The Paroo River, a series of waterholes, connected in wet weather as a running stream of the Darling 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 South West region of

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

and Far West region 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. It is the home of the Paarkantji people. Paroo is the local Aboriginal word for the bony bream fish, which are common in the river.

Course and features

The river rises in the gorge country of western Queensland south of the Mariala National Park, and flows generally south and spreads into the vast floodplains of New South Wales, eventually reaching the Paroo overflow lakes. Most commonly, the Paroo River terminates on the floodplain south of Wanaaring; and only reaches the

Darling River The Darling River (or River Darling; Paakantyi: ''Baaka'' or ''Barka''), is the third-longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth. Including its long ...

in the wettest of years, otherwise spilling into the Paroo River Wetlands. The river is joined by forty-three minor tributaries; as it descends over its course. The Paroo River is the last remaining free-flowing river in the northern part of the Murray-Darling basin, and is impounded by the natural formation of the Buckenby Waterhole, Humeburn Waterhole, Corni Paroo Waterhole, Caiwarro Waterhole, Thoulcanna Dam, Talyealye Billabong and Budtha Waterhole.

Wetlands

The Paroo River

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

s in north-western New South Wales are important for threatened species such as the

freckled duck The freckled duck (''Stictonetta naevosa)'' is a waterfowl species endemic to Australia. The freckled duck has also been referred to as the monkey duck or oatmeal duck. These birds are usually present in mainland Australia, but disperse to coas ...

and the Australian painted snipe. The wetlands lie within the Paroo Floodplain and Currawinya Important Bird Area, identified as such by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

because of its importance, when conditions are suitable, for large numbers of

waterbird A water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird, is a bird that lives on or around water. In some definitions, the term ''water bird'' is especially applied to birds in freshwater ecosystems, although others make no distinction from seabi ...

s. On 20 September 2007,

Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as Liberal Party of Australia, leader of the Liberal Party an ...

, the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, announced that the Paroo River Wetlands in north-west New South Wales would be listed under the

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar site, Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on We ...

as wetlands of international importance, making them Australia's 65th Ramsar site.

Cultural references

Henry Lawson described the ephemeral nature of the Paroo River in a poem, "The Paroo 'River'" (1894):

But soon he saw a strip of ground That crossed the track we followed— No barer than the surface round But just a little hollowed.

Gallery

Paroo River Dry-2002-05.jpg, The dry Paroo River, near Wilcannia Paroo R.JPG, Road sign by the Paroo River bridge, near Wilcannia

References

External links

Ecological character description for Paroo River Wetlands Ramsar site – NSW Govt
{{Authority control Rivers of Queensland Ramsar sites in Australia Tributaries of the Darling River South West Queensland Far West (New South Wales)