Nogoa River

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title: "Nogoa River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-queensland", "floods-in-queensland", "central-queensland"] description: "River in Queensland, Australia" topic_path: "general/rivers-of-queensland" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nogoa_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	Nogoa
image	StateLibQld 1 15522 Railway bridge in Emerald during a flood, 1918.jpg
image_size	320
image_caption	Railway bridge in during a flood, 1918
pushpin_map	Australia Queensland
pushpin_map_caption	Location of Nogoa River mouth in Queensland
subdivision_type1	Country
subdivision_name1	Australia
subdivision_type2	State
subdivision_name2	Queensland
subdivision_type3	Region
subdivision_name3	Central Queensland
subdivision_type5	City
subdivision_name5
length	569 km
source1	Carnarvon Range
source1_location	Carnarvon National Park
source1_coordinates
source1_elevation	501 m
mouth	confluence with Comet River, forming the Mackenzie River
mouth_location	north of
mouth_coordinates
mouth_elevation	144 m
river_system	Fitzroy River basin
basin_size	27690 km2
custom_label	National parks
custom_data	Carnarvon National Park, Minerva Hills National Park, Peak Range National Park, Snake Range National Park
extra
::

| name = Nogoa | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = | image = StateLibQld 1 15522 Railway bridge in Emerald during a flood, 1918.jpg | image_size = 320 | image_caption = Railway bridge in during a flood, 1918 | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Australia Queensland | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= Location of Nogoa River mouth in Queensland | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = Australia | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = Queensland | subdivision_type3 = Region | subdivision_name3 = Central Queensland | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = City | subdivision_name5 = | length = 569 km | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max = | source1 = Carnarvon Range | source1_location = Carnarvon National Park | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = 501 m | mouth = confluence with Comet River, forming the Mackenzie River | mouth_location = north of | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 144 m | progression = | river_system = Fitzroy River basin | basin_size = 27690 km2 | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = National parks | custom_data = Carnarvon National Park, Minerva Hills National Park, Peak Range National Park, Snake Range National Park | extra = The Nogoa River is a river in Central Queensland, Australia.

Course and features

The river rises on the Carnarvon Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, in the Carnarvon National Park and flows in a generally north easterly direction towards . From source to mouth, the Nogoa River is joined by 29 minor tributaries. North of the river forms confluence with the Comet River to form the Mackenzie River. The Nogoa descends 361 m over its 569 km course. The river is crossed by the Gregory and Capricorn Highways at Emerald.

The river has a catchment area of 27690 km2 draining parts of the Minerva Hills, Peak Range, Snake Range national parks. Of this area, 271 km is riverine wetlands.

The reservoir created by Queensland's second largest dam, Lake Maraboon was formed when the Fairbairn Dam was built on the river in 1972. The dam and a network of channels along the Nogoa River supplies water for the Emerald Irrigation Area.

Sir Thomas Mitchell was the first European explorer to discover the river on 19 July 1846.

Major flooding events

In January 2008, the Nogoa River reached record flood levels. During the flood, water levels in the Fairbairn Dam rapidly exceeded 100%. Within a week inundations had caused severe disruptions to graziers, crops growers and to residents of Emerald when waters broke its banks. The Nogoa peaked at 15.4 m in Emerald on the night of January 22 2008, causing more than 2500 people to be evacuated. The unprecedented floods washed through the Ensham coal mine, temporarily halting operations in two out of six coal pits, reducing output to less than 50% and rendering a huge dragline defunct after it had been submerged.

In December 2010 - January 2011 the river was impacted by major flooding at Emerald and in the Nogoa's upper catchment.

Cultural Heritage

The traditional owners include the Gayiri people who occupied the area for tens of thousands of years before European colonisation began in the nineteenth century. The Gayiri (Kairi, Khararya) language region takes in the landscape of the Central Highlands Regional Council, including Emerald and Nogoa River.

References

References

1. "Nogoa River drainage sub-basin". Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, [[Queensland Government]].
2. "Map of Nogoa River, QLD". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia.
3. (4 February 2008). "Fairbairn Dam performed well during Emerald’s major flood event". [[SunWater]].
4. "Water resources - Overview - Queensland - Basin & Surface Water Management Area: Nogoa / Mackenzie". [[Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts]].
5. {{cite QPN. 24444. Nogoa River
6. (19 January 2008). "Drought-stricken Fairbairn Dam overflows".
7. Casey, Scott. (23 January 2008). "Is Rockhampton next to flood?". [[The Brisbane Times]].
8. Morley, Peter. (26 April 2008). "Central Highlands dragline a costly rust bucket". [[Queensland Newspapers]].
9. (12 December 2011). "Section B: Fairbairn Dam – Emerald: Urban Flood Plain Analysis". [[Central Highlands Regional Council]].
10. (12 December 2011). "Section A: Upper Nogoa – Fairbairn Dam Catchment Assessment and Evaluation". [[Central Highlands Regional Council]].
11. "Gayiri".

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