Tumut River
Encyclopedia
The Tumut River is a river in New South Wales
, Australia
.
The Tumut River rises on the northern face of Mount Jagungal
in the Snowy Mountains
of southern New South Wales
. It flows about 145km before joining the Murrumbidgee River
, at Darbalara
near the town of Gundagai
.
Although quite a short river, the natural flow of the Tumut River is quite high, as it drains the snowmelt and other runoff from a large proportion of the northern Snowy Mountains. The natural flow of the river is amplified by water transferred from the Tooma River
and Lake Eucumbene
by the Snowy Mountains Scheme
.
Between Cabramurra and Tumut, a series of five dams and four hydro-electric power stations harness the flow of the river. These include Tumut Power Station and
Blowering Dam
and Talbingo Dam
Canoeing/Kayaking - there are many excellent opportunities for canoeing downstream of Blowering Dam. Canoeing activities are often limited to higher flows as winter low flows are very difficult to paddle. Paddling is very pleasant at discharges above 2000ML/day at Blowering Dam. The Tumut Valley Canoe Club are regular paddlers of the Tumut River.
Fishing - Fishing on the Tumut river is now limited to cold water species eg Trout. The low temperatures of the river due to the bottom of the dam releases from Blowering Dam have virtually eliminated native fish species.
The Tumut river has been widely documented as suffering from the effects of the un-natural flow regime resulting from the creation of the Snowy Mountain Scheme and the irrigation demand downstream of the Tumut river.
Environmental damage attributed to the NSW Governments management of the Tumut river include;
Erosion of River banks - quoted as approximating 2ha of lost land per km of river frontage.
Waterlogging(souring) of low lying land along the river.
Isolation of historical annabranches of the river. Eg Holt's annabranch which is now regularly cut off at low flows. The historic village of Brungle has been the subject of considerable media coverage on both Prime and WIN TV regarding river fows and water quality.
Thermal Pollution (Low water temperatures). Resulting from the "bottom of the dam" outlet of Blowering Dam.
Loss of flora and Fauna from the extreme changes in water level from high irrigation flows to winter flows of less than 500ML/day. eg. platapi (Platapus)
"Rock facing" of river banks to attempt to control erosion caused by high irrigation flows.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The Tumut River rises on the northern face of Mount Jagungal
Mount Jagungal
Mount Jagungal is a mountain within the Jagungal Wilderness Area of the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, Australia. At 2061 metres AHD, Mount Jagungal surpasses any elevation except for peaks in the Main Range and Gungartan . Because it stands alone in an extensive plain Mount Jagungal...
in the Snowy Mountains
Snowy Mountains
The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", are the highest Australian mountain range and contain the Australian mainland's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, which reaches 2,228 metres AHD, approximately 7310 feet....
of southern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. It flows about 145km before joining the Murrumbidgee River
Murrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory . A major tributary of the Murray River, the Murrumbidgee flows in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains,...
, at Darbalara
Darbalara, New South Wales
Darbalara is a rural community on east bank of the junction of the Murrumbidgee River and Tumut River in the Riverina. It is situated by road, about 25 kilometres north east from Gundagai and 25 kilometres south from Coolac....
near the town of Gundagai
Gundagai, New South Wales
Gundagai is a town in New South Wales, Australia. Although a small town, Gundagai is a popular topic for writers and has become a representative icon of a typical Australian country town...
.
Although quite a short river, the natural flow of the Tumut River is quite high, as it drains the snowmelt and other runoff from a large proportion of the northern Snowy Mountains. The natural flow of the river is amplified by water transferred from the Tooma River
Tooma River
The Tooma River is a river in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia.The Tooma River starts near Mount Jagungal in the Snowy Mountains and drains part of the western side of the range...
and Lake Eucumbene
Lake Eucumbene
Lake Eucumbene is a man-made lake on the Eucumbene River in the Snowy Mountains of Southern New South Wales in Australia. The lake was created by the damming of the river as part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. The dam was built between 1956 and 1958....
by the Snowy Mountains Scheme
Snowy Mountains Scheme
The Snowy Mountains scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in south-east Australia. It consists of sixteen major dams; seven power stations; a pumping station; and 225 kilometres of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts and was constructed between 1949 and 1974. The Chief engineer was Sir...
.
Between Cabramurra and Tumut, a series of five dams and four hydro-electric power stations harness the flow of the river. These include Tumut Power Station and
Blowering Dam
Blowering Dam
Blowering Dam is on the Tumut River in Australia. It is part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Associated with the dam is the Blowering Power Station....
and Talbingo Dam
Talbingo Dam
Talbingo Dam is located on the Tumut River in southern New South Wales. It is the largest dam in the Snowy Mountains Scheme, with the associated Tumut 3 Power Station also the largest in the project...
Sporting and Leisure Activities
The tumut river has been a popular destination for a variety of sport and leisure activities including;Canoeing/Kayaking - there are many excellent opportunities for canoeing downstream of Blowering Dam. Canoeing activities are often limited to higher flows as winter low flows are very difficult to paddle. Paddling is very pleasant at discharges above 2000ML/day at Blowering Dam. The Tumut Valley Canoe Club are regular paddlers of the Tumut River.
Fishing - Fishing on the Tumut river is now limited to cold water species eg Trout. The low temperatures of the river due to the bottom of the dam releases from Blowering Dam have virtually eliminated native fish species.
Environmental Concerns
The Tumut river has been subject to considerable debate and lobbying on environmental grounds.The Tumut river has been widely documented as suffering from the effects of the un-natural flow regime resulting from the creation of the Snowy Mountain Scheme and the irrigation demand downstream of the Tumut river.
Environmental damage attributed to the NSW Governments management of the Tumut river include;
Erosion of River banks - quoted as approximating 2ha of lost land per km of river frontage.
Waterlogging(souring) of low lying land along the river.
Isolation of historical annabranches of the river. Eg Holt's annabranch which is now regularly cut off at low flows. The historic village of Brungle has been the subject of considerable media coverage on both Prime and WIN TV regarding river fows and water quality.
Thermal Pollution (Low water temperatures). Resulting from the "bottom of the dam" outlet of Blowering Dam.
Loss of flora and Fauna from the extreme changes in water level from high irrigation flows to winter flows of less than 500ML/day. eg. platapi (Platapus)
"Rock facing" of river banks to attempt to control erosion caused by high irrigation flows.
See also
- Rivers of New South WalesRivers of New South WalesThis page discusses the rivers and hydrography of the State of New South Wales, Australia.The principal topographic feature of New South Wales is the series of low highlands and plateaus called the Great Dividing Range, which extend from north to south roughly parallel to the coast of the Tasman...
- Round MountainRound Mountain (Snowy Mountains)Round Mountain is a mountain in the Snowy Mountains of southern New South Wales, Australia.Round Mountain is a high point on the dividing ridge between the Tumut River and Tooma River catchments. The summit is located quite close to the Khancoban-Cabramurra Road...
- Tooma RiverTooma RiverThe Tooma River is a river in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia.The Tooma River starts near Mount Jagungal in the Snowy Mountains and drains part of the western side of the range...