Warrego Catchment

The Warrego River has its source in the Carnarvon Range at the most northerly point of the Murray-Darling Basin and meets with the Darling River upstream of Louth in New South Wales.  The catchment covers a total area of some 78 400 square kilometres of which 84% lies in Queensland.  The Warrego catchment is the largest drainage system in the study area (DNR, 2000).  The following information refers to this Queensland portion only.

LOCATION

RIVER SYSTEM

Major River: Warrego River
Tributaries: Ward, Langlo and Nive Rivers
Distributary streams: Cuttaburra, Noorama and Widgeegoara Creeks

SOCIAL FACTORS

The urban areas of Charleville, Cunnamulla, Augathella, Wyandra, Morven, Barringun, Enngonia and Fords Bridge are contained within the Queensland section of the Warrego catchment.  The major urban centre in the Warrego catchment is Charleville.

VEGETATION

Mulga (Acacia aneura) shrubland is the predominant vegetation type in the Warrego catchment.  Mulga communities can range from low open forest to tall shrublands, predominantly growing on the flat to undulating plains.  Areas of brigalow are found in the north of the catchment.  The major channels also support Cypress pine woodland and gidgee can be found within the catchment floodplain areas.

Downstream the Warrego River flows into effluent channels and wetland areas where river red gum, coolibah and river cooba can be found (Green & King 1995, cited in DNRM 2000).

CLIMATE

The Warrego catchment is in an area extremely variable rainfall.  Annual average rainfall is in the range of 250 millimetres in the lower reaches to more than 650 millimetres in the more elevated sections of the Bulloo River.  Over 42% of the area receives less than 400 millimetres per annum (DNR 2000).

INDUSTRIES

Grazing, both beef cattle and sheep for wool production, is the predominant industry in the catchment.  Irrigated crops are almost non-existent.  Tourism has also made a significant contribution to the local economy (DNR 2000).

WEED & PESTS

The following weeds and pests have been identified as current and potential problems in the Warrego catchment:

Weeds: African Boxthorn, Athel Pine, Mesquite (Prosopis pallida), Mimosa Bush, Mother of Millions, Noogoora Burr, Parkinsonia, Parthenium, Prickly Pear.

Animal Pests: Carp, feral foxes, goats and pigs, wild dogs, rabbits.

THREATENED SPECIES

An array of significant fauna and flora species have been listed for the Warrego catchment under either Commonwealth or State legislation.  Of particular interest in the Warrego catchment are:

INTERESTING FACTS

Approximately 35 000 hectares of the Warrego catchment are conserved by Queensland and New South Wales state legislation (DNR 2000).  These areas include:  Tregole National Park, Morven Conservation Park and parts of the Chesterton Range National Park, Mariala National Park and the Culgoa Floodplain National Park.