Warragamba River

Not to be confused with Warragamba Dam or Warragamba, New South Wales.

Warragamba
Warragamba River flowing over the dam spillway, 1974
Location
Country	Australia
State	New South Wales
Region	Sydney Basin (IBRA), Macarthur
Local government area	Wollondilly
Physical characteristics
Source	Coxs River
• location	Lake Burragorang
• elevation	118 m (387 ft)
Mouth	confluence with the Nepean River
• location	Warragamba
• elevation	22 m (72 ft)
Length	18 km (11 mi)
Basin features
River system	Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment
Tributaries
• left	Monkey Creek
• right	Ripple Creek
Dam	Warragamba Dam
[1][2]

The Warragamba River, a river that is part of the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment, is located in the Macarthur region of New South Wales, Australia.

Course and features

Formed through the confluence of the Coxs River and two minor tributaries, Warragamba River rises within Lake Burragorang and is the river on which Warragamba Dam is established, creating a large reservoir with total capacity of 2,031 gigalitres (7.17×10¹⁰ cu ft),^[3] that forms a major part of the water supply to greater metropolitan Sydney. The river descends 96 metres (315 ft), the majority of which is over the dam spillway, and then flows north into the Nepean River, north of the village of Warragamba, a course of approximately 18 kilometres (11 mi).^[2]

Prior to the creation of Lake Burragorang, the Warragamba River would have been formed by the confluences of the Coxs, Nattai, and Wollondilly rivers in the Burragorang Valley. Downstream, the river flowed through a gorge that varied in width from 300 metres (980 ft) to 600 metres (2,000 ft), and was 100 metres (330 ft) in depth. It was this configuration which allowed a relatively short but high dam wall in the gorge to impound a large quantity of water.

Today, the Burragorang Valley and most of the Warragamba River is submerged beneath the lake, and the remaining section of the river flows only the 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) north-east from the Warragamba Dam spillway to its confluence with the Nepean River.^[1][4]

The area surrounding Warragamba River is managed by Sydney Catchment Authority under the Sydney Water Catchment Management Act, 1998 (NSW) that defines special zones and places restrictions and controls on land use, development and access^[5] in order to safeguard potable water.

Popular culture

• A popular phrase used throughout greater Sydney Australia is Warragamba Slammer. This refers to a glass of water, which is used in pubs and restaurants. ^[6]

See also

• List of rivers of New South Wales (L–Z)
• List of rivers of Australia
• Rivers of New South Wales
• Warragamba Dam

References

1. "Warragamba River". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
2. "Warragamba River, NSW". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
3. "Water supply: Warragamba Dam facts". Sydney Catchment Authority. Government of New South Wales. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
4. Aird, W. V (1961). The Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage of Sydney. Sydney: Metropolitan Water, Sewerage and Drainage Board.
5. "Catchments: Access in Special Areas". Sydney Catchment Authority. Government of New South Wales. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
6. Jessen, Mark (26 November 2017). "A Change is Brewing: The Rise of Non-Alcoholic Beer". Man of Many. Retrieved 19 January 2023.

External links

• "Lake Burragorang subcatchment". Hawkesbury Nepean River Health Strategy. Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority. 2008.

33°52′S 150°37′E