Fly River
{{Short description|River in Papua New Guinea}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Fly
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| name_other =
| name_etymology =
| image = Fly River.PNG
| image_size = 250
| image_caption = Aerial view of the Fly River
| map = Papua New Guinea Fly River1.png
| map_size =
| map_caption = Location of the Fly
| pushpin_map =
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| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = Papua New Guinea and Indonesia
| subdivision_type2 =
| subdivision_name2 =
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 =
| subdivision_type4 =
| subdivision_name4 =
| subdivision_type5 =
| subdivision_name5 =
| length = {{cvt|1,060|km|mi|abbr=on}}{{cite web |url= https://www.iucn.org/content/fly-river-catchment-papua-new-guinea-a-regional-environmental-assessment |title= IUCN: The Fly River Catchment - A Regional Environmental Assessment |work= International Union for Conservation of Nature The Department of Environment and Conservation, Papua New Guinea |year= 1995 |access-date= 22 November 2020 |archive-date= 14 November 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211114230010/https://www.iucn.org/content/fly-river-catchment-papua-new-guinea-a-regional-environmental-assessment |url-status= dead }}
| width_min =
| width_avg =
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| depth_min =
| depth_avg =
| depth_max =
| discharge1_location=Fly Delta
| discharge2_location= Ogwa
| discharge2_avg ={{cvt|6,000|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}{{cite thesis|title=A method of flood runoff estimation in an ungauged catchment (Ok Mani) in the highlands of Papua New Guinea|url=https://mro.massey.ac.nz/items/07351aef-9ddb-428c-b847-7eddd6289d32|last1=Joseph|first1=Ba Irai|page=35|date=1996|publisher=Massey University }}
| discharge3_location= Obo
| discharge3_avg = {{cvt|2,400|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}{{cite thesis|title=A method of flood runoff estimation in an ungauged catchment (Ok Mani) in the highlands of Papua New Guinea|url=https://mro.massey.ac.nz/items/07351aef-9ddb-428c-b847-7eddd6289d32|last1=Joseph|first1=Ba Irai|page=35|date=1996|publisher=Massey University }}{{cite web|url=http://hdl.handle.net/11017/211|title=Sustainable Development for Traditional Inhabitants of the Torres Strait Region|last1=David|first1=Lawrence|last2=Tim|first2=Cansfield-Smith|year=1990|hdl=11017/211 }}
| discharge4_location= Kiunga
| discharge4_avg = {{cvt|1,110|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}{{cite web|url=http://hdl.handle.net/11017/211|title=Sustainable Development for Traditional Inhabitants of the Torres Strait Region|last1=David|first1=Lawrence|last2=Tim|first2=Cansfield-Smith|year=1990|hdl=11017/211 }}
| source1 =
| source1_location = Star Mountains, Papua New Guinea
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|5|32|15|S|141|53|16|E|type:river_region:PG|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation = {{cvt|3,000|m|abbr=on}}{{cite web|url=http://hdl.handle.net/11017/211|title=Sustainable Development for Traditional Inhabitants of the Torres Strait Region|last1=David|first1=Lawrence|last2=Tim|first2=Cansfield-Smith|year=1990|hdl=11017/211 }}
| mouth = Gulf of Papua
| mouth_location = Papua New Guinea
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|8|33|40|S|143|35|20|E|type:river_region:PG|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation = {{cvt|0|ft|abbr=on}}
| progression = Gulf of Papua
| river_system = Fly River
| basin_size = {{cvt|75,800|km2|abbr=on}}{{cite thesis|title=A method of flood runoff estimation in an ungauged catchment (Ok Mani) in the highlands of Papua New Guinea|url=https://mro.massey.ac.nz/items/07351aef-9ddb-428c-b847-7eddd6289d32|last1=Joseph|first1=Ba Irai|page=35|date=1996|publisher=Massey University }}
| tributaries_left = Palmer, Elevala, Binge, Agu, Strickland
| tributaries_right = Gu, Ok Tedi, Soru, Burei, Bituri
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}}
The Fly River is the third longest river on the island of New Guinea, after the Sepik and Mamberamo, with a total length of {{cvt|1,060|km|mi|abbr=on}}. It is the largest by volume of discharge in Oceania, the largest in the world without a single dam in its catchment, and overall the 20th-largest primary river in the world by discharge volume. It is located in the southwest of Papua New Guinea and in the South Papua province of Indonesia.{{Cite web |url=http://www.gwsp.org/fileadmin/downloads/Nilsson_Science2005.pdf |title=Fragmentation and Flow Regulation of the World's Major River Systems |access-date=2011-08-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330202803/http://www.gwsp.org/fileadmin/downloads/Nilsson_Science2005.pdf |archive-date=2012-03-30 |url-status=dead }} It rises in the Victor Emanuel Range arm of the Star Mountains, and crosses the south-western lowlands before flowing into the Gulf of Papua in a large delta. The Fly–Strickland River system has a total length of {{cvt|1,220|km|mi|abbr=on}}, making it the longest river system of an island in the world. The {{cvt|824|km|mi|abbr=on}} Strickland is the longest and largest tributary of Fly River, making it the farthest distance source of the Fly River.
