The Blyth River is a
river
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
in the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.
Course and features
The headwaters rise east of Shadforth Hills and flows in a northerly direction through mostly uninhabited country, past the small community of Gamardi before discharging into Boucaut Bay.
[
The catchment occupies an area of and is situated between the ]Liverpool River
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.
Geography
The river rises at the ea ...
catchment to the west, the Goyder River
The Goyder River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Description
The headwaters of the river rise at the base of the Mitchell Ranges and are fed by spring discharge from an extensive dolomite aquifer that supports areas of rain ...
catchment to the east and the Roper River
The Roper River is a large perennial river located in the Katherine region of the Northern Territory of Australia.
Location and features
Formed by the confluence of the Waterhouse River and Roper Creek, the Roper River rises east of Mataranka ...
catchment to the south. It has a mean annual outflow of ,
The Cadell and Blyth Floodplains
The Cadell and Blyth Floodplains consist of the floodplain of the lower reaches of the Blyth and Cadell Rivers of northern Arnhem Land in the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is an important site for waterbirds.
Descriptio ...
are located at the lower reaches of the river and occupy an area of .
The estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...
formed at the river mouth is tidal in nature and in near pristine condition.
History
The river was named by Francis Cadell in 1867 after the Premier of South Australia
The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier i ...
, Arthur Blyth
Sir Arthur Blyth (19 March 1823 – 7 December 1891) was Premier of South Australia three times; 1864–65, 1871–72 and 1873–75.
Early life
The son of William Blyth and his wife, Sarah Wilkins, he was born at Birmingham, England on 21 ...
.
Fauna
Many species of fish are found in the river including Sailfin Glassfish, Macleay's Glassfish, Barred Grunter, Fly-specked Hardyhead and Pennyfish, Goby
The Gobioidei are a suborder of percomorph fish. Many of these fishes are called gobies. It is by far the largest and most diverse order within the order Gobiiformes, and one of the most diverse groups of ray-finned fish in general.
The subord ...
, Flathead Goby, Giant Gudgeon, Empire Gudgeon, Threadfin Rainbowfish, Barramundi
The barramundi (''Lates calcarifer''), Asian sea bass, or giant sea perch (also known as dangri, apahap or siakap) is a species of catadromous fish in the family Latidae of the order Carangiformes. The species is widely distributed in the I ...
, Diamond Mullet, Rainbowfish, Western Rainbowfish, Black-banded Rainbowfish, Chequered Rainbowfish, Bony Bream, Black Catfish, Rendahl's Catfish, Seven-spot Archerfish.
See also
* List of rivers of Northern Territory
References
{{Rivers of the Northern Territory , state=collapsed
Rivers of the Northern Territory
Arnhem Land
Arafura Sea