Howard River
Howard River in 1924
Howard River, Northern Territory is located in Darwin, Australia
Howard River, Northern Territory
Howard River
Location
CountryAustralia
TerritoryNorthern Territory
TownshipsLitchfield Municipality
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • elevation30 m (98 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
Darwin Harbour
 • coordinates
12°21′36″S 131°02′15″E / 12.36000°S 131.03750°E / -12.36000; 131.03750
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length29.1 km (18.1 mi)
Basin size497 km2 (192 sq mi)

Howard River is a river in the outer suburbs of Darwin. In the wet season it starts just south of the Arnhem Highway,[1] at about 30 m (98 ft) and flows 29 km (18 mi) north to Darwin Harbour.[2] In drier times the river just forms pools.[3]

Prior to 1865 the Howard River area was occupied by the Larrakia Nation[4] and Wulna. In 1865 W. P. Auld, of Finniss's exploration party, named the Howard River after Captain Frederick Howard, of HMS Beatrice which charted the area.[5]

The Howard River is one of only two rivers feeding Darwin Harbour which flow all year round. Its catchment is 497 km2 (192 sq mi), which runs into the broad coastal plains of Shoal Bay. It runs over Quaternary rocks, with poorly drained saline muds and clay plains. Each wet season these plains are flooded by fresh water to depths of up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) deep, for 6 to 8 months. The valley has many lifestyle blocks, which, with demands from crops such as mangoes, has depleted the Koolpinyah dolomite aquifer, as over 2,000 wells have been sunk since 1960.[5]

Scattered natural vegetation remains, especially beside the river and its streams. It was open savanna dominated by woolewoorrng, Corymbia jacobsiana and a sorghum grassland understory. There is also monsoon vine forest, mangrove and samphire, with scattered chenopod shrubland.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Elizabeth and Howard Rivers surface water map" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  2. ↑ "Map of Howard River in the Northern Territory - Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia". www.bonzle.com. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  3. ↑ "515 Arnhem Hwy". Google Maps. September 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  4. ↑ Tindale, Norman Barnett (1974). