NOTES ON THE MURRAY DARLING BASIN
GEOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
1. Source: Murrays’2. Shape
3. Catchment area
4. Tributaries
5. Discharge
6. Mouth
7. Climate
8. Flora and Fauna
9. Population and settlement wetlands
10. Groundwater
GEOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUBREGIONS
1. The Upper Darling- Cotton industry
2. The lower darling- Menindee lakes (store water for irrigation), Mungo
national park. Has dryland wheat, cotton, flowers, wool, meat, wine grapes,
stone fruits and apples
3. Headwaters of the Murray to Corowa- 37% of total flow, Hume and
Dartmouth dams now control this flow. Hydroelectricity is generated by
power stations on these dams and in the snowy mountains
4. Riverine Plains- Largest red gum forest- Barmah Millewa forest (60,000
hectares of flood plain). Sheparton and Cobram orchards produce 80% of
Australia canning fruit. Rice is grown in Deniliquin and Wakool regions. On
border NSW and VICTORIA
5. Mallee Zone. Has an ancient sea, salt lakes and is semi arid. Much of the scrub
has been cleared for agriculture: irrigation water allows grapes, citrus fruits,
flowers and vegetables
6. The Murray Gorge; elongated wetlands (found in SA)
7. Lower Murray, the lakes and Coorong- Barrages built in 1930s to stop
saltwater extending upstream, when the river levels are running low and keep
river levels high enough for irrigation. Wetlands of significance- The
Coorong.