Description
The Fly flows mostly through the Western Province of Papua New Guinea and for a small stretch, it forms the international boundary with Indonesia's western New Guinea. This section protrudes slightly to the west of the 141°E longitude line.{{cite web |url=http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/who-bit-my-border/ |title=Who Bit My Border? |date=March 13, 2012 |work=The New York Times |author=Frank Jacobs}} To compensate for this slight gain in territory for Papua New Guinea, the border south of the Fly River is slightly east of the 141°E longitude line. As part of this deal, Indonesia has the right to use the Fly River to its mouth for navigation.
The principal tributaries of the Fly are the Strickland and the Ok Tedi.
Close to its mouth, the flow of the Fly River encounters a tidal bore, where an incoming high tide pushes water upstream until the tide changes. The range of this tidal bore is still undocumented.p.159, Barrie R. Bolton. 2009. The Fly River, Papua New Guinea: Environmental Studies in an Impacted Tropical River System. Elsevier Science. {{ISBN|978-0444529640}}.
Discharge
1Minimum 300 m3/s, maximum 3,500 m3/s; 2Minimum 120 m3/s, maximum 3,340 m3/s; 3Minimum 57 m3/s, maximum 1,950 m3/s;
Average, minimum, and maximum discharge of the Fly River at Ogwa:
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" |Year ! colspan="3" |Discharge (m3/s) ! rowspan="2" |Year ! colspan="3" |Discharge (m3/s) |
| Min
! Mean ! Max !Min !Mean !Max |
|---|
| 1998
|3,887 |7,658 |11,185 |2012 |4,609 |8,004 |13,993 |
| 1999
|4,757 |10,148 |18,575 |2013 |4,023 |6,246 |9,629 |
| 2000
|5,150 |9,738 |15,510 |2014 |4,675 |6,759 |11,794 |
| 2001
|3,940 |8,762 |16,203 |2015 |2,546 |5,760 |8,575 |
| 2002
|2,310 |5,645 |10,712 |2016 |3,665 |8,366 |14,918 |
| 2003
|2,599 |5,269 |10,060 |2017 |5,760 |10,264 |17,509 |
| 2004
|1,757 |4,231 |9,881 |2018 |4,766 |8,741 |13,772 |
| 2005
|2,314 |5,913 |15,595 |2019 |3,498 |7,492 |13,533 |
| 2006
|2,395 |7,057 |12,429 |2020 |4,158 |6,865 |10,567 |
| 2007
|3,574 |6,788 |12,935 |2021 |4,518 |8,707 |15,338 |
| 2008
|4,430 |7,672 |11,848 |2022 |4,032 |6,598 |9,569 |
| 2009
|3,464 |7,509 |14,355 |2023 |2,920 |5,945 |11,527 |
| 2010
|3,316 |6,086 |10,009 |2024 |3,628 |8,679 |19,936 |
| 2011
|3,030 |6,382 |11,341 |2025 | | | |
Source: The Flood Observatory{{cite web|url=https://floodobservatory.colorado.edu/SiteDisplays/70data.htm|title=River Discharge and Reservoir Storage Changes Using Satellite Microwave Radiometry}}
Average discharge (m3/s):
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! Station ! 1988/89 ! 1989/90 ! 1990/91 ! 1991/92 ! 1992/93 |
| Kiunga
| 1,435 | 1,197 | 1,044 | 807 | 941 |
| Kuambit
| 2,400 | 2,124 | 2,094 | 1,407 | 2,061 |
| Obo
| 2,515 | 2,613 | 2,424 | 2,057 | 1,978 |
| Ogwa
| 6,300 | 6,482 | 6,193 | 4,927 | 5,119 |
