Daly River
Daly River (Northern Territory) is located in Northern Territory
Daly River (Northern Territory)
EtymologyDominick Daly
Location
CountryAustralia
TerritoryNorthern Territory
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationConfluence of Flora and Katherine river
 • coordinates14°39′22.9536″S 131°42′18.0864″E / 14.656376000°S 131.705024000°E / -14.656376000; 131.705024000 -->
 • elevation64 m (210 ft)
2nd sourceKatherine River
 • locationArnhem Land
 • coordinates13°16′2.9784″S 133°4′27.7608″E / 13.267494000°S 133.074378000°E / -13.267494000; 133.074378000
 • elevation453 m (1,486 ft)
3rd sourceFlora River
 • locationFlora River Nature Park
 • coordinates14°54′37.6884″S 131°10′35.0328″E / 14.910469000°S 131.176398000°E / -14.910469000; 131.176398000
 • elevation268 m (879 ft)
MouthTimor Sea
 • coordinates
13°20′S 130°19′E / 13.333°S 130.317°E / -13.333; 130.317
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length354 km (220 mi)[1]
Basin size53,708 km2 (20,737 sq mi)[1]
Discharge 
 • locationTimor Sea (near mouth)
 • average369.7 m3/s (11,670 GL/a)[2]
Discharge 
 • locationWooliana (92 rkm, 13°40′43.428″S 130°38′36.6648″E / 13.67873000°S 130.643518000°E / -13.67873000; 130.643518000; Basin size: 49,898.4 km2 (19,265.9 sq mi)
 • average317.8 m3/s (10,030 GL/a)[2]
Discharge 
 • locationMount Nancar (113 rkm, 13°47′58.8624″S 130°43′30.2448″E / 13.799684000°S 130.725068000°E / -13.799684000; 130.725068000; Basin size: 47,652 km2 (18,399 sq mi)
 • average(Period: 2000-2022)315.3 m3/s (9,950 GL/a)[3]
 • minimum11 m3/s (350 GL/a) (1970)[3]
 • maximum8,293 m3/s (261,700 GL/a) (1998)[3]
Discharge 
 • locationDorisvale Crossing (214 rkm, 14°21′47.8764″S 131°33′23.9004″E / 14.363299000°S 131.556639000°E / -14.363299000; 131.556639000; Basin size: 33,227 km2 (12,829 sq mi)
 • average(Period: 2000-2022)215.1 m3/s (6,790 GL/a)[4]
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftFlora, Bradshaw Creek, Jinduckin Creek, Cattle Creek, Bamboo Creek, Fish, Chilling Creek, Hermit Creek
 • rightKatherine, Fergusson, Stray Creek, Douglas, Green Ant Creek, Hayward Creek, Kilfoyle Creek, Elliot Creek

The Daly River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia. Settlement on the river is centred on the Aboriginal community of Nauiyu, originally the site of a Catholic mission, as well as the town of Daly River itself, at the river crossing a few kilometres to the south. The Daly River is part of the Daly Catchment that flows from northern Northern Territory to central Northern Territory.

The Daly River flows 354 kilometres (220 mi) from the confluence of the Flora River and Katherine River to its mouth on the Timor Sea.[5]

History

The traditional owners of the area are the Mulluk-Mulluk people.

Boyle Travers Finniss named the river after Sir Dominick Daly, the Governor of South Australia, as the Northern Territory was at that time part of South Australia. The region then lay untouched by Europeans until 1882 when copper was discovered.

Floods

Like other rivers of the top end, the Daly is prone to seasonal flooding. Major flood events devastated the town of Daly River in 1899 and 1957, causing widespread property damage. In 1998, The floodwaters were fed by heavy rainfall in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Les and continued to rise until 3 February, reaching a peak of 16.8 m (55 ft), the highest level recorded to date.

Attractions

The Daly River is famed for its large barramundi and is one of the more popular waterways for recreational fishing. It hosts two major fishing competitions annually, the "Barra Classic" and the "Barra Nationals". The best barramundi fishing is generally just after the wet season when the flooded river is falling fast and clear water is pouring in off the floodplains. The floodwater carries baitfish which in turn attracts predatory barramundi.

