Purari River
{{Short description|River in Papua New Guinea}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Purari
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| image = Purari.png
| image_size =
| image_caption = The mouths of the Purari
| map = New guinea purari.PNG
| map_size =
| map_caption = Location of the Purari
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| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = Papua New Guinea
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| subdivision_type3 = Region
| subdivision_name3 = Gulf
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| length = {{convert|630|km|mi|abbr=on}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GALwCAAAQBAJ&dq=Wabo+Creek&pg=PA163|title=The Purari — tropical environment of a high rainfall river basin|last=T.|first=Petr|date=6 December 2012|isbn=9789400972636}}
| width_min =
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| discharge1_location=Wabo Creek (Basin size: {{convert|28,738|km2|abbr=on}}{{cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/461350919/08-Papua-New-guinea-2|last=Godfrey|first=Agoro|title=08 Papua New Guinea-2}}
| discharge1_min =
| discharge1_avg = {{convert|2,360|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GALwCAAAQBAJ&dq=Wabo+Creek&pg=PA163|title=The Purari — tropical environment of a high rainfall river basin|last=T.|first=Petr|date=6 December 2012|isbn=9789400972636}}
{{convert|2,667|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_max = {{convert|6,000|m3/s|abbr=on}}
| source1 =
| source1_location = Papua New Guinea
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|6|24|S|144|15|E|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation = {{convert|1,240|m|abbr=on}}
| mouth =
| mouth_location = Gulf of Papua, Papua New Guinea
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| river_system =
| basin_size = {{convert|33,670|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GALwCAAAQBAJ&dq=Wabo+Creek&pg=PA163|title=The Purari — tropical environment of a high rainfall river basin|last=T.|first=Petr|date=6 December 2012|isbn=9789400972636}}
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|discharge2_location=Purari Delta, Gulf of Papua|discharge2_avg={{convert|105|km3/year|m3/s|abbr=on}}}}
The Purari (also known as Puraari) is a river that originates in the south central highlands especially in Kandep District of Enga Province of Papua New Guinea, flowing {{Convert|630|km|mi|0}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GALwCAAAQBAJ&dq=Wabo+Creek&pg=PA163|title=The Purari — tropical environment of a high rainfall river basin|last=T.|first=Petr|date=6 December 2012|isbn=9789400972636}} though Gulf Province to the Gulf of Papua. The Purari has a {{convert|33,670|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GALwCAAAQBAJ&dq=Wabo+Creek&pg=PA163|title=The Purari — tropical environment of a high rainfall river basin|last=T.|first=Petr|date=6 December 2012|isbn=9789400972636}} drainage basin and is the third largest river in Papua New Guinea. The discharge varies through the year, averaging around {{convert|3,000|m3/s|abbr=on}}–{{convert|4,000|m3/s|abbr=on}} at the delta.
History
The headwaters of the river were charted in 1930 by Michael Leahy and Michael Dwyer.Ian J. Willis [https://books.google.com/books?id=UFpSNQAACAAJ An Epic Journey: The 1930 Expedition of Michael Leahy and Michael Dwyer Across New Guinea Via the Purari River] University of Papua New Guinea, 1969 - Papua New Guinea - 145 pages
Geography
It is fed mainly by the Kaugel, Erave, Lai,{{Cite journal|last=Meggitt |first=M. J. |year=1956 |title=The Valleys of the Upper Wage and Lai Rivers, Western Highlands, New Guinea |journal=Oceania |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=90–135 |doi=10.1002/j.1834-4461.1956.tb00698.x |jstor=40373048 }} Tua and Pio rivers, starting just south of Mount Karimui at the junction of the Tua and Pio rivers, where it flows through a quite spectacular gorge before flowing out into the lowlands and delta country closer to the coast. River becomes tidal at substantial distance from the waters of Gulf of Papua.
The Purari is a heavy muddy brown from silts washed down from the mountains, and rises and falls constantly depending on local rainfall.
=Delta=
The Purari Delta is one of a number of large deltaic complexes which border the Gulf of Papua. Along with the Fly, the Kikori and many other rivers, the Purari drains the western and central highland region of Papua New Guinea. Upper sections of these rivers are located in highly mountainous terrain reaching {{convert|4510|m|ft|-1|disp=or}} at Mt. Wilhelm, with steeply descending valleys debouching onto a deltaic plain {{convert|30|to|50|km|mi|0}} wide. Average annual rainfalls ranging from {{convert|2000|to|8500|mm|in|-1}} in the catchment of the Purari result in a mean annual discharge at delta of about {{convert|105| km3/year|m3/s|abbr=on}}, carrying 88.6 million m3/year of sediment into the delta (Pickup 1980; this volume). These inputs provide the material for a major deltaic complex of global significance.
Tributary
Purari River List of Tributaries by length.
- Waghi River {{convert|243|km|mi|abbr=on}}
- Erave River {{convert|223.6|km|abbr=on}}
- Tua River {{convert|200|km|mi|abbr=on}}
- Kaugel River {{convert|112.6|km|abbr=on}}
- Zogi River {{convert|76|km|mi|abbr=on}}
Biodiversity
The general area is heavy tropical jungle with high rainfall and abundant bird life.T. Petr [https://books.google.com/books?id=GALwCAAAQBAJ&dq=Purari+Iaro+++river&pg=PA103 The Purari — tropical environment of a high rainfall river basin: Tropical Environment of a High Rainfall River Basin] Volume 51 of Monographiae Biologicae Springer Science & Business Media, Dec 6, 2012 - Science - 622 pages {{ISBN|9400972636}} {{ISBN|9789400972636}}
Economy
Along the river in various places there are small human populations, mostly subsistence villages. Dugout canoes are seen along the river from Wabo downstream, however population is sparse until you get closer to the coast where there are a few more villages.
=Hydroelectric plant=
The governments of Papua New Guinea and Government of Queensland have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with PNG Energy Developments Ltd (PNG EDL) and Origin Energy (Origin) to support the potential development of a renewable hydro electricity project based on the Purari (Wabo Dam).{{Cite web |url=http://www.originenergy.com.au/news/article/asxmedia-releases/1222 |title=PNG and Qld Governments support studies to progress a PNG renewable energy project for PNG and Qld |access-date=1 October 2010 |date=15 September 2010 |work=Media Release |publisher=Origin Energy }}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Cite book |last1=Pawitan |first1=Hidayat |last2=Jayawardena |first2=A.W. |last3=Takeuchi |first3=K. |last4=Lee |first4=Soontak |title=Catalogue of rivers for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, vol. III |url=https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000145286 |chapter=Papua New Guinea: Purari Wara |chapter-url=http://www.bom.gov.au/water/about/waterResearch/document/purari.pdf |pages=228–238 |publisher=UNESCO-IHP Regional Steering Committee for Southeast Asia and the Pacific |year=2000 |isbn=4-9900653-0-1}}
{{Rivers of PNG}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Rivers of Papua New Guinea
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