Balonne River

Balonne
River
The Balonne River at St George, Queensland
Name origin: Mandandanji: water or running stream.
Country	Australia
State	Queensland
Region	South West Queensland
Part of	Darling River, Murray-Darling basin
Tributaries
- right	Maranoa River
City	St George
Source	Condamine River
- location	at Surat
- elevation	274 m (899 ft)
Mouth	Western branch becomes Culgoa River; Eastern branch further splits into Bokhara River (west/right) and Narran River (left/east)
- location	near Dirranbandi
- elevation	171 m (561 ft)
- coordinates	28°43′27″S 148°03′6″E / 28.72417°S 148.05167°E / -28.72417; 148.05167Coordinates: 28°43′27″S 148°03′6″E / 28.72417°S 148.05167°E / -28.72417; 148.05167
Length	479 km (298 mi)
Discharge
- average	65 m3/s (2,295 cu ft/s)
Reservoir	Lake Kajarabie
Location of Balonne River mouth where confluence is reached with the Bokhara and Narran rivers in Queensland

The Balonne River, part of the Murray-Darling Basin system, is a short and important part of the inland river group of South West Queensland, Australia.

The river is a continuation of the Condamine River. After flowing through Surat the river flows south south-westerly down through the E.J. Beardmore Dam (Lake Kajarabie). Passing through St George it continues in the same south-west direction, until about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Dirranbandi, where it branches, with the western branch then being called the Culgoa River. The eastern branch continues on as the Balonne River through Dirranbandi. Shortly after flowing through Dirranbandi, the Balonne River again branches into the Bokhara River on the west (right) and the Narran River on the left (eastern) side. The Bokhara river joins with the Barwon River west of Brewarrina, thus contributing to the Darling River. The Narran River flows into Narran Wetlands. The confluence of the Culgoa and Barwon Rivers forms the start of the Darling River.

The Balonne-Condamine catchment area is 136,014 square kilometres (52,515 sq mi), of which an area of 603 square kilometres (233 sq mi) is composed of riverine wetlands and 559 square kilometres (216 sq mi) is estuarine wetlands.

The five longest tributaries of the Balonne River are the Condamine River, the Maranoa River, Dogwood Creek, Yuleba Creek and Tartulla Creek. St St George, the river is crossed by the Andrew Nixon Bridge which carries the Balonne Highway.