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Burrum River

Coordinates: 25°10′46″S 152°37′01″E / 25.17944°S 152.61694°E / -25.17944; 152.61694
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Burrum
Burrum River is located in Queensland
Burrum River
Location of Burrum River mouth in Queensland
EtymologyKabi: rocks interrupting river flow[1]
Location
CountryAustralia
StateQueensland
RegionWide Bay-Burnett
Physical characteristics
SourceLake Lenthall
 • locationLake Lenthall
 • elevation24 m (79 ft)
MouthHervey Bay, Coral Sea
 • location
Burrum Heads
 • coordinates
25°10′46″S 152°37′01″E / 25.17944°S 152.61694°E / -25.17944; 152.61694
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length31 km (19 mi)
Basin size2,327.4 km2 (898.6 sq mi)[2]
Discharge 
 • locationNear mouth
 • average8 m3/s (250 GL/a)[2]
Basin features
National parkBurrum Coast National Park
[3]

The Burrum River is a river in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of Queensland, Australia.

Course and features

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The river rises within Lake Lenthall, impounded by Lenthalls Dam at the confluence of several smaller watercourses including Harwood Creek, Woolmer Creek and Duckinwilla Creek, near the town of Burrum. Below Lenthalls Dam the river is impounded by Burrum River Weir No.2 (built in 1951) and Burrum River Weir No.1 (built in 1900).[4] The river flows in northerly direction and is crossed by the Bruce Highway near Howard. The river flows past Pacific Haven before the Isis River joins with the Burrum River at the southern edge of the Burrum Coast National Park. Together with the Gregory River, it discharges into the Burrum Fish Habitat Area in Hervey Bay that flows out to the Coral Sea, at Burrum Heads. The river descends 27 metres (89 ft) over its 31-kilometre (19 mi) course.[3] An estuary is formed at the mouth of the river. The Isis and Gregory Rivers also discharge into the 12 kilometres (7 mi) long and between 2 kilometres (1 mi) and 500 metres (1,640 ft) wide estuary. The area includes intensive inter-tidal flats, shallow sand banks, a meandering main channel with small patched of fringing mangroves.[4]

The catchment area of the river occupies an 3,371 square kilometres (1,302 sq mi) of which an area of 108 square kilometres (42 sq mi) is composed of riverine wetlands.[5] The catchment area is generally low and flat and is situated between the Burnett and Mary River catchments.[4]

The river has a mean annual discharge of 153 gigalitres (200,116,445 cu yd).[4]

Etymology

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The river draws its name from the indigenous Australian Kabi language for a word meaning rocks interrupting river flow.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Burrum River (entry 5451)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b "East Coastal Watersheds".
  3. ^ a b "Map of Burrum River, QLD". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d Walker, Michael (June 2008). "Burrum Catchment - Water Quality Improvement Plan" (PDF). Burnett Mary Regional Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Burrum river drainage basin". WetlandInfo. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.