Culgoa River

Culgoa
River
Name origin: Aboriginal: "running through, returning"
Country	Australia
States	Queensland, New South Wales
Regions	South West Queensland, Orana
Part of	Darling River catchment, Murray–Darling basin
Tributaries
- left	Balonne River, Birrie River
Source	Balonne River
- location	near Dirranbandi
- elevation	187 m (614 ft)
Mouth	confluence with the Balonne River to form the Darling River
- location	north–west of Bourke
- elevation	109 m (358 ft)
- coordinates	29°57′29″S 146°18′28″E / 29.95806°S 146.30778°E / -29.95806; 146.30778Coordinates: 29°57′29″S 146°18′28″E / 29.95806°S 146.30778°E / -29.95806; 146.30778
Length	489 km (304 mi)
National parks	Culgoa Floodplain National Park Culgoa National Park
Location of Culgoa River mouth in New South Wales

The Culgoa River is a river that is part of the Darling catchment within the Murray–Darling basin and is located in South West Queensland and the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia.

The river is a continuation of the western branch of the Balonne River in southern Queensland, near Dirranbandi, and flows generally south-west across parts of the Darling Riverine Plains, joined by ten tributaries, including the Balonne and Birrie rivers, before forming its confluence with the Darling River near Bourke; descending 78 metres (256 ft) over its 489-kilometre (304 mi) course.

Cubbie Station, located on the Culgoa River, is situated adjacent to a large diversion channel which permits the farm, under licence to store 460,000 megalitres (16,000×10^⁶ cu ft) of river water. According to downstream farmers in 2008, large cotton farms, such as Cubbie Station, have reduced the traditional flow of the Culgoa River by one third. By 2009, downstream farmers where claiming that due to upstream water entitlements on the Culgoa River, since 2000, the Lower Balonne floodplain had not received enough water to flood the plains. Prior to the granting of these rights, the Lower Balonne River flooded every two or three years; impacting the sustainability of flora, fauna, birdlife, and economic returns from grazing livestock and cropping.

Little Culgoa Creek, an anabranch of the Culgoa River, leaves the river near Goodooga and returns to the river near Brenda Gate. The river flows through the Culgoa Floodplain National Park and the Culgoa National Park, located respectively north and south of the border between Queensland and New South Wales, west of Goodooga.