Archer River
| Archer | |
| River | |
 Archer River, Cape York
|
|
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| State | Queensland |
| Region | Far North Queensland |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | Coen River |
| - right | The Dry River |
| Settlement | Aurukun |
| Source | McIlwraith Range |
| - location | north of Coen |
| - elevation | 138 m (453 ft) |
| Mouth | Gulf of Carpentaria |
| - location | Archer Bay |
| - elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| - coordinates | 13°25′12″S 141°43′9″E / 13.42000°S 141.71917°ECoordinates: 13°25′12″S 141°43′9″E / 13.42000°S 141.71917°E |
| Length | 268 km (167 mi) |
| Basin | 13,820 km2 (5,336 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| - average | 222 m3/s (7,840 cu ft/s) |
| National park | Mungkan Kandju National Park |
 Location of Archer River mouth in Queensland
|
|
The Archer River is a river located on the Cape York Peninsula, Far North Queensland, Australia.
The headwaters of the river rise in the McIlwraith Range and flows west, it traverses tropical savanna plains and wetlands, flowing through Piccaninny Plains Sanctuary and Mungkan Kandju National Park, and enters the Archer Bay in the Gulf of Carpentaria on the western side of the peninsula near the town of Aurukun along with the Watson River and the Ward River.
The catchment area for the Archer River is 13,820 square kilometres (5,336 sq mi). During the wet season between November and April, the river floods, replenishing over a million hectares of wetlands. The Coen River is a tributary of the Archer River.
The river remains in a natural state with very little development and just one small dam that supplies water for the town of Coen. On 3 April 2009, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh announced the Archer River would be included under the Wild Rivers Act, 2005 (Qld). The declaration means the river's fragile ecosystems will be protected by allowing only sustainable activities within its catchment.
The river has an annual average discharge of 7,010 gigalitres (9.169×109 cu yd) per annum.
Much of the river is bordered by fig-dominated gallery rainforests which provide habitat for animals such as the white-tailed rat, spotted cuscus and palm cockatoo. Toothless catfish are found in the river.
...
Wikipedia