Wimmera River

Wimmera Walla-walla, Wamara, Bunnut, Culcatok, Barbarton, Billiwhin, Wudjum-biat, Bar, Barengi-djul, Yaigir, Wudiyedi, Barrh, Tarnorrer, Barkar, Guri-beb, Giridji-gal, Wadidirabul, Maripmunninnera
The Wimmera River at Jeparit
Location of the Wimmera River mouth in Victoria
Location
Country	Australia
State	Victoria
Region	Murray Darling Depression (IBRA), Wimmera
Local government areas	Ararat, Northern Grampians, Yarriambiack, Horsham, Hindmarsh
Towns	Elmhurst, Crowlands, Glenorchy, Horsham, Dimboola, Tarranyurk, Jeparit
Physical characteristics
Source	Pyrenees, Great Dividing Range
- location	below Ben Nevis, in a state forestry area south of Elmhurst
- coordinates	37°16′29″S 143°15′00″E / 37.27472°S 143.25000°E / -37.27472; 143.25000
- elevation	299 m (981 ft)
Mouth	Lake Hindmarsh, Lake Albacutya
- location	Outlook Creek, near Jeparit
- coordinates	36°06′42″S 141°56′51″E / 36.11167°S 141.94750°E / -36.11167; 141.94750
- elevation	79 m (259 ft)
Length	278 km (173 mi)
Basin size	24,011 km2 (9,271 sq mi)
Discharge
- average	13 m3/s (460 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River system	Wimmera catchment
Tributaries
- left	Mount Cole Creek, Six Mile Creek (Wimmera), Seven Mile Creek (Wimmera), Concongella Creek, Sheepwash Creek, Mount William Creek, Mackenzie River, Burnt Creek, Darragan Creek, Norton Creek
- right	Glenpatrick Creek, Glenlofty Creek, Spring Creek (Wimmera), Heifer Station Creek
National parks	Wyperfeld National Park, Little Desert National Park

The Wimmera River is a river that does not always have water. It is in the Grampians and Wimmera areas of Victoria, Australia. The river starts in the Pyrenees, on the northern side of the Great Dividing Range. It flows mostly north and west and ends in Lake Hindmarsh and Lake Albacutya. These lakes sometimes dry up and do not flow into other rivers, but they are part of the larger Murray River system.

Course and features

The Wimmera River begins in the Great Dividing Range below Elmhurst, between the towns of Ararat and Avoca. It flows north and west through Glenorchy, Horsham, Dimboola, and Jeparit. The river also forms the eastern edge of the Little Desert National Park. It has fourteen small rivers joining it, including the Mackenzie River. The river ends at Lake Hindmarsh near Jeparit. Over its 278 kilometers (173 miles), the river drops 220 meters (720 feet).

Sometimes, when Lake Hindmarsh fills and overflows, water flows through Outlet Creek to Lake Albacutya. But most years, the river does not reach these lakes, and the water stays in pools. On average, the lake fills once every twenty years. Recently, salty groundwater has entered the lower parts of the river, making the water saltier than sea water in some places.

The river is crossed by the Pyrenees Highway near where it starts, the Henty Highway south of Horsham, and the Western Highway west of Horsham and Dimboola.

The Wimmera River has distributaries, which are smaller rivers that split off from it. These are Dunmunkle Creek and Yarriambiack Creek. They take water away from the Wimmera River during floods or when there is a lot of water.

Pipeline

The health of the Wimmera River was expected to get better after the Wimmera-Mallee pipeline project finished in 2008. This project replaced old and wasteful water systems used for farms and irrigation with a new pipeline system. Before the project, up to 90% of the water taken from the Wimmera River was lost because it evaporated or soaked into the ground. The new pipeline system was expected to use water much more efficiently. This meant less water would be taken from the river, which was hoped to help more water stay in the river for the environment.

The name

The river has many names in different Aboriginal languages. In the Djadjawurrung and Jardwadjali languages, it is called Walla-walla, but the meaning is not known. It is also called Wamara, which might mean woomera or "throwing stick." In the Jardwadjali language, the river is called Bunnut. The Bernett people are a group of the Jardwadjali people. Another name is Barbarton, where "bar" means "river." The Barbardinbalug were a Jardwadjali group living near the Wimmera River. In the Djadjawurrung language, the river is called Culcatok, but the meaning is not known. In the Djabwurrung, Jardwadjali, and Wergaia languages, the river is called Billiwhin, but the meaning is not known.

In the Wergaia language, the river has many names, including:

• Wudjum-bial, where "bial" means red gum
• Barengi-djul, where "bareng" means "river" and "djul" means waterbags
• Yaigir, meaning unknown
• Wudiyedi, meaning unknown
• Guri-beb, where "beb" means white gum
• Giridji-gal, meaning "a dog was always there"
• Wadidirabul, meaning unknown

In the Djabwurrung language, the river has other names including:

• Bar and Barkar, where "bar" means "river."
• Tarnorrer, meaning unknown
• Maripmunninnera, meaning unknown.

In another local Aboriginal language, the river is called Barrh, but the meaning is not known.

The river’s colonial name comes from the name of a large farm area. Gold was found in the river in 1866.

References