Cox's River
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The Coxs River, a
perennial river A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a strea ...
that is part of the
Hawkesbury Hawkesbury or Hawksbury may refer to: People *Baron Hawkesbury, or Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool (1727-1808), English statesman Places Australia * Hawkesbury Island, Queensland, an island *Hawkesbury River, a river in New South Wal ...
- Nepean catchment, is located in the
Central Tablelands The Central Tablelands in New South Wales is a geographic area that lies between the Sydney Metropolitan Area and the Central Western Slopes and Plains. The Great Dividing Range passes in a north–south direction through the Central Tablelands ...
, Blue Mountains, and
Macarthur MacArthur or Macarthur may refer to: Arts and media * INSS MacArthur, a fictional starship featured in the science fiction novel ''The Mote in God's Eye'' * ''MacArthur'' (1977 film), a movie biography of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur * ' ...
regions of
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
,
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 Coxs River rises in Gardiners Gap, within Ben Bullen State Forest, east of
Cullen Bullen Cullen Bullen is a village in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on Mudgee Road, 168 km north-west of Sydney, 28 km north of Lithgow. At the 2016 census, Cullen Bullen had a population of 279 people, up from 198 ten years e ...
, and flows through the
Megalong Valley Megalong Valley is part of the Blue Mountains (Australia), Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is located west of Katoomba, New South Wales, Katoomba. On its eastern side, the valley is separated from the Jamison Valley by Narrow N ...
and parts of the
Greater Blue Mountains Area The Greater Blue Mountains Area is a World Heritage Site located in the Blue Mountains (New South Wales), Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. The area was placed on the World Heritage List at the List of World Heritage Sites by year ...
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
including the Blue Mountains and Kanangra-Boyd national parks, heading generally south and then east, joined by fifteen
tributaries A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ('' 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 into which the ...
including the
Little Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...
, Jenolan, Kedumba, Kowmung, and
Wollondilly Wollondilly Shire is a periurban local government area that is located on the far southwest fringe of the Greater Sydney area in New South Wales, Australia. The local government area is part of the Macarthur and Blue Mountains regions. The Wol ...
rivers, before reaching its
confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...
with the
Warragamba River The Warragamba River, a river that is part of the Hawkesbury- Nepean catchment, is located in the Macarthur region of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features Formed through the confluence of the Coxs River and two minor tributaries, W ...
to form
Lake Burragorang Lake Burragorang is a man-made reservoir in the lower Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, serving as a major water supply for greater metropolitan Sydney. The dam impounding the lake, the Warragamba Dam, is located approximately sout ...
. 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 is impounded at Lake Wallace where it forms a cooling source for
Wallerawang Power Station Wallerawang Power Station was a thermal coal power station, located near Wallerawang, in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. The power station was equipped with two turbo-alternators of each, supplied by CA Parsons & ...
; at Lake Lyell where it is used for
water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Th ...
for the city of Lithgow and water cooling for Wallerawang Power Station; and at
Lake Burragorang Lake Burragorang is a man-made reservoir in the lower Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, serving as a major water supply for greater metropolitan Sydney. The dam impounding the lake, the Warragamba Dam, is located approximately sout ...
, a major water supply source for greater metropolitan Sydney. At Wallerawang, the river is crossed by a stone single-track railway bridge, completed in 1870; and a replacement masonry/brick double-track railway underbridge, completed in 1923. East of Wallerawang, the
Great Western Highway Great Western Highway is a state highway in New South Wales, Australia. From east to west, the highway links Sydney with Bathurst, New South Wales, Bathurst, on the state's Central Tablelands. The highway also has local road names between the ...
(A32) also crosses the river, via the Jack Wilson Bridge.


History

To the Aboriginal peoples who lived in the area for thousands of years before white settlement, Coxs River was one of two corridors that could be used to cross the Blue Mountains, the other being the Bilpin Ridge, now the site of
Bells Line of Road Bells Line of Road is a major road located in New South Wales, Australia, providing an alternative crossing of the Blue Mountains to the Great Western Highway. The eastern terminus of the road is in , 51 km northwest of Sydney, where the roa ...
. Coxs River was the easiest way to cross the mountains, but this fact was unknown to the European settlers, for whom the mountains were a seemingly impassable barrier. A former convict, John Wilson, may have been the first European to cross the Blue Mountains. Wilson arrived with the
First Fleet The First Fleet were eleven British ships which transported a group of settlers to mainland Australia, marking the beginning of the History of Australia (1788–1850), European colonisation of Australia. It consisted of two Royal Navy vessel ...
in 1788 as a
convict A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former convicts ...
and was released in 1792. After this, he lived with the Aborigines and functioned as an intermediary between them and the settlers. In 1797 Wilson returned to Sydney, claiming to have explored up to a hundred miles in all directions around Sydney, including across the mountains. His descriptions and observations were generally accurate, and it is possible that he had crossed the mountains via the Coxs River corridor, guided by the Aborigines. Governor Macquarie named both Coxs River and Coxs Pass in honour of William Cox, a military officer, roadmaker and builder. In 1815 the naming of the Coxs River is mentioned:


