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The
Murray River
Facts
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Continent
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Australasia
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Countries
it flows through
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Australia
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Length
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3750
kilomtres
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Number
of Tributaries
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3
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Source
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Australian
Alps
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Mouth
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Encounter
Bay, Indian Ocean
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Location
The
Murray River is the largest and longest river in Australia. It has three
main tributaries called
the Darling, Lachlan and the Murrumbidgee. The source
is in the Australian Alps near Mount Kosciusko where the rainfall is
high. The Murray flows west to form the boundary between the states
of New South Wales and Victoria. The river Murray and its tributaries
flow through forests of eucalyptus trees towards areas of very flat
and dry land. In these very dry areas, the rivers can almost stop flowing
in the hot summer months because a lot of water is lost through evaporation.
Agriculture
The
Murray river and its tributaries provide a lot of fertile farming land.
Grapes, oranges, grapefruit and many other crops can be grown. There
is also grazing land for cattle and sheep. There are many dams
like the Dartmouth Dam (completed in 1979) along the Murray river system.
These dams provide water for irrigation and mean that the land is kept
fertile.
The
Snowy River has been dammed to improve the water supply to the interior
part of Australia. The water from this river is pumped through tunnels
to the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers.
Also
the dams provide hydroelectric
power to people living in Australia.
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