Daly River (Northern Territory)
The Daly River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia. Settlement on the river is centred on the Aboriginal community of Nauiyu, originally the site of a Catholic mission, as well as the town of Daly River itself, at the river crossing a few kilometres to the south. The Daly River is part of the Daly Catchment that flows from northern Northern Territory to central Northern Territory.
| Daly River | |
|---|---|
| Etymology | Dominick Daly |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| Territory | Northern Territory |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Confluence of Flora and Katherine river |
| • coordinates | 14°39′22.9536″S 131°42′18.0864″E / 14.656376000°S 131.705024000°E --> |
| • elevation | 64 m (210 ft) |
| 2nd source | Katherine River |
| • location | Arnhem Land |
| • coordinates | 13°16′2.9784″S 133°4′27.7608″E / 13.267494000°S 133.074378000°E |
| • elevation | 453 m (1,486 ft) |
| 3rd source | Flora River |
| • location | Flora River Nature Park |
| • coordinates | 14°54′37.6884″S 131°10′35.0328″E / 14.910469000°S 131.176398000°E |
| • elevation | 268 m (879 ft) |
| Mouth | Timor Sea |
• coordinates | 13°20′S 130°19′E / 13.333°S 130.317°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 354 km (220 mi)[1] |
| Basin size | 53,708 km2 (20,737 sq mi)[1] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Timor Sea (near mouth) |
| • average | 369.7 m3/s (11,670 GL/a)[2] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Wooliana (92 rkm, 13°40′43.428″S 130°38′36.6648″E / 13.67873000°S 130.643518000°E; Basin size: 49,898.4 km2 (19,265.9 sq mi) |
| • average | 317.8 m3/s (10,030 GL/a)[2] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Mount Nancar (113 rkm, 13°47′58.8624″S 130°43′30.2448″E / 13.799684000°S 130.725068000°E; Basin size: 47,652 km2 (18,399 sq mi) |
| • average | (Period: 2000-2022)315.3 m3/s (9,950 GL/a)[3] |
| • minimum | 11 m3/s (350 GL/a) (1970)[3] |
| • maximum | 8,293 m3/s (261,700 GL/a) (1998)[3] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Dorisvale Crossing (214 rkm, 14°21′47.8764″S 131°33′23.9004″E / 14.363299000°S 131.556639000°E; Basin size: 33,227 km2 (12,829 sq mi) |
| • average | (Period: 2000-2022)215.1 m3/s (6,790 GL/a)[4] |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Flora, Bradshaw Creek, Jinduckin Creek, Cattle Creek, Bamboo Creek, Fish, Chilling Creek, Hermit Creek |
| • right | Katherine, Fergusson, Stray Creek, Douglas, Green Ant Creek, Hayward Creek, Kilfoyle Creek, Elliot Creek |
The Daly River flows 354 kilometres (220 mi) from the confluence of the Flora River and Katherine River to its mouth on the Timor Sea.[5]
History edit
The traditional owners of the area are the Mulluk-Mulluk people.
Boyle Travers Finniss named the river after Sir Dominick Daly, the Governor of South Australia, as the Northern Territory was at that time part of South Australia. The region then lay untouched by Europeans until 1882 when copper was discovered.[citation needed]
Floods edit
Like other rivers of the top end, the Daly is prone to seasonal flooding. Major flood events devastated the town of Daly River in 1899 and 1957, causing widespread property damage. In 1998, The floodwaters were fed by heavy rainfall in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Les and continued to rise until 3 February, reaching a peak of 16.8 m (55 ft), the highest level recorded to date.[citation needed]
Attractions edit
The Daly River is famed for its large barramundi and is one of the more popular waterways for recreational fishing. It hosts two major fishing competitions annually, the "Barra Classic" and the "Barra Nationals". The best barramundi fishing is generally just after the wet season when the flooded river is falling fast and clear water is pouring in off the floodplains. The floodwater carries baitfish which in turn attracts predatory barramundi.