Pollution

As of 2008, there were concerns about water quality in upper Coxs River. Testing carried out by researchers from the Blue Mountains Conservation Society showed that this part of the river had high levels of heavy metals including zinc, copper and manganese, 125 times more sulphate than surrounding streams and only 5% of the oxygen that fish need. The pH level, a test of acidity, was up to 1000 times higher than that of neighbouring creeks, while the river was 80 times as salty as it should be. The
Sydney Catchment Authority The Sydney Catchment Authority was a statutory authority of the Government of New South Wales created in 1999 to manage and protect drinking water catchments and catchment infrastructure, and supplies bulk water to its customers, including Sydn ...
confirmed that the test was accurate, but said the water gets safer to drink in the lower river, approaching Warragamba Dam. The Department of Environment and Climate Change stated that the contamination could be caused by
Delta Electricity Delta Electricity is an electricity generation company in Australia. The company was formed by the Government of New South Wales in 1996 as part of its reform of the electricity sector in the State, which saw the breakup of the Electricity Comm ...
's Wallerawang Power Station reusing its water as a result of drought. Delta stated that it was operating within the conditions of its licence. In 2009, Dr Ian Wright of the
University of Western Sydney Western Sydney University, formerly the University of Western Sydney, is an Australian multi-campus public research university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university in its current form was founde ...
reported that the water flowing into Coxs River contained high levels of copper, boron and other metals at "many times" the levels found upstream of the Wallerawang Power Station. High arsenic levels were found down stream of the plant, although it was diluted further downstream and was not thought to pose a risk to humans. The Blue Mountains Conservation Society was taking a case to the
Land and Environment Court of New South Wales The Land and Environment Court of New South Wales is a court within the Australian court hierarchy established pursuant to the to hearing (law), hear environmental, development, building and planning disputes. The Court's jurisdiction, confined ...
with the backing of Environment Defenders Office of New South Wales, intending to argue that Delta Electricity are polluting Coxs River. The Society also intended to challenge the New South Wales system of environmental licences. The Society's president, Tara Cameron, said: "These licences are just licences to pollute. They are just allowing the status quo and making people feel good without actually protecting the environment." Journalists Ben Cubby and Erik Jensen maintained that the
NSW Government The Government of New South Wales, also known as the NSW Government, is the executive state government of New South Wales, Australia. The government comprises 11 portfolios, led by a ministerial department and supported by several agencies. Th ...
had known about the pollution for over two years.


Activities and access

A range of leisure activities are accessible adjacent to the river, including the
Katoomba to Mittagong Trail The Katoomba to Mittagong Trail is a 132-km long-distance walking trail that starts in the Blue Mountains at Katoomba (New South Wales, Australia) and finishes at Mittagong in the Southern Highlands. Description Starting at Katoomba, the wal ...
, the
Six Foot Track The Six Foot Track is a long hiking trail in New South Wales, Australia that stretches from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves. It was originally a bridle trail for horse from Katoomba to the Caves, and is now a walking trail of . It has a steep descent ...
and camping. Vehicle access is available at many locations along the river. There are several areas close to
Hartley Hartley may refer to: Places Australia *Hartley, New South Wales * Hartley, South Australia ** Electoral district of Hartley, a state electoral district Canada * Hartley Bay, British Columbia United Kingdom * Hartley, Cumbria * Hartley, P ...
. As the river progresses towards
Lake Burragorang Lake Burragorang is a man-made reservoir in the lower Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, serving as a major water supply for greater metropolitan Sydney. The dam impounding the lake, the Warragamba Dam, is located approximately sout ...
, vehicle access is not permitted.
Bushwalking A hike is a long, vigorous walking, walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer tim ...
is the most popular access method to the Coxs River. There are several well maintained historic walks that follow along scenic sections of the river. One of the most popular is the
Six Foot Track The Six Foot Track is a long hiking trail in New South Wales, Australia that stretches from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves. It was originally a bridle trail for horse from Katoomba to the Caves, and is now a walking trail of . It has a steep descent ...
.
Horse riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding ( Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
is another popular way to enjoy the Coxs river. There are several tour operators in the
Megalong Valley Megalong Valley is part of the Blue Mountains (Australia), Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is located west of Katoomba, New South Wales, Katoomba. On its eastern side, the valley is separated from the Jamison Valley by Narrow N ...
that offer day and overnight rides.


See also

*
Blue Mountains National Park The Blue Mountains National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The national park is situated approximately west of the Sydney CBD, and the park boundary is ...
*
List of rivers of Australia Rivers are ordered alphabetically, by state. The same river may be found in more than one state as many rivers cross state borders. Longest rivers nationally Longest river by state or territory Although the Murray River forms much of the bor ...
*
List of rivers of New South Wales (A–K) This is the first part of a list of rivers of New South Wales, Australia. With List of rivers of New South Wales (L–Z) it includes all 439 rivers, as of 7 June 2008, listed by the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales in the Geographic ...
*
Megalong Valley Megalong Valley is part of the Blue Mountains (Australia), Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is located west of Katoomba, New South Wales, Katoomba. On its eastern side, the valley is separated from the Jamison Valley by Narrow N ...
*
Rivers of New South Wales This page discusses the rivers and hydrography of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The principal topographic feature of New South Wales is the series of low highlands and plateaus called the Great Dividing Range, which extend from nor ...
*
Wallerawang Power Station Wallerawang Power Station was a thermal coal power station, located near Wallerawang, in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. The power station was equipped with two turbo-alternators of each, supplied by CA Parsons & ...


References


External links

* * * {{Coord, 33, 57, S, 150, 25, E, display=title, region:AU_type:river_source:GNS-enwiki Rivers of New South Wales Central Tablelands Rivers of the Blue Mountains (New South Wales) Macarthur (New South Wales)