Coal River (Tasmania)

Coal
Richmond Bridge over the river
Coal River (Tasmania) is located in Tasmania
Coal River (Tasmania)
Location of the river mouth in Tasmania
Location
CountryAustralia
StateTasmania
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationTunnack, Southern Midlands
 • coordinates42°27′54″S 147°29′15″E / 42.46488°S 147.48744°E / -42.46488; 147.48744[1]
 • elevationc. 915 m (3,002 ft) AHD
MouthPitt Water
 • location
near Richmond, City of Clarence
 • coordinates
42°45′23″S 147°26′56″E / 42.75638°S 147.44900°E / -42.75638; 147.44900[2]
 • elevation
6 m (20 ft) AHD
Length80 km (50 mi)
Basin size
780 km2 (300 mi2)
Width 
 • average14.5 m (48 ft)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftWhite Kangaroo Rivulet
 • rightNative Hut Rivulet
WaterbodiesCraigbourne Dam Reservoir
BridgesRichmond Bridge

The Coal River is a perennial river in southern Tasmania, Australia. Its headwaters rise near Tunnack, and it flows through the Coal River Valley and the town of Richmond, and empties into the Pitt Water.[3]

In Richmond, the river is crossed by the historically significant Richmond Bridge, built in 1825, the oldest bridge built in Australia in current use.[4]

Course and features

The Coal River rises on the hills east of Tunnack, at an elevation of c. 915 metres (3,002 ft) AHD, and winds its way south through undulating terrain before being impounded at the Craigbourne Dam. From there the regulated river flows south through the Coal River Valley, accepting unregulated inflows from its two main tributaries, the Native Hut and White Kangaroo rivulets, before flowing through Richmond and into Pitt Water at Penna, where the ground is marshy in places, at an elevation of 6 metres (20 ft) AHD.[5][6]

The river is approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) long, north to south,[a] and the catchment area is approximately 780 square kilometres (300 sq mi).[7][b] The Coal River catchment is one of the driest catchments in Tasmania, with annual rainfall averaging from 500 to 700 millimetres (20 to 28 in) across the catchment.[6]

Since 1992, irrigators have drawn water from the Coal River to feed the Daisy Banks Dam, part of the South East Irrigation Scheme, that is delivered throughout the district by approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) of pipelines, for use in the Coal River Valley.[8][9]

Nature reserve

Under the Tasmanian Nature Conservation Act (2002), a part of the Pitt Water was declared a nature reserve.[10] The reserve is partially contained within the Pitt Water-Orielton Lagoon Ramsar Site, which, in 1983, was listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar convention.[11] The reserve is part of the South Arm Important Bird Area that forms a habitat of migratory and resident birds,[12] is a nursery of marine life, and is an important estuarine ecosystem, and includes many unique species.[10]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ An earlier source estimated that the river was 56 km (35 mi) long.[5]
  2. ↑ Another source estimated that the catchment area was 540 km2 (210 sq mi).[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Node: 10943775445". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "Node: 820059531". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  3. ↑ "Hydrological Analysis of the Coal River Catchment" (PDF). Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment. Government of Tasmania. December 2003. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  4. ↑ "Richmond Bridge, Coal River, 1825-". Engineers Australia. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  5. 1 2 Leaman, D. E. A. (1971). "The Geology and Ground Water Resources of the Coal River Basin" (PDF). Department of Mines. Government of Tasmania. p. 9. ISBN 0-7246-0013-2. Retrieved 18 April 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  6. 1 2 3 Gurung, Shivaraj; Dayaratne, Sunil (December 2023). Hydrological Analysis of the Coal River Catchment: Technical Report No. WAP 03/11 (PDF). Water Assessment and Planning Branch, Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment (Report). Government of Tasmania. pp. 1–2. ISSN 1449-5996. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  7. ↑ Horner, David (December 2023). State of the River Report for the Coal River Catchment: Technical Report No. WAP 03/11 (PDF). Water Assessment and Planning Branch, Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment (Report). Government of Tasmania. p. 4. ISSN 1449-5996. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "South East Stage Two Irrigation Scheme". Tasmanian Irrigation. n.d. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  9. ↑ Restoring Sustainability in the Coal Valley (PDF). Coal Valley Landcare (Report). July 2022 [22 April 1997]. Retrieved 18 April 2026 – via Coal River Products.
  10. 1 2 "Pitt Water Nature Reserve Management Plan" (PDF). Parks and Wildlife Service: Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment. Government of Tasmania. 2013.
  11. ↑ "Pittwater-Orielton Lagoon". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "IBA: South Arm". Birdata. Birds Australia. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011.

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  • "Home page". Coal River Valley Tasmania (tourism site). Retrieved 18 April 2026.
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