the McArthur River include Tooganginie Creek, and the Kilgour and Clyde rivers.
The river has a long tidal estuary which extends inland to the town of Borroloola. The estuary is in near-pristine condition, [8] and forms part of the Port McArthur Tidal Wetlands System Important Bird Area. [9]
In 2007, plans to expand the McArthur River zinc mine, one of the world's largest zinc mines, were halted by a decision of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. It was found that the approval of the expansion by Mines Minister Chris Natt was invalid. [10] Traditional owners were concerned the proposal, which included a 5.5 km (3.4 mi) river diversion, had serious, long term and irreversible impacts. [11]
In 2008, the case was heard by the Federal Court, which found that the expansion was illegal. [12] In early 2009, the Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett formally approved the mine's expansion. [4] [13] Garrett placed conditions on the project which aimed to reduce the impact on the freshwater sawfish and migratory birds. [4]
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea. The northern boundary is generally defined as a line from Slade Point, Queensland in the northeast, to Cape Arnhem on the Gove Peninsula, Northern Territory in the west.
The Clyde River is an open intermediate tide dominated drowned valley estuary, or perennial river that flows into the Tasman Sea at Batemans Bay, located in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia.
The Mitchell River is a river located in Far North Queensland, Australia. The river rises on the Atherton Tableland about 50 kilometres (31 mi) northwest of Cairns and flows about 750 kilometres (470 mi) northwest across Cape York Peninsula from Mareeba to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The Calliope River is a river located in Central Queensland, Australia.
Port Hacking Estuary, an open youthful tide dominated, drowned valley estuary, is located in southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Sydney central business district. Port Hacking has its source in the upper reaches of the Hacking River south of Helensburgh, and several smaller creeks, including South West Arm, Bundeena Creek and The Basin and flows generally to the east before reaching its mouth, the Tasman Sea, south of Cronulla and north–east of Bundeena. Its tidal effect is terminated at the weir at Audley, in the Royal National Park. The lower estuary features a substantial marine delta, which over time has prograded upstream. There is also a substantial fluvial of the Hacking River at Grays Point. The two deltas are separated by a deep basin.
Borroloola is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located on the McArthur River, about 50 km upstream from the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The Coomera River is a perennial river located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. Its catchment lies within the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim Region local government areas and covers an area of 489 square kilometres (189 sq mi).
The Peel-Harvey Estuarine System is a natural estuarine system that lies roughly parallel to the coast of Western Australia and south of the town of Mandurah.
The McArthur River mine is a zinc-lead mine, situated about 70 kilometres southwest of Borroloola, near the Gulf of Carpentaria in the northeastern Northern Territory, Australia. It is operated by McArthur River Mining (MRM), a subsidiary of the Swiss mining company Glencore. Although discovered in the 1950s, when it was originally called the HYC or "Here's Your Chance" deposit, it only opened as a mine in 1995. Initially an underground mining operation, the mine has been converted to open-cut.
The Mary River flows in the Northern Territory of Australia and is a site of the Mary River National Park.
The Gulf Country is the region of woodland and savanna grassland surrounding the Gulf of Carpentaria in north western Queensland and eastern Northern Territory on the north coast of Australia. The region is also called the Gulf Savannah. It contains large reserves of zinc, lead and silver. The Gulf Country is crossed by the Savannah Way highway.
The Fitzmaurice River is a river in Australia's Northern Territory.
The Calvert River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia.
The Leichhardt River is a river in north west Queensland, Australia.
Blackmore River flows into Darwin Harbour close to Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Liverpool River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is the largest of the tidal river systems of northern Arnhem Land, which includes two major tributaries, the Tomkinson and Mann Rivers.
The Blyth River is a river in the Northern Territory, Australia.
The Moyle River is a river in the Northern Territory, Australia.
The Towns River is a river in the Northern Territory, Australia.
The Robinson River is a river in Australia's Northern Territory.