Coongan River
Location
CountryAustralia
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationChichester Range
 • elevation480 metres (1,575 ft)[1]
Mouth 
 • location
De Grey River
 • elevation
46 metres (151 ft)
Length200 kilometres (124 mi)[2]
Basin size3,740 square kilometres (1,444 sq mi)[3]
Discharge 
 • average80 GL/a (90 cu ft/s)

The Coongan River is an ephemeral river in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The headwaters of the river rise below the Chichester Range. The river flows in a northerly direction past Marble Bar then through the Gorge Range before discharging into the De Grey River, of which it is a tributary, at Mulyie Pool near Mount Woodhouse.

The town of Marble Bar also draws approximately 180ML scheme water from the river's alluvium per year.

The river has eight tributaries, including Talga River, Triberton Creek, Emu Creek and Budjan Creek.

The name is Indigenous Australian in origin, and was first recorded in 1878 by Alexander Forrest. The traditional owners of the area are the Njamal or Nyamal people.[4]

The rivers water quality varies dependent of the flow but the average turbidity of the river water is 587 NTU and the average salinity is 100 mg/L.

References

  1. ^ "Bonzle Digital Atlas – Map of Coongan River". 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  2. ^ "History of river names – C". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  3. ^ "Surface Hydrology of the Pilbara Region Summary" (PDF). 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  4. ^ "Ausanthrop - Australian Aboriginal tribal database". 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2009.

20°34′52″S 119°35′30″E / 20.58111°S 119.59167°E / -20.58111; 119.59167


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