The Gudgenby River, a
perennial river
A perennial stream is a stream that has continuous flow of surface water throughout the year in at least parts of its catchment during seasons of normal rainfall, Water Supply Paper 494. as opposed to one whose flow is intermittent. In the abse ...
that is part of the
Murrumbidgee catchment within the
Murray–Darling basin
The Murray–Darling basin is a large geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, encompassing the drainage basin of the tributaries of the Murray River, Australia's longest river, and the Darling River, a right tributary of ...
, is located in the
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding township#Aust ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
.
Location and features
Formed by the
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
of Bogong Creek and Middle Creek, the Gudgenby River rises within
Namadgi National Park
Namadgi National Park is a protected area in the south-west of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), bordering Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. It lies approximately southwest of Canberra, and occupies approximately 46 percent of t ...
, below Yankee Hat and Mount Gudgenby, on the south-eastern slopes of the
Brindabella Range
The Brindabella Range, commonly called The Brindabellas or The Brindies, is a mountain range located in Australia, on a state and territory border of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The range rises to the west of C ...
in the south of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The river flows generally north and north-east, joined by nine
tributaries
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drain ...
, including the
Naas River and
Orroral River, before reaching its confluence with the
Murrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River () 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, desce ...
, near
Tharwa
Tharwa (postcode 2620) is a township within the District of Paddys River, Australian Capital Territory, south of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. At the , Tharwa had a population of 81.
The village is located on the banks of the Mur ...
. The river descends over its
course
Course may refer to:
Directions or navigation
* Course (navigation), the path of travel
* Course (orienteering), a series of control points visited by orienteers during a competition, marked with red/white flags in the terrain, and corresponding ...
.
[
The river catchment contains ecologically significant alpine wetlands.
In 2004, ACTEW announced that the creation of a large ]reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contr ...
by damming the Gudgenby River, below Mount Tennent
Mount Tennent ( Aboriginal: ') is a mountain with an elevation of in the southern part of the Australian Capital Territory in Australia. The Gudgenby River flows at the base of the mountain.
Location and features
Mount Tennent is named aft ...
, was one of three options being considered as part of the Future Water Options Project to provide improved reliability and increased supply of potable water
Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, ...
for Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
and the ACT. By 2005, the ACT Government
The Government of the Australian Capital Territory, also referred to as the Australian Capital Territory Government or ACT Government, is the executive authority of the Australian Capital Territory, one of the territories of Australia. The lea ...
decided that the creation of the Mount Tennent dam would not proceed, in favour of enlarging the Cotter Dam
The Cotter Dam is a concrete gravity and rockfill embankment dam across the Cotter River, located in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Both the dam and river are named after early settler in the area Garrett Cotter. The impounded Cot ...
.
Climate
Due to its much higher elevation, the area has a significantly colder climate than Canberra. Gudgenby is where the record low of –14.6 °C for the Australian Capital Territory was held; this was also the lowest recorded temperature for anywhere in Australia outside of the alpine regions—narrowly outdoing Woolbrook. This is especially significant given the Gudgenby site only had twenty years of temperature record; from 1967 to 1988.
See also
*
References
External links
Southern ACT Catchment Group
website
Rivers of the Australian Capital Territory
Tributaries of the Murrumbidgee River
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