Turner River
Encyclopedia
The Turner River is a river
in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
.
The headwaters of the river rise below Pullcunah Hill and flows in a northerly direction and crosses the North West Coastal Highway
approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Port Hedland
and discharging into the Indian Ocean
. The riverbed is alluvial and highly braided
The river has three tributaries
; Turner river East, Turner River West and Red Creek. It also flows through two large permanent pools; Kunagunarinna Pool and Moorambine Pool.
The mouth of the river is a large estuarine
area that is mostly unmodified. The estuary functions primarily as a result of tidal energy. It covers a total area of 9.1 square kilometres (4 sq mi) which is mostly made up of salt-marsh with a small colony of mangrove
s.
Much of the river catchment is used for cattle (grazing); excess nutrients cause some eutrophication in some pools upstream. Some mining also occurs within the catchment area.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
The headwaters of the river rise below Pullcunah Hill and flows in a northerly direction and crosses the North West Coastal Highway
North West Coastal Highway
North West Coastal Highway in Western Australia is a generally north-south Western Australian highway which links the fishing town of Geraldton with the iron ore port of Port Hedland. It is long, and constructed as a sealed 2-lane single carriageway with overtaking lanes in some parts. It was...
approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Port Hedland
Port Hedland, Western Australia
Port Hedland is the highest tonnage port in Australia and largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a population of approximately 14,000 ....
and discharging into the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. The riverbed is alluvial and highly braided
The river has three tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
; Turner river East, Turner River West and Red Creek. It also flows through two large permanent pools; Kunagunarinna Pool and Moorambine Pool.
The mouth of the river is a large estuarine
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
area that is mostly unmodified. The estuary functions primarily as a result of tidal energy. It covers a total area of 9.1 square kilometres (4 sq mi) which is mostly made up of salt-marsh with a small colony of mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
s.
Much of the river catchment is used for cattle (grazing); excess nutrients cause some eutrophication in some pools upstream. Some mining also occurs within the catchment area.