The Daly River is home to more freshwater turtle species than anywhere else in Australia.[6]

Discharge

Mean annual discharge of the Daly River at Mount Nancar (period from 1971 to 2021) and Dorisvale Crossing (period from 1966 to 2021):[3][4]

Year Mean annual

discharge

 Mean annual

discharge

Mount Nancar Dorisvale Crossing
(GL/yr) (m3/s) (GL/yr) (m3/s)
1966 3,953.86 125.4
1967 4,183.33 132.7
1968 7,990.78 253.4
1969 6,112.79 193.8
1970 929.54 29.5
1971 3,055.7 96.9 3,073.52 97.5
1972 5,687.83 180.4 3,632.47 115.2
1973 7,839.22 248.6 3,887.4 123.3
1974 20,253.44 642.2 12,401.14 393.2
1975 7,484.03 237.3 4,286.37 135.9
1976 17,002.91 539.2 12,267.05 389
1977 6,421.06 203.6 8,090.05 256.5
1978 4,132.81 131.1 4,190.23 132.9
1979 4,177.21 132.5 3,322.47 105.4
1980 8,560.55 271.5 5,620.36 178.2
1981 7,574.83 240.2 5,143.17 163.1
1982 4,301.86 136.4 3,422.13 108.5
1983 2,311.66 73.3 1,590.18 50.4
1984 10,906.22 345.8 8,151.43 258.5
1985 4,565.57 144.8 2,117.47 67.2
1986 1,339.5 42.5 1,051.33 33.3
1987 6,114.56 193.9 5,165.54 163.8
1988 1,516.71 48.1 1,181.76 37.5
1989 5,696.05 180.6 2,710.78 86
1990 1,054.51 33.4 694.37 22
1991 9,506.28 301.4 6,508.84 206.4
1992 2,003.16 63.5 1,371.8 43.5
1993 7,062.55 224 4,457.08 141.3
1994 6,562.66 208.1 5,077.1 161
1995 8,354.25 264.9 4,596.53 145.8
1996 2,199.76 69.8 1,517.22 48.1
1997 15,952.31 505.8 10,723.82 339.4
1998 13,449.46 426.5 10,096.29 320.2
1999 10,307.06 326.8 7,188.43 227.9
2000 14,335.51 454.6 9,454.27 299.8
2001 14,418.61 457.2 10,884.56 345.2
2002 7,672.74 243.3 4,918.2 156
2003 6,827.31 216.5 6,738.52 213.7
2004 20,593.86 653 16,682.53 529
2005 3,987.72 126.5 2,995.99 95
2006 12,806.45 406.1 9,772.37 309.9
2007 6,547.18 207.6 5,001.04 158.6
2008 14,953.96 474.2 9,298.98 294.9
2009 13,365.59 423.8 10,078.81 319.6
2010 6,212.97 197 4,630.84 146.8
2011 23,694.11 751.3 14,168.17 449.3
2012 9,189.34 291.4 5,610.28 177.9
2013 5,863.01 185.9 3,739.89 118.6
2014 9,246.1 293.2 5,027.72 159.4
2015 3,739.96 118.6 2,714.27 86.1
2016 9,234.43 292.8 5,722.1 181.5
2017 10,920.68 346.3 6,580.47 208.7
2018 11,352.47 360 5,925.41 187.9
2019 1,843.01 58.4 1,126.49 35.7
2020 2,260.75 71.7 1,002.67 31.8
2021 9,704.87 307.7 7,152.42 226.8
Average 8,316.95 263.7 5,642 178.9

Tributaries

List of major tributaries

The largest tributaries of the Daly River:[2][7]

Left

tributary

 Right

tributary

 Length

(km)

 Basin

size

(km2)

 Average

discharge

(m3/s)

Daly 354* 53,708 369.7
Hermit C. 62.4 2,456.3 30.2
Elliot C. 24.2 2.9
Kilfoyle C. 15.9 455.4 6.5
Chilling C. 69.9 1,241 12.4
Hayward Creek 29.6 472 5.8
Austral C. 16 1
Survey C. 15.6 200.2 1.7
Fish 89.1 1,748 20.5
Bamboo C. 10.6 627.4 6.1
Green Ant Creek 48.8 914 15
Douglas 83.4 1,964 21.8
Cattle C. 17.5 122.5 1.2
Jinduckin Creek 35.2 348.3 2.7
Stray C. 64 1,216 8.2
Brandshaw Creek 63.5 1,181 6.5
Dead Horse C. 41.4 1.4
Fergusson 144 4,833.6 30.6
Yuwaiyunn Creek 1.3
Yujullowan Creek 29.1 191.4 0.7
Mullers C. 8.7 0.06
Flora 139 6,876 27.2
Katherine 328 24,363.3 109.8

*Daly River 354 km (220 mi) with Flora River (139 km (86 mi)[7] is 493 km (306 mi) long; Daly River with the Katherine (328 km (204 mi)[7] is 682 km (424 mi) long;

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Daly: Geographic information".
  2. 1 2 3 "Darwin-Arnhem".
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Hydrologic Reference Stations-Mount Nancar".
  4. 1 2 "Hydrologic Reference Stations-Dorisvale Crossing".
  5. ↑ McLennan, Chris (19 September 2018). "Katherine's poison plume". Katherine Times. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  6. ↑ Warren Snowdon (6 October 2011). "Fish River - Conservation helps close the gap". Media Release. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 "Map of Daly River in the Northern Territory".
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