Don River (North Queensland)

The Don River is a river located in North Queensland, Australia.

Not to be confused with Don River (Central Queensland).
For other uses, see Don River.

Don
Location of Don River mouth in Queensland
Location
CountryAustralia
StateQueensland
RegionNorth Queensland
CityBowen
Physical characteristics
SourceClarke Range
 • locationbelow Mount Roundhill
 • coordinates20°33′46″S 148°16′19″E
 • elevation253 m (830 ft)
MouthCoral Sea
 • location
near Bowen
 • coordinates
19°56′52″S 148°09′55″E
 • elevation
50 m (160 ft)
Length60 km (37 mi)
Basin size1,200 km2 (460 sq mi)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftBluff Creek, Humbug Creek, Monte Christo Creek, Boundary Creek (Queensland), Selina Creek
 • rightWild Creek, Oaky Creek (Queensland), Spring Creek (Queensland), Simon Creek (Queensland), Ida Creek, Menilden Creek, Grasstree Creek, Police Camp Creek
National parkEungella National Park
[1]

Course and features

The Don River rises in the Clarke Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, below Mount Roundhill and west of Proserpine. The river flows generally north by northeast through the Eungella National Park and is joined by thirteen minor tributaries, towards its mouth and empties into the Coral Sea north of Bowen. With a catchment area of 1,200 square kilometres (460 sq mi),[2] the river descends 253 metres (830 ft) over its 60-kilometre (37 mi) course.[1]

High salinity levels have been recorded at the mouth of the river.[3] Land use in the upper catchment is mostly beef cattle production with crops grown in the richer soils downstream.[2]

The river is crossed by the Bruce Highway via the Don River Bridge at Bowen.

Flooding

The highest recorded flood was in 1970 when the river reached 7.25 metres (23.8 ft) at the Bowen Pumping Station.[2] The river delta is particularly vulnerable to flooding during cyclones.[3]

Floods in 2008 left deposits of sand which raised the riverbed considerably.[4] Approval to dredge sand was granted by the Queensland Government however only about half of that has been removed in recent years. A flood in 2008 lead the Whitsunday Regional Council to create a channel so that similar flooding could be avoided.[5]

A management plan for the river was established late in 2008. It included measures to encourage further sand extraction.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Map of Don River, QLD". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  2. "Flood Warning System For The Don River". Bureau of Meteorology. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  3. "Water resources - Overview - Queensland: Groundwater Management Unit: Don River". Australian Natural Resources Atlas. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. 15 June 2009. Archived from the original on 21 March 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  4. "Bowen council seeks approval to dredge Don River". ABC News. Australia. 21 February 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  5. "Hope for channel to stop Don River flooding". ABC News. Australia. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  6. "Govt to invest $1.4m in Don River flood prevention". ABC News. Australia. 3 September 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2011.


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