{{cite book|url=https://www.sprep.org/attachments/Publications/SPREP_EIA_PNG_95.pdf|title=Environmental impact of large-scale mining in Papua New Guinea: Sedimentology and potential mobilization of trace metals from mine-derived material deposited in the Fly River Floodplain|last1=Jörg|first1=Hettler|last2=Bernd|first2=Lehmann|page=71|date=1995}}{{cite web|url=http://hdl.handle.net/11017/211|title=Sustainable Development for Traditional Inhabitants of the Torres Strait Region|last1=David|first1=Lawrence|last2=Tim|first2=Cansfield-Smith|year=1990|hdl=11017/211 }}
Sediment load:
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! Station (106 t/year) |
| Ogwa
| 81.3–119 |
| Obo
| 9.1–35 |
| Kuambit
| 6.3–37 |
| Kiunga
| 2.6–2.7 |
Tributaries
The main tributaries from the mouth:
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! Left tributary ! Right tributary ! Length (km) ! Basin size (km2) ! Average discharge (m3/s) |
| colspan="2" |Fly
|1,060 |73,809.31 |6,500 |
| colspan="5" | |
| colspan="5" |Lower Fly |
| Segera
| | |457.9 |41.4 |
| rowspan="3" |
|Bituri |80 |2,110.1 |78.8 |
| Burei
| |1,173.6 |35.7 |
| Suki Creek (Soru)
|60 |1,279.2 |47.1 |
| Strickland
| |824 |35,058.7 |3,600 |
| colspan="5" |Middle Fly |
| rowspan="2" |
|Tamu Creek | |492 |19.7 |
| Kai
| |435.4 |22.3 |
| Agu
| rowspan="2" | | |1,305.6 |81.9 |
| Binge
| |584.4 |53.4 |
| |Ok Tedi
|207 |5,042.1 |923 |
| colspan="5" |Upper Fly |
| Wai Dai
| rowspan="3" | | |280.6 |28.4 |
| Elevala
|100 |1,859.4 |196.1 |
| Wok Luap (Palmer)
|90 |2,314.4 |244.4 |
| |Gu (Wai Mari)
| |319.9 |45.7 |
| Wok Feneng
| | |387.5 |43.8 |
| |Wok Wunik
| |175.7 |25.3 |
Delta
Image:Fly River Map 1876 NLA.jpg
The delta of the Fly River is over 100 km wide at its entrance, but only 11 km wide at the apex upstream of Kiwai Island. The delta contains three main distributary channels (the Southern, Northern, and Far Northern Entrances) that branch from a common point (the “apex”). The distributary channels are 5 to 15 m in depth, separated by elongate, sand-mud islands that are stabilized by lush mangrove vegetation. The islands are eroded and rebuilt rapidly in the apex area, where they have lateral migration rates of up to 150 m/a, with slower rates for the more seaward islands. Upstream from the apex the river gradually narrows to a width of 1.6 km or less. The Fly Delta exhibits a distinctive funnel shape in plan view, attesting to the fundamental role of tidal currents in shaping the Delta's geomorphology. Mean spring tidal ranges are amplified within the delta, from around 3.5 m at the seaward entrance of the distributary channels, reaching a peak of about 5 m at the delta apex.Harris, P.T., Baker, E.K., Cole, A.R., Short, S.A., 1993. A preliminary study of sedimentation in the tidally dominated Fly River Delta, Gulf of Papua. Continental Shelf Research 13, 441-472. Seismic profiles and radiometrically dated core samples indicate that the delta is prograding seawards at an average rate of about 6 m/a Harris, P.T., Hughes, M.G., Baker, E.K., Dalrymple, R.W., Keene, J.B., 2004. Sediment transport in distributary channels and its export to the pro-deltaic environment in a tidally-dominated delta: Fly River, Papua New Guinea. Continental Shelf Research 24, 2431-2454.
