Lachlan River
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{{Infobox_river
| river_name = Lachlan River | image_name = LachlanAtCowra.JPG | caption = The Lachlan River at Cowra | origin = east of Gunning | mouth = confluence with the Murrumbidgee River near Oxley | basin_countries = | length = 1450 km (901 mi) | elevation = | discharge = | watershed = 84,700 km²
}}
The Lachlan River is a significant river in central New South Wales, Australia. It rises in the central highland of New South Wales, part of the Great Dividing Range, 13km east of Gunning. Its major headwaters, the Carcoar River, the Belubula River and the Abercrombie River converge near the town of Cowra. Minor tributaries include the Morongla Creek.
Wyangala Dam was built near Cowra to regulate the flow of the river. However, the Lachlan, unlike the Murrumbidgee River and the Murray River further south, does not have its source in the snowfields and does not enjoy the large and reliable spring flow from the melting snow from which those rivers benefit. The Lachlan River is not a large river.
The Lachlan River flows west and then south, terminating in the Great Cumbung swamp near Oxley (between Hay and Balranald). The 500 km² swamp, a floodplain for the Lachlan, joins the Murrumbidgee River to the south. There is some irrigation in the middle reaches of the Lachlan.
History
The Lachlan River was first encountered by European settlers about 1819 and named after Lachlan Macquarie, the Governor of the New South Wales colony.
In the early days of the colony of New South Wales, the southern part of the Lachlan was known as Fish River. It was only after further exploration that it was realised that these two rivers were the same river and the name Fish River was dropped.
See also
Major tributaries
Towns
- Breadalbane
- Bevandale
- Reids Flat
- Wyangala Dam
- Cowra
- Gooloogong
- Paytens Bridge
- Tomanbil
- Forbes
- Jemalong
- Bedgerebong
- Waroo
- Fairholme
- Condobolin
- Gunebang
- Eubalong
- Hillston
- Oxley