| Kiewa River Kiewa River East branch, West Kiewa River (and various other forms)[1] | |
|---|---|
 | |
  | |
| Etymology | Aboriginal:cy-a-nun-a, sweet;wher-ra, water[2] |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Victoria |
| Region | Victorian Alps (IBRA) |
| Local government areas | Alpine,Indigo |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Kiewa River East branch |
| • location | belowMount Bogong, nearClover Power Station |
| • coordinates | 36°47′57″S147°13′28″E / 36.79917°S 147.22444°E /-36.79917; 147.22444 |
| • elevation | 681 m (2,234 ft) |
| Source confluence | West Kiewa River |
| • location | below the town ofMount Beauty |
| • coordinates | 36°43′00″S147°9′29″E / 36.71667°S 147.15806°E /-36.71667; 147.15806 |
| Mouth | confluence with theMurray River |
• location | southeast ofAlbury and east ofWondonga |
• coordinates | 36°6′49″S146°56′51″E / 36.11361°S 146.94750°E /-36.11361; 146.94750 |
• elevation | 156 m (512 ft) |
| Length | 109 km (68 mi) |
| Basin size | 1,750 km2 (680 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | North-EastMurray catchment, Murray–Darling basin |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Pretty Valley Creek, Diamantina Creek, Running Creek (Victoria),Glen Creek, House Creek (Victoria), Hellhole Creek, Yackandandah Creek |
| • right | Rocky Valley Creek, Bogong Creek, Mountain Creek (Victoria), Gipsy Creek,Bay Creek, Mullagong Creek |
| Reservoir | Lake Guy |
| [3][4] | |
Kiewa River, aperennial river that is part of theMurray catchment within theMurray-Darling basin, is located in theAlpinebioregion, in theAustralianstate ofVictoria.
The Kiewa River is also known by several variations on its name in its upper reaches, variously named asKiewa River East branch andWest Kiewa River (or similar).[1]
The nameKiewa is anAboriginal word, derived fromcy-a-nun-a, meaning sweet, andwher-ra, meaning water.[2]
The river rises nearClover Power Station, on the slopes ofMount Bogong, the highest mountain in Victoria at 1,986 metres (6,516 ft). The main river is formed by theconfluence of the Kiewa River East branch and West Kiewa River. The Kiewa River flows generally north northwest, joined by eleven minor tributaries, towards its confluence with theMurray River, southeast ofAlbury and east ofWodonga. The main river descends 525 metres (1,722 ft) over its 109 kilometres (68 mi)course,[3] sedately through cleared farming country downstream ofMount Beauty; the West Kiewa River descends 850 metres (2,790 ft) over its 29 kilometres (18 mi) course,[4] in near-pristine ash and peppermint forest country where the flow is swift,[citation needed] upstream of the town of Mount Beauty.
Snowfall is common in the upper reaches of the river during winter, with up to 230 centimetres (90 in)precipitation, mainly as snow.[5]
The river is impounded by Lake Guy at 658 metres (2,159 ft) abovesea level and otherdams associated with theKiewa Hydroelectric Scheme, which traps waters flowing from theBogong High Plains. TheMcKay Creek and West Kiewa power stations are the major generating elements of the Scheme, which provides peak load to the Victorian electricity grid.
Within the Kiewa Valley are the towns ofMount Beauty,Tawonga,Tangambalanga/Kiewa Township, andYackandandah. The river is crossed by theMurray Valley Highway at Killara, near its mouth. TheKiewa Valley Highway is located adjacent to much of the course of the river.[3]
Tawonga Huts, a series of huts and ruins, are located on the lower reaches of the West Kiewa River, withinAlpine National Park and are accessible by experiencedhikers.[6] The Kiewa is a popularfly fishing stream for local anglers as it holds good populations of wildbrown andrainbow trout.The East and West branches of the Kiewa provide importantwhite water paddling opportunities for Victorian kayakers. The most reliable time to paddle is in spring during the snow melt.The upper reaches of the Kiewa River and theBogong High Plains are a very popular area forcross-country skiing through winter and through to the early spring months.
Waterways of the North–East catchment,Victoria, Australia | |
|---|---|
| Rivers | |
| Creeks |
|
| Lakes |
|
Rivers of theMurray–Darling basin, Australia | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
This article related to a river inVictoria (state) is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