The Fly Delta is considered a global "type case" of a tide-dominated delta and the patterns of sedimentation seen in the delta today have been studied by sedimentary geologists as a model for interpreting the ancient rock record.Dalrymple, R. W., E. K. Baker, P. T. Harris and M. G. Hughes (2003) Sedimentology and stratigraphy of a tide-dominated, foreland-basin delta (Fly River, Papua New Guinea); Tropical Deltas of Southeast Asia and Vicinity - Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, and Petroleum Geology. F. H. Sidi, H. W. Posamentier, H. Darman, D. Nummedal and P. Imbert. Tulsa, Oklahoma, SEPM Special Publication 76. 76: 147–173.
The river delta is studded with low and swampy islands covered with mangroves and nipa palm, with villages and cultivated areas on these islands. The land on both sides of the estuary is of the same character. The islands in the estuary are flat and covered with thick, fertile alluvial soil. The largest islands are Kiwai Island, Purutu Island, Wabuda Island, Aibinio Island, Mibu Island, and Domori Island. Kiwai, Wabuda, and Domori are inhabited.
A list of the river delta islands is:
*Kiwai Island
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|
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Image:Fly River Delta-txu-oclc-6552576-sc54-4.jpg
The inhabitants of the Fly River delta engage in agriculture and hunting. Coconut palm, breadfruit, plantain, sago palm, and sugar cane are grown.
Fly River turtle
The Fly River turtle, also known as the Pig-nosed turtle due to its odd nose, is notably different from other turtles due to its pig-like nose. The only freshwater turtle to have flippers, the turtle is known to rarely leave water, except in dire circumstances. They are also known to be omnivores who rarely consume meat.
History
The Fly was first discovered by Europeans in 1845 when Francis Blackwood, commanding the corvette HMS Fly, surveyed the western coast of the Gulf of Papua.{{Cite book |title=Blackwood, Francis Price (1809 - 1854) |chapter=Francis Price Blackwood (1809–1854) |url=http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010105b.htm |publisher=Australian Dictionary of Biography}} The river was named after his ship and he proclaimed that it would be possible for a small steam-powered boat to travel up the mighty river.{{Cite book |title= Papua New Guinea: a travel survival guide |publisher=Lonely Planet |first=Mark |last=Lightbody |author2=Wheeler, Tony |isbn=0-908086-59-8 |year=1985 |edition=3 |page=172}}
In 1876, Italian explorer, Luigi D'Albertis, was the first person to successfully attempt this when he travelled 900 km into the interior of New Guinea, in his steamer, Neva. It was the furthest any European explorer had ever been into the island.
Environmental issues
Both the Strickland and the Ok Tedi Rivers have been the source of environmental controversy due to tailings waste from the Porgera Mine and the Ok Tedi Mine, respectively. Sediment sampling and coring in the distributary channels of the Fly Delta had not detected copper concentrations significantly higher than background as of 1994.Harris, P.T., 2001. Environmental Management of Torres Strait: a Marine Geologist’s Perspective, in: Gostin, V.A. (Ed.), Gondwana to Greenhouse: environmental geoscience - an Australian perspective. Geological Society of Australia Special Publication, Adelaide, pp. 317-328. In 2008, Ian Campbell, a former advisor to Ok Tedi Mining Limited, claimed that company data suggest significant portions of the Fly River floodplain are at a high risk from acid mine drainage.{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/06/2357374.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910020355/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/06/2357374.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 10, 2008 |title=PNG warned of environmental mining disaster |access-date=2008-01-06 |date=2008-09-06 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation }}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Rivers of Papua}}
{{Rivers of PNG}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Rivers of Papua New Guinea
Category:International rivers of Asia
Category:International rivers of Oceania
Category:Indonesia–Papua New Guinea border
Category:Western Province (Papua New Guinea)