The Daly River is home to more freshwater turtle species than anywhere else in Australia.[6]
Discharge edit
Mean annual discharge of the Daly River at Mount Nancar (period from 1971 to 2021) and Dorisvale Crossing (period from 1966 to 2021):[3][4]
| Year | Mean annual discharge | Mean annual discharge | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Nancar | Dorisvale Crossing | |||
| (GL/yr) | (m3/s) | (GL/yr) | (m3/s) | |
| 1966 | 3,953.86 | 125.4 | ||
| 1967 | 4,183.33 | 132.7 | ||
| 1968 | 7,990.78 | 253.4 | ||
| 1969 | 6,112.79 | 193.8 | ||
| 1970 | 929.54 | 29.5 | ||
| 1971 | 3,055.7 | 96.9 | 3,073.52 | 97.5 |
| 1972 | 5,687.83 | 180.4 | 3,632.47 | 115.2 |
| 1973 | 7,839.22 | 248.6 | 3,887.4 | 123.3 |
| 1974 | 20,253.44 | 642.2 | 12,401.14 | 393.2 |
| 1975 | 7,484.03 | 237.3 | 4,286.37 | 135.9 |
| 1976 | 17,002.91 | 539.2 | 12,267.05 | 389 |
| 1977 | 6,421.06 | 203.6 | 8,090.05 | 256.5 |
| 1978 | 4,132.81 | 131.1 | 4,190.23 | 132.9 |
| 1979 | 4,177.21 | 132.5 | 3,322.47 | 105.4 |
| 1980 | 8,560.55 | 271.5 | 5,620.36 | 178.2 |
| 1981 | 7,574.83 | 240.2 | 5,143.17 | 163.1 |
| 1982 | 4,301.86 | 136.4 | 3,422.13 | 108.5 |
| 1983 | 2,311.66 | 73.3 | 1,590.18 | 50.4 |
| 1984 | 10,906.22 | 345.8 | 8,151.43 | 258.5 |
| 1985 | 4,565.57 | 144.8 | 2,117.47 | 67.2 |
| 1986 | 1,339.5 | 42.5 | 1,051.33 | 33.3 |
| 1987 | 6,114.56 | 193.9 | 5,165.54 | 163.8 |
| 1988 | 1,516.71 | 48.1 | 1,181.76 | 37.5 |
| 1989 | 5,696.05 | 180.6 | 2,710.78 | 86 |
| 1990 | 1,054.51 | 33.4 | 694.37 | 22 |
| 1991 | 9,506.28 | 301.4 | 6,508.84 | 206.4 |
| 1992 | 2,003.16 | 63.5 | 1,371.8 | 43.5 |
| 1993 | 7,062.55 | 224 | 4,457.08 | 141.3 |
| 1994 | 6,562.66 | 208.1 | 5,077.1 | 161 |
| 1995 | 8,354.25 | 264.9 | 4,596.53 | 145.8 |
| 1996 | 2,199.76 | 69.8 | 1,517.22 | 48.1 |
| 1997 | 15,952.31 | 505.8 | 10,723.82 | 339.4 |
| 1998 | 13,449.46 | 426.5 | 10,096.29 | 320.2 |
| 1999 | 10,307.06 | 326.8 | 7,188.43 | 227.9 |
| 2000 | 14,335.51 | 454.6 | 9,454.27 | 299.8 |
| 2001 | 14,418.61 | 457.2 | 10,884.56 | 345.2 |
| 2002 | 7,672.74 | 243.3 | 4,918.2 | 156 |
| 2003 | 6,827.31 | 216.5 | 6,738.52 | 213.7 |
| 2004 | 20,593.86 | 653 | 16,682.53 | 529 |
| 2005 | 3,987.72 | 126.5 | 2,995.99 | 95 |
| 2006 | 12,806.45 | 406.1 | 9,772.37 | 309.9 |
| 2007 | 6,547.18 | 207.6 | 5,001.04 | 158.6 |
| 2008 | 14,953.96 | 474.2 | 9,298.98 | 294.9 |
| 2009 | 13,365.59 | 423.8 | 10,078.81 | 319.6 |
