Barnard River
Thunderbolts Way crosses Barnard River
EtymologyIn honour of Andrew Barnard[1]
Location
CountryAustralia
StateNew South Wales
IBRANew England Tablelands, Mid North Coast
DistrictNorthern Tablelands
Local government areaMid-Coast Council
Physical characteristics
SourceGreat Dividing Range
 • locationnear Hanging Rock, east of Nundle
 • elevation1,330 m (4,360 ft)
Mouthconfluence with the Manning River
 • location
near Bretti
 • elevation
94 m (308 ft)
Length148 km (92 mi)
Basin features
River systemManning River catchment
Tributaries 
 • leftBack River (Tamworth), Myall Creek
 • rightBen Halls Creek, Tomalla Creek, Schofields Creek, Orham Creek, Curricabark River
National parkWoko National Park
[2]

Barnard River, a perennial river of the Manning River catchment, is located in the Northern Tablelands and Mid North Coast districts of New South Wales, Australia.

Course and features

Barnard River rises on the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, near Hanging Rock, east of Nundle, and flows generally east southeast, joined by seven tributaries including the Bank and Curricabark rivers, before reaching its confluence with the Manning River, near Bretti. The river descends 1,240 metres (4,070 ft) over its 148 kilometres (92 mi) course.[2]

The river was first explored in 1825 by European explorer Henry Dangar, and named by Thomas Mitchell in honour of Lt. Col. Andrew Barnard.[1]

River diversion

The Barnard River Scheme, an inter-basin water transfer system, enables the transfer of up to 20,000 megalitres (710×10^6 cu ft) of water per annum[3] from the Barnard River and the upper catchment of the Manning River into the Hunter River. The diversion involves the transfer of water from Orham Dam, impounded at Barnard Weir, and pumped over the Mount Royal Range and gravity fed into the Glenbawn Dam. The diverted water then feeds into the Hunter River above its confluence with the Goulburn River. Water is accessed from the Barnard River to meet any shortfall from the Hunter River system in order to feed Plashett Dam and Lake Liddell, that are needed for the cooling of the Bayswater and Liddell electric power stations. The scheme operates under a water licence issued by the NSW Government to Macquarie Generation.[4][5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Barnard River". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 14 March 2013. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ a b "Map of Barnard River, NSW". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  3. ^ "Macquarie Generation Hunter River Pump Station Augmentation Environmental Assessment" (PDF). Connell Wagner Pty Ltd. Macquarie Generation. 16 January 2007. p. 29. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  4. ^ "Macquarie Generation". Office of Water. Department of Primary Industries. 12 December 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  5. ^ "Hunter River NSW". Hunter River Explorer. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.

External links

31°39′S 151°44′E / 31.650°S 151.733°E / -31.650; 151.733

River systems and rivers of Hunter-Central Rivers catchment, New South Wales, Australia
River systems and rivers of New South Wales, Australia
Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia
New England region of New South Wales, Australia
Categories