Mitchell River (Queensland)

Biophysical aspects

The Mitchell River and its tributaries have for a long time carved their way westwards through the rugged, weathered highlands of the Great Dividing Range, carrying away sediments to be deposited in the broad floodplains and wetlands of the Gulf Savannah country.

The rivers' waters "pulse" annually with monsoonal rains, seasonally collecting water from across the local tropical rainforests in the highlands to the east; the wet sclerophyll forests in the central uplands; a variety of woodlands plus savannah in the western plains; annually flooding with freshwater, the tidal plains, wetlands, estuaries, and mangroves of the lower Mitchell and coastal plains.

From source to mouth, the Mitchell River is joined by 34 tributaries including the McLeod River, Hodgkinson River, St George River, Dry River, Little Mitchell River, Walsh River, Lynd River, Palmer River and Alice River.

Protected areas within the Mitchell River catchment include the Hann Tableland, Mitchell-Alice Rivers, Chillagoe-Mungana Caves, part of Bulleringa to the south, and most of the Forty Mile Scrub national parks.

Fauna and flora

Being a large river system, the Mitchell River may contain within its catchment one of Australia's most ecologically diverse aquatic systems consisting of a rich variety of both wet and dry tropical monsoonal habitats.

The catchment ecology as a whole has been generally described as follows:

The vegetation in the Mitchell River Catchment area ranges from the World Heritage Wet Tropic rainforest on the eastern highlands to the open savannah on the western and lower Mitchell plains. The extensive mangroves and lagoon systems at the delta of the Mitchell River are recognised worldwide. The permanent waters in the upper catchment are associated with springs and water holes...

More specifically, while this ecologically diverse river system is relatively poorly studied, it is known to contain at least 18 rare, endangered or vulnerable animal species including the golden-shouldered parrot, the Gouldian finch and the northern bettong. The mouth of the river lies in the Gulf Plains Important Bird Area.

Towns

The major towns in the river's catchment are Kowanyama, Chillagoe, Dimbulah, Mount Carbine and Mount Molloy. Other smaller towns in the Mitchell River catchment include Mutchilba and Almaden.

History

Kunjen (also known as Koko Wanggara, Ngundjan and Olkola) is a language of Western Cape York. The Kunjen language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of Kowanyama Community Council and Cook Shire Council.

Yir Yiront (also known as Yiront, Jirjoront, Yir-yiront, and Kokomindjan) is an Australian Aboriginal language. Its traditional language region is in Western Cape York within the local government areas of Aboriginal Shire of Kowanyama and Shire of Cook, in the catchments of the Coleman River and Mitchell River. Following the removal of Aboriginal people from their traditional lands, it is also spoken in Pormpuraaw and Kowanyama.

References

References

1. "Reports on the Mitchell catchment-CSIRO".
2. "Basin & Surface Water Management Area: Mitchell River (WA)".
3. "Mitchell Basin: Wetland Summary Information". [[Queensland Government]].
4. "Map of Mitchell River, QLD". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia.
5. (2008). "Mitchell Water Resource Plan Consultation Report". [[Queensland Government]].
6. (2006). "Indicator: IW-01 Annual river discharge". Australian Government Department of the environment.
7. "Water resources - Overview - Queensland - Basin & Surface Water Management Area: Mitchell River (QLD)". [[Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts]].
8. {{cite QPN. 22373. Mitchell River
9. "Mitchell River catchment". Mitchell River Watershed Management Group.
10. "About the Mitchell River Catchment". Mitchell Watershed Management Group.
11. (2011). "Gulf Plains". BirdLife International.
12. "Stations, Towns, Communities, Waterways & Roads". Mitchell River Watershed Management Group.
13. "Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map".
14. "Yir Yiront".