| Yapunyah Waterhole | |
|---|---|
 The waterhole in 2011 | |
  Yapunyah Waterhole  Yapunyah Waterhole | |
| Location | South West Queensland |
| Coordinates | 25°29′08″S 144°18′43″E / 25.48556°S 144.31194°E |
| Lake type | Permanent waterhole |
| Primary inflows | Nutting Creek |
| Catchment area | Barcoo River |
| Basin countries | Lake Eyre Basin, Australia |
| Max. length | 2 km (1.2 mi) |
| Surface area | 22 ha (54 acres) |
Yapunyah Waterhole lies in the Mulga Lands bioregion of western Queensland. The waterhole is about two kilometres long and covers approximately 22 hectares when full. It is defined as a permanent waterhole in a region where permanent waterholes are extremely rare and therefore provide important refuges for aquatic plants and animals. These rare waterholes were also vital for Aboriginal people and provided both spiritual and physical nourishment.[1]
The waterhole is on a cattle-grazing property where efforts are being made to preserve the biodiversity and associated cultural heritage. The property owners are working with the local natural resource management group, Desert Channels Queensland.[2]
The Yapunyah Waterhole is a permanent waterhole in the Cooper Creek catchment and the Lake Eyre Basin. It lies in the Grey Range[3] between Adavale and Yaraka in South West Queensland.[4] The waterhole is fed by Nutting Creek, which starts at an elevation of 347 metres and drops around 85.5 metres over its 72 kilometre length before merging with Powell Creek.[5] Powell Creek in turn flows through Hell Hole Gorge National Park to the south-west and eventually into the Barcoo River. The waterhole is surrounded by mulga Acacia aneura woodland. Rainfall averages 390 millimetres per year and is exceeded by evaporation of three to four metres per year.
- ^ Silcock, Jenny (2009), Identification of Permanent Refuge Waterbodies in the Cooper Creek & Georgina-Diamantina River Catchments for Queensland and South Australia, Final Report to South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resource Management Board.
- ^ Desert Channels Queensland Incorporated – Caring for the Queensland section of the Lake Eyre Basin.
- ^ Grey Range – Queensland by Degrees. Royal Geographical Society of Queensland. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
- ^ Our landscape. Desert Channels Queensland. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
- ^ Map of Nutting Creek, QLD. Bonzle. Retrieved 4 March 2013.