Strickland River

The Strickland River is a major river in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. It is the largest tributary of the Fly River with a total length of 824 km (512 mi) including the Lagaip River the main river source of the Strickland River. It was named after Edward Strickland, vice-president of the Geographical Society of Australasia[1] by the New Guinea Exploration Expedition of 1885.

Strickland
NASA Blue Marble image of the Strickland River, looking South West from its source in Enga Province towards its confluence with the Fly River
Location of the Strickland
Location
CountryPapua New Guinea
RegionWestern Province
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationCentral Range, Papua New Guinea
Mouth 
 • location
Fly, Papua New Guinea
 • coordinates
7°35′S 141°23′E
Length824 km (512 mi)
Basin size37,000 km2 (14,000 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average3,100 m3/s (110,000 cu ft/s)
 • maximum7,000 m3/s (250,000 cu ft/s)

Tributary

Strickland River List of tributaries by length.

  • Ok Om River 90 km (56 mi)
  • Lagaip River 67 km (42 mi)
  • Porgera River 44 km (27 mi)
  • Kera River 43 km (27 mi)

Environmental concerns

The Porgera Gold Mine, run by Barrick Gold, is a mine near the Strickland, which is the source of environmental concerns in the area. Since 1992, Barrick Gold has dumped mine waste, particularly metal particulates or tailings, directly into the river. This process of riverine disposal by the mine has led to much controversy, with numerous deaths and environmental problems being blamed on the metal particulates.

See also

References
  1. Walsh, G. P. "Strickland, Sir Edward (1821–1889)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 22 September 2013 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.

Further reading


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