Mulwala Canal

The Mulwala Canal immediately upstream from its intake from Lake Mulwala in Mulwala
Map
History
Modern nameMulwala Canal Offtake
Construction began23 March 1935[1]

35°58′48″S 146°00′27″E / 35.979895°S 146.007547°E / -35.979895; 146.007547 The Mulwala Canal is an irrigation canal in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest irrigation canal in the Southern Hemisphere.[2] The canal, starting at Lake Mulwala, diverts water from the Murray River across the southern Riverina plain to the Edward River at Deniliquin. The canal is 156 km long. The channel has an offtake capacity of 10,000 megalitres (ML) per day and annually supplies over 1,000,000 ML to 700,000 hectares (1,700,000 acres) in the Murray Irrigation Area.[3]

The canal was constructed between 1935 and 1942.[4]

As well as water for agriculture, the canal also provides water for the southern Riverina towns of Berrigan, Finley, Bunnaloo and Wakool.[5]

Pacific Hydro operate The Drop Hydro hydroelectric power station on the canal, near Berrigan. The power station, with a generating capacity of 2.5 MW of electricity, is Australia's first hydroelectric power station on an irrigation canal.[2]

  1. ^ "MULWALA CANAL". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 30, 325. 14 March 1935. p. 12 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ a b "The Drop Hydro". Pacific Hydro. Archived from the original on 22 July 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2009.
  3. ^ "Yarrawonga Weir". Goulburn Murray Water. Archived from the original on 14 September 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2009.
  4. ^ "Berrigan: Quiet traditional rural country town". Travel. The Age. 15 August 2007. Retrieved 16 June 2009.
  5. ^ "Water supply" (PDF). Murray Irrigation Limited. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2009.