Wimmera River

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Wimmera
Wimmera River Jeparit.JPG
The Wimmera River at Jeparit
Australia Victoria relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of the Wimmera River mouth in Victoria
Native nameWalla-walla, Wamara, Bunnut, Culcatok, Barbarton, Billiwhin, Wudjum-biat, Bar, Barengi-djul, Yaigir, Wudiyedi, Barrh, Tarnorrer, Barkar, Guri-beb, Giridji-gal, Wadidirabul, Maripmunninnera [1] [2] [3]
Location
Country Australia
State Victoria
Region Murray Darling Depression (IBRA), Wimmera
Local government areas Ararat, Northern Grampians, Yarriambiack, Horsham, Hindmarsh
Towns Elmhurst, Crowlands, Glenorchy, Horsham, Dimboola, Tarranyurk, Jeparit
Physical characteristics
Source Pyrenees, Great Dividing Range
 • locationbelow Ben Nevis, in a state forestry area south of Elmhurst
 • coordinates 37°16′29″S143°15′00″E / 37.27472°S 143.25000°E / -37.27472; 143.25000
 • elevation299 m (981 ft)
Mouth Lake Hindmarsh, Lake Albacutya
 • location
Outlook Creek, near Jeparit
 • coordinates
 36°06′42″S141°56′51″E / 36.11167°S 141.94750°E / -36.11167; 141.94750 Coordinates: 36°06′42″S141°56′51″E / 36.11167°S 141.94750°E / -36.11167; 141.94750
 • elevation
79 m (259 ft)
Length278 km (173 mi)
Basin size24,011 km2 (9,271 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average13 m3/s (460 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River system Wimmera catchment
Tributaries 
 • leftMount Cole Creek, Six Mile Creek (Wimmera), Seven Mile Creek (Wimmera), Concongella Creek, Sheepwash Creek, Mount William Creek, Mackenzie River, Burnt Creek, Darragan Creek, Norton Creek
 • rightGlenpatrick Creek, Glenlofty Creek, Spring Creek (Wimmera), Heifer Station Creek
National parks Wyperfeld National Park, Little Desert National Park
[1] [4]

The Wimmera River, an inland intermittent river of the Wimmera catchment, is located in the Grampians and Wimmera regions of the Australian state of Victoria. Rising in the Pyrenees, on the northern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, the Wimmera River flows generally north by west and drains into Lake Hindmarsh [5] and Lake Albacutya, [5] a series of ephemeral lakes that, whilst they do not directly empty into a defined watercourse, form part of the Murray River catchment of the Murray-Darling basin.

Contents

Course and features

The Wimmera River rises in the Great Dividing Range below Elmhurst, between Ararat and Avoca, and flows generally north and west, through Glenorchy, Horsham, Dimboola and Jeparit, also forming the eastern boundary of the Little Desert National Park. It is joined by fourteen minor tributaries, including the Mackenzie River, before reaching its mouth at Lake Hindmarsh, near Jeparit. The river descends 220 metres (720 ft) over its 278-kilometre (173 mi) course. [4]

On the rare occasions that Lake Hindmarsh overflows, water flows via Outlet Creek [5] to Lake Albacutya. In most years the flow of the river does not reach those terminal lakes, and the watercourse itself contracts into a series of pools. [6] On average, the lake fills once in twenty years. [7] The inflow of saline groundwater into the lower reaches of the river in recent years[ when? ] has severely affected its water quality, making the water more salty than sea water in several locations.

The river is crossed by the Pyrenees Highway near its source, the Henty Highway south of Horsham, and the Western Highway west of Horsham and, again, west of Dimboola. [4]

The Wimmera has a feature typical of desert drainage patterns in that it has distributaries, the Dunmunkle Creek and the Yarriambiack Creek, which divert water away from the Wimmera at times of high flow or flood.

Pipeline

The health of the Wimmera River was expected to improve following the Wimmera-Mallee pipeline project that was completed in 2008. The project involved replacing old, inefficient stock-water supply and irrigation infrastructure, with a pipeline system. Prior to the project's completion, up to 90 percent of water extracted from the Wimmera River was lost through evaporation and seepage. The Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline system was expected to be many times more efficient[ citation needed ] and meant that there would be much less water extracted from the Wimmera River. That was anticipated to reduce the quantities of water taken from the river and cause an increase in environmental flows in the river system.[ citation needed ]

Horsham flooding

Western Highway crossing the Wimmera River at Horsham Western Highway crossing the Wimmera River at Horsham.png
Western Highway crossing the Wimmera River at Horsham

The Wimmera River at Horsham has been subject to periodic flooding, with peaks recorded as follows:

