Leichhardt River
title: "Leichhardt River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-queensland", "north-west-queensland", "gulf-of-carpentaria"] topic_path: "general/rivers-of-queensland" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leichhardt_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Leichhardt |
| name_etymology | Ludwig Leichhardt |
| image | Leichardt River - panoramio (12).jpg |
| image_caption | Leichhardt River at Stokes, 2013 |
| pushpin_map | Australia Queensland |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location of Leichhardt River river mouth in Queensland |
| subdivision_type1 | Country |
| subdivision_name1 | Australia |
| subdivision_type2 | State |
| subdivision_name2 | Queensland |
| subdivision_type3 | Region |
| subdivision_name3 | Gulf Country |
| length | 630 km |
| discharge1_avg | 69 m3/s |
| source1 | Rifle Creek |
| source1_location | Selwyn Range, Australia |
| source1_elevation | 406 m |
| mouth_location | Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia |
| mouth_coordinates | |
| mouth_elevation | 0 m |
| basin_size | 32878 km2 |
| extra | |
| :: |
| name = Leichhardt | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = Ludwig Leichhardt | image = Leichardt River - panoramio (12).jpg | image_size = | image_caption = Leichhardt River at Stokes, 2013
| map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Australia Queensland | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= Location of Leichhardt River river mouth in Queensland | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = Australia | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = Queensland | subdivision_type3 = Region | subdivision_name3 = Gulf Country | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = | length = 630 km | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = 69 m3/s | discharge1_max = | source1 = Rifle Creek | source1_location = Selwyn Range, Australia | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = 406 m | mouth = | mouth_location = Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 0 m | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = 32878 km2 | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = The Leichhardt River is a river in north-west Queensland, Australia.
Course
The source of the river is in the Selwyn Range under Rifle Creek Hill and fed by Rifle Creek approximately 25 km south of the mining town Mount Isa. It runs in a generally northerly direction almost parallel with the Diamantina Developmental Road until it reaches Mount Isa and crosses the Barkly Highway. It continues in a north easterly direction across the Gulf Country passing through Lake Moondarra past Glenroy Station then through Lake Julius. It then bears east then north again almost parallel with the Burke Developmental Road until crossing it near Nardoo. Continuing north past Augustus Downs Station to its mouth at the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The river was named by explorer and surveyor Augustus Charles Gregory after the early explorer of Australia, Ludwig Leichhardt. Gregory chose the name because:"Two days' journey S.E. brought us to a river 100 yards wide, in detached pools. (Latitude 18 degrees 12 minutes, longitude 189 degrees 65 minutes.) This river was mistaken for the Albert by Dr. Leichhardt, and I therefore named it after that enterprising explorer."
Catchment
Leichhardt River has a catchment area of 32878 km2. Primary activities undertaken in the watershed include mining and grazing.
The river is ephemeral and in the dry season the upstream reaches retract to a series of waterholes. The drainage basin and river estuary are in a near pristine condition.
The river is dammed near Mount Isa to form Lake Moondarra. Other storage facilities in the catchment include Julius Dam, East Leichhardt Dam and Rifle Creek Dam. Around 50 km upstream from its mouth are the Leichhardt Falls. As well as Mount Isa, the small community of Kajabbi is located on the river.
The river has a mean annual discharge of 2179 GL.
History
In 2009 Xstrata spent $3 million for remediation work involving the removal of 40,000 tonnes of material from the riverbed.
Fossil remains have been found along the river's course. In 2011 an unidentified ancient marsupial was discovered by paleontologists.
References
References
- (2015). "Map of Leichhardt River, QLD". Digital Atlas Pty Limited.
- (3 February 1857). "PARLIAMENTARY PAPER.". [[The North Australian, Ipswich And General Advertiser]].
- (15 June 2009). "Water resources - Overview - Queensland: Basin & Surface Water Management Area: Leichhardt River". Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
- (20 June 2009). "Estuary Assessment 2000: Basin: Leichhardt River". Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
- "The Land - Overview". Southern Gulf Catchments.
- Meera Nambiar. (10 November 2009). "Miner spends $3m on river clean-up". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- David Lewis. (6 December 2011). "Ancient marsupial skull like 'Planet of the Apes leftover'". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
::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. ::