The Gudgenby River, a
perennial river that is part of the
Murrumbidgee catchment within the
Murray–Darling basin, is located in the
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory until 1938, is an internal States and territories of Australia, territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory, an ...
,
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 ...
.
Location and features
Formed by the
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 ...
of Bogong Creek and Middle Creek, the Gudgenby River rises within
Namadgi National Park
Namadgi National Park is a protected area in the southwest 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 th ...
, 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 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
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. The river descends over its
course.
[
The river catchment contains ecologically significant alpine wetlands.
In 2004, ACTEW announced that the creation of a large ]reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
by dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
ming the Gudgenby River, below Mount Tennent, 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 or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...
for Canberra
Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
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 branch of the Australian Capital Territory. The leader of the party or coalition with the Con ...
decided that the creation of the Mount Tennent dam would not proceed, in favour of enlarging the Cotter Dam.
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 had just 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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