Flooding events on the Wimmera River, near Horsham
Flood peakLocation(s)References
mftDate
4.7115.5January 2011 [8]
3.8712.7October 1894Dunmunkle and Yarriambiack creeks. Townships of Horsham, Glenorchy, Rupanyup, Warracknabeal, Dimboola and Jeparit affected.
3.8712.7August 1909Dunmunkle and Yarriambiack creeks. Townships of Horsham, Glenorchy, Rupanyup, Warracknabeal, Dimboola and Jeparit affected.
3.7312.2September 1916Townships of Glenorchy and Horsham affected.
3.5511.6August 1981Flood affected the Wimmera River and Yarriambiack Creek.
3.4911.5October 1996
3.3210.9September 2010 [9]
3.3010.8October 1992 [10]

Etymology

In the Aboriginal Djadjawurrung and Jardwadjali languages the river is named Walla-walla, with no defined meaning; and Wamara, possibly meaning woomera or "throwing stick". In the Jardwadjali language the river is named Bunnut, with the Bernett people a clan of the Jardwadjali people; and Barbarton, with bar meaning "river" and the Barbardinbalug were a Jardwadjali clan centred on the Wimmera River. In the Djadjawurrung language the river is named Culcatok, with no defined meaning. In the Djabwurrung, Jardwadjali, and Wergaia languages, the river is named Billiwhin, with no defined meaning. In the Wergaia language the river has several names including Wudjum-bial, with bial meaning red gum; Barengi-djul, with bareng meaning "river" and djul meaning waterbags; Yaigir, with no defined meaning; Wudiyedi, with no defined meaning; Guri-beb, with beb meaning white gum; Giridji-gal, with a meaning that "a dog was always there"; Wadidirabul, with no defined meaning. In the Djabwurrung language the river has several names including Bar and Barkar, with bar meaning "river"; and Tarnorrer and Maripmunninnera, both with no defined meaning. In an undefined local Aboriginal language, the river is named Barrh, with no defined meaning. [1] [2] [3]

The colonial name of the river is derived from the name of the pastoral run. Gold was discovered in the river in 1866. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeparit</span> Town in Victoria, Australia

Jeparit is a town on the Wimmera River in Western Victoria, Australia, 370 kilometres (230 mi) north west of Melbourne. At the 2016 census Jeparit had a population of 342, down from 394 five years earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dimboola</span> Town in Victoria, Australia

Dimboola is a town in the Shire of Hindmarsh in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, Australia, 334 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avoca River</span> River in Victoria, Australia

The Avoca River, an inland intermittent river of the north–central catchment, part of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the lower Riverina bioregion and Central Highlands and Wimmera regions of the Australian state of Victoria. The headwaters of the Avoca River rise on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees Range and descend to flow into the ephemeral Kerang Lakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wimmera Southern Mallee (region)</span> Region in Victoria, Australia

The Wimmera Southern Mallee subregion is part of the Grampians region in western Victoria. The district covers the dryland farming area south of the range of Mallee scrub, east of the South Australia border and north of the Great Dividing Range. It can also be defined as the land within the social catchment of Horsham, its main settlement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mallee (region, Victoria)</span> Region of Victoria, Australia

The Mallee covers the most northwesterly part of Victoria, bounded by the South Australian and New South Wales borders. Definitions of the south-eastern boundary vary, however, all are based on the historic Victorian distribution of mallee eucalypts. These trees dominate the surviving vegetation through most of Mallee,. Its biggest settlements are Mildura and Swan Hill.

Ebenezer Mission, also known as Wimmera mission, Hindmarsh mission and Dimboola mission, was a mission station for Aboriginal people established near Lake Hindmarsh in Victoria, Australia in 1859 by the Moravian Church on the land of the Wotjobaluk. The first missionaries were two Germans, Reverend Friedrich Hagenauer and Reverend F.W. Spieseke. In 1861 the Victorian Colonial Government gazetted 1,897 acres (7.68 km2) as a reserve for the Ebenezer Mission Station. The mission was established a few years after the failure of the Moravian Lake Boga mission in Wemba-Wemba territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coliban River</span> River in Victoria, Australia

The Coliban River, an inland perennial river of the north–central catchment, part of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the lower Riverina bioregion and Central Highlands region of the Australian state of Victoria. The headwaters of the Coliban River rise on the northern slopes of the Great Dividing Range and descend to flow north into the Campaspe River with the impounded Lake Eppalock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Dimboola</span> Local government area in Victoria, Australia

The Shire of Dimboola was a local government area in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of 4,856 square kilometres (1,874.9 sq mi), and existed from 1885 until 1995.

The Jardwadjali (Yartwatjali), also known as the Jaadwa, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Victoria, whose traditional lands occupy the lands in the upper Wimmera River watershed east to Gariwerd (Grampians) and west to Lake Bringalbert.