| 2010 | 6,212.97 | 197 | 4,630.84 | 146.8 |
| 2011 | 23,694.11 | 751.3 | 14,168.17 | 449.3 |
| 2012 | 9,189.34 | 291.4 | 5,610.28 | 177.9 |
| 2013 | 5,863.01 | 185.9 | 3,739.89 | 118.6 |
| 2014 | 9,246.1 | 293.2 | 5,027.72 | 159.4 |
| 2015 | 3,739.96 | 118.6 | 2,714.27 | 86.1 |
| 2016 | 9,234.43 | 292.8 | 5,722.1 | 181.5 |
| 2017 | 10,920.68 | 346.3 | 6,580.47 | 208.7 |
| 2018 | 11,352.47 | 360 | 5,925.41 | 187.9 |
| 2019 | 1,843.01 | 58.4 | 1,126.49 | 35.7 |
| 2020 | 2,260.75 | 71.7 | 1,002.67 | 31.8 |
| 2021 | 9,704.87 | 307.7 | 7,152.42 | 226.8 |
| Average | 8,316.95 | 263.7 | 5,642 | 178.9 |
Tributaries edit
List of major tributaries edit
The largest tributaries of the Daly River:[2][7]
| Left tributary | Right tributary | Length (km) | Basin size (km2) | Average discharge (m3/s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daly | 354* | 53,708 | 369.7 | |
| Hermit C. | 62.4 | 2,456.3 | 30.2 | |
| Elliot C. | 24.2 | 2.9 | ||
| Kilfoyle C. | 15.9 | 455.4 | 6.5 | |
| Chilling C. | 69.9 | 1,241 | 12.4 | |
| Hayward Creek | 29.6 | 472 | 5.8 | |
| Austral C. | 16 | 1 | ||
| Survey C. | 15.6 | 200.2 | 1.7 | |
| Fish | 89.1 | 1,748 | 20.5 | |
| Bamboo C. | 10.6 | 627.4 | 6.1 | |
| Green Ant Creek | 48.8 | 914 | 15 | |
| Douglas | 83.4 | 1,964 | 21.8 | |
| Cattle C. | 17.5 | 122.5 | 1.2 | |
| Jinduckin Creek | 35.2 | 348.3 | 2.7 | |
| Stray C. | 64 | 1,216 | 8.2 | |
| Brandshaw Creek | 63.5 | 1,181 | 6.5 | |
| Dead Horse C. | 41.4 | 1.4 | ||
| Fergusson | 144 | 4,833.6 | 30.6 | |
| Yuwaiyunn Creek | 1.3 | |||
| Yujullowan Creek | 29.1 | 191.4 | 0.7 | |
| Mullers C. | 8.7 | 0.06 | ||
| Flora | 139 | 6,876 | 27.2 | |
| Katherine | 328 | 24,363.3 | 109.8 | |
*Daly River 354 km (220 mi) with Flora River (139 km (86 mi)[7] is 493 km (306 mi) long; Daly River with the Katherine (328 km (204 mi)[7] is 682 km (424 mi) long;
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "Daly: Geographic information".
- ^ a b c "Darwin-Arnhem".
- ^ a b c d "Hydrologic Reference Stations-Mount Nancar".
- ^ a b "Hydrologic Reference Stations-Dorisvale Crossing".
- ^ McLennan, Chris (19 September 2018). "Katherine's poison plume". Katherine Times. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ Warren Snowdon (6 October 2011). "Fish River - Conservation helps close the gap". Media Release. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
- ^ a b c "Map of Daly River in the Northern Territory".