Robe River (Australia)

Robe River is a river in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Robe River
Location
Country	Australia
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Hamersley Range
• elevation	477 metres (1,565 ft)[1]
Mouth
• location	Indian Ocean
• elevation	sea level
Length	276 kilometres (171 mi)
Basin size	3,350 square kilometres (1,293 sq mi)[2]

The headwaters of the river rise in the Hamersley Range near Marana Spring then flow in a north westerly direction past the Robe River-Deepdale mine, crossing the North West Coastal Highway near the Pannawonica turnoff then discharging into the Indian Ocean near Robe Point.

Robe River has two tributaries; Mungarathoona Creek and Kumina Creek.

The Robe is an ephemeral river and is restricted to a series of permanent pools that act as important refugia for native fauna through the dry season.[3]

The rivers experiences periodical flooding. Following Cyclone Monty in 2004 the river was in full flood resulting in Pannawonnica being cut off and people being rescued from the roof of Yarraloola homestead.[4]

In 2009, following heavy rainfall, the river burst its banks cutting roads and railway lines. Yarraloola Station was evacuated and Rio Tinto railway network was disrupted as a result.[5]

References

1. "Bonzle Digital Atlas – Map of Robe River". 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
2. "Water Resources Data - Streamflow Sites - Robe River - Ngalooin Pool". 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
3. "Long term ecological research on a Pilbara river system" (PDF). University of Western Australia. June 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
4. "Severe Tropical Cyclone Monty". Bureau of Meteorology. 2005. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
5. "West Pilbara under water". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 18 February 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2013.

External links

Media related to Robe River at Wikimedia Commons