Lake Albacutya is an ephemeral lake located in Albacutya within the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia. It is one of a series of terminal lakes on the Wimmera River, which form the largest land-locked drainage system in Victoria. Lake Albacutya is designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Lake Hindmarsh, an ephemeral lake located in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, Australia, is the state's largest natural freshwater lake. The nearest towns are Jeparit to the south and Rainbow to the north. After more than a decade of drought, in early 2011 the lake filled as a result of flooding in the region. The Wemba Wemba name of the lake is recorded as Gour or Koor.

The Wergaia or Werrigia people are an Aboriginal Australian group in the Mallee and Wimmera regions of north-Western Victoria, made up of a number of clans. The people were also known as the Maligundidj which means the people belonging to the mali (mallee) eucalypt bushland which covers much of their territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wergaia language</span> Endangered Australian Aboriginal language

Wergaia or Werrigia is an Australian Aboriginal language in the Wimmera region of north-Western Victoria. The Wergaia language consisted of four distinct dialects: Wudjubalug/Wotjobaluk, Djadjala/Djadjali, Buibadjali, Biwadjali. Wergaia was in turn apparently a dialect of the Wemba Wemba language, a member of the Kulinic branch of Pama–Nyungan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campaspe River</span> River in Victoria, Australia

The Campaspe River, an inland intermittent river of the north–central catchment, part of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the lower Riverina bioregion and Central Highlands and Wimmera regions of the Australian state of Victoria. The headwaters of the Campaspe River rise on the northern slopes of the Great Dividing Range and descend to flow north into the Murray River, Australia's longest river, near Echuca.

The Avon River, an inland intermittent river of the Wimmera catchment, located in the Grampians and Wimmera regions of the Australian state of Victoria. Rising on the northern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, the Avon River flows north-westerly to reach its confluence with the Richardson River. The rivers of the Wimmera catchment drain into a series of ephemeral lakes that, whilst they do not directly empty into a defined watercourse, form part of the Murray River catchment of the Murray-Darling basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richardson River (Victoria)</span> River in Victoria, Australia

The Richardson River, an inland intermittent river of the Wimmera catchment, located in the Grampians and Wimmera regions of the Australian state of Victoria. Rising on the northern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, the Richardson River flows generally north and drains into Lake Buloke, one of a series of ephemeral lakes that, whilst they do not directly empty into a defined watercourse, form part of the Murray River catchment of the Murray-Darling basin.

The Mackenzie River, an inland intermittent river of the Wimmera catchment, is located in the Grampians region of the Australian state of Victoria. Rising in the Grampians National Park, on the northern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, the Mackenzie River flows generally north by west and drains into the Wimmera River, southwest of Horsham.

Lake Coorong is an eutrophic lake located in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, Australia. The lake is located adjacent to the township of Hopetoun. After more than a decade of drought, in early 2011 the lake filled as a result of flooding in the region.

The Wotjobaluk are an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Victoria. They are closely related to the Wergaia people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation</span> Australian aboriginal corporation

The Barengi Gadjin Land Council was formed in 2005 to represent the Wotjobaluk, Jardwadjali, Wergaia and Jupagalk peoples. The Council manages native title rights across Western Victoria in an area "roughly described as the Wimmera River from the head of the Yarriambiack Creek through to Outlet Creek at the northern end of Lake Albacutya". The Council is governed by a board of directors representing various family groups and has offices in Wail and Horsham. The current chairperson is Dylan Clark.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Wimmera River (entry 622167)". VICNAMES. Government of Victoria . Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 Smyth, Robert Brough (1878). The Aborigines of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer. p.  176. OL   23539869M.
  3. 1 2 Clark, Ian; Heydon, Toby (2011). "Wimmera River: Traditional Names". Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages.
  4. 1 2 3 "Map of Wimmera River, VIC". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 Griffin, Darren; Muir, Ben. "Barringgi Gadyin – The Wimmera River and Wotjobaluk Connection to Country" (PDF). biolinksalliance.org.au. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  6. ↑ Ker, Peter (25 January 2011). "Parched lake may end 15-year dry". The Age. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  7. ↑ "Lake Albacutya Park". Parks Victoria . Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  8. ↑ "Floodwaters affecting the North West". The Age . Melbourne. 18 January 2011.
  9. ↑ "Flood Update" (streaming audio). ABC Radio . Horsham, Victoria, Australia. 9 September 2010.
  10. ↑ "Horsham Floods". Wimmera Catchment Management Authority. Victorian Government.
  11. ↑ Sinnott, Nigel. Place-Names of the Alexandra, Lake Eildon and Big River Area of Victoria. Alexandra: Friends of the Alexandra Library.
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