Culgoa River

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title: "Culgoa River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-queensland", "tributaries-of-the-darling-river", "south-west-queensland", "shire-of-balonne", "brewarrina-shire", "bourke-shire"] description: "River in Queensland, Australia" topic_path: "general/rivers-of-queensland" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culgoa_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary River in Queensland, Australia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]

Field	Value
name	Culgoa
name_etymology	Aboriginal: "running through, returning"
map_size	250
pushpin_map	Australia New South Wales
pushpin_map_size	250
pushpin_map_caption	Location of Culgoa River mouth in New South Wales
subdivision_type1	Country
subdivision_name1	Australia
subdivision_type2	States
subdivision_name2	Queensland, New South Wales
subdivision_type3	Region
subdivision_name3	South West Queensland, Orana
length	489 km
source1	Balonne River
source1_location	near Dirranbandi
source1_elevation	187 m
mouth	confluence with the Barwon River to form the Darling River
mouth_location	north–west of Bourke
mouth_coordinates
mouth_elevation	109 m
river_system	Darling River catchment,
Murray–Darling basin
tributaries_left	Balonne River, Birrie River
custom_label	National parks
custom_data
extra
::

| name = Culgoa | native_name = | native_name_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = Aboriginal: "running through, returning" | image = | image_size = | image_caption = | map = | map_size = 250 | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Australia New South Wales | pushpin_map_size = 250 | pushpin_map_caption= Location of Culgoa River mouth in New South Wales | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = Australia | subdivision_type2 = States | subdivision_name2 = Queensland, New South Wales | subdivision_type3 = Region | subdivision_name3 = South West Queensland, Orana | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = | length = 489 km | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max = | source1 = Balonne River | source1_location = near Dirranbandi | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = 187 m | mouth = confluence with the Barwon River to form the Darling River | mouth_location = north–west of Bourke | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 109 m | progression = | river_system = Darling River catchment, Murray–Darling basin | basin_size = | tributaries_left = Balonne River, Birrie River | tributaries_right = | custom_label = National parks | custom_data = | extra =

The Culgoa River is a river that is part of the Darling catchment within the Murray–Darling basin and is located in South West Queensland.

Course and features

The river is a continuation of the western branch of the Balonne River in southern Queensland, near Dirranbandi, and flows generally south-west across parts of the Darling Riverine Plains, joined by ten tributaries, including the Balonne and Birrie rivers, before forming its confluence with the Darling River near Bourke; descending 78 m over its 489 km course.

Cubbie Station, located on the Culgoa River, is situated adjacent to a large diversion channel which permits the farm, under licence to store 460000 ML of river water. According to downstream farmers in 2008, large cotton farms, such as Cubbie Station, have reduced the traditional flow of the Culgoa River by one third. By 2009, downstream farmers were claiming that due to upstream water entitlements on the Culgoa River, since 2000, the Lower Balonne floodplain had not received enough water to flood the plains. Prior to the granting of these rights, the Lower Balonne River flooded every two or three years; impacting the sustainability of flora, fauna, birdlife, and economic returns from grazing livestock and cropping.

Little Culgoa Creek, an anabranch of the Culgoa River, leaves the river near Goodooga and returns to the river near Brenda Gate. The river flows through the Culgoa Floodplain National Park and the Culgoa National Park, located respectively north and south of the border between Queensland and New South Wales, west of Goodooga.

Etymology

Culgoa is an Aboriginal word meaning "running through" or "returning".

References

References

1. "Indigenous place names". [[Ipswich City Council]].
2. "Map of Culgoa River". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia.
3. (28 November 1980). "Culgoa River".
4. Ker, Peter. (18 August 2009). "Water resource hope on sale of Cubbie Station". The Age.
5. Long, Stephen. (18 September 2012). "Cubbie Station: a dozen rival expressions of interest ignored". ABC News.
6. Roberts, Greg. (24 January 2008). "Farmers in fight over floodwaters". The Australian.
7. Elks, Sarah. (19 August 2009). "Water grab preventing floods and taking toll on trees". The Australian.
8. (13 March 1981). "Little Culgoa Creek".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::