The Murchison River, part of the

Pieman River The Pieman River is a major perennial river located in the west coast region of Tasmania, Australia. Course and features Formed by the confluence of the Mackintosh River and Murchison River, the Pieman River rises in what is now known as L ...

catchment, is a major

perennial river A perennial stream is a stream that has continuous flow of surface water throughout the year in at least parts of its catchment during seasons of normal rainfall, Water Supply Paper 494. as opposed to one whose flow is intermittent. In the abs ...

located in the

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

region of

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, Australia.

Course and features

The Murchison River rises below

Pyramid Mountain Pyramid Mountain can refer to: ;Antarctica * Pyramid Mountain (Antarctica), in the Quartermain Mountains ;Canada *Pyramid Mountain (Alberta) in Jasper National Park, Alberta * Pyramid Mountain (Garibaldi Provincial Park) in Garibaldi Provincial P ...

, part of the north eastern section of the

West Coast Range The West Coast Range is a mountain range located in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. The range lies to the west and north of the main parts of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. The range has had a significant number ...

within the

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is located in the Central Highlands area of Tasmania (Australia), northwest of Hobart. The park contains many walking trails, and is where hikes along the well-known Overland Track usually begin. Majo ...

. The river flows generally northwest, joined by six

tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage b ...

including the

Wallace Wallace may refer to: People * Clan Wallace in Scotland * Wallace (given name) * Wallace (surname) * Wallace (footballer, born 1986), full name Wallace Fernando Pereira, Brazilian football left-back * Wallace (footballer, born 1987), full name ...

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's ''Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Peleus, k ...

Bluff Bluff or The Bluff may refer to: Places Australia * Bluff, Queensland, Australia, a town * The Bluff, Queensland (Ipswich), a rural locality in the city of Ipswich * The Bluff, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a rural locality * Bluff River (New So ...

, and

Anthony Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the ''Antonia (gens), Antonii'', a ''gens'' (Roman naming conventions, Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were ...

rivers and flowing through the impoundment,

Lake Murchison Lake Murchison is a man-made water reservoir located in the western region of Tasmania, Australia. The lake is situated within the northern part of Tasmania's West Coast Range and is fed by the Murchison River, the George Creek, the Anthony Riv ...

. The river reaches its

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

with the Mackintosh River to form the Pieman River near in what is now Lake Rosebery, formed by the impounding of the Pieman by the Bastyan Dam. The river catchment easternmost point can be located at

Mount Pelion West Mount Pelion West is a mountain located in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia. The mountain is part of the Pelion Range and is situated within the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park at the easternmost boundary of th ...

, while the junction point in the river catchments of the Mackintosh River and the Murchison can be located at

Barn Bluff Barn Bluff is a mountain located in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia. The mountain is situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park at the junction of the easternmost points of the Murchison and Mackintosh ...

. The catchment is bordered to the south by the

Eldon Range The Eldon Range is a mountain range located in the west coast region of Tasmania, Australia. The range is located at the north eastern edge of Lake Burbury and is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area which includes the Frankli ...

, and its south western area is in the West Coast Range, with the

Tyndall Range The Tyndall Range, commonly called ''The Tyndalls'', is a mountain range that is part of the West Coast Range located in the Western region of Tasmania, Australia. The main focal point for the range is Mount Tyndall which lies at the northern ...

and Lake Rolleston on its south west border. The Murchison River forms part of the

Pieman River Power Development Pieman River Power Development was a major 1970s and 1980s hydroelectric development of the Pieman River and its tributaries on the west coast of Tasmania. Development The ''Pieman River Power Development'' was approved by the Tasmanian governm ...

scheme. The Murchison Dam across the Murchison River was constructed in the 1980s by

Hydro Tasmania Hydro Tasmania, known for most of its history as the Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC) or The Hydro, is the trading name of the Hydro-Electric Corporation, a Tasmanian Government business enterprise which is the predominant electricity generator i ...

. The dame forms the narrow Lake Murchison that lies east of Mount Murchison. Water from the dam is fed through the Sophia Tunnel into

Lake Mackintosh Lake Mackintosh is a reservoir with a surface area of that forms part of the Pieman power development running north–south past Mount Farrell, adjacent to the town of Tullah in Tasmania. Features Fed by the damming of the Mackintosh, Sophi ...

for

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

power generation Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its delivery ( transmission, distribution, etc.) to end users or its stor ...

References

External links

* {{Western Tasmania , state=autocollapse Rivers of Tasmania Pieman River Power Development

Course and features

See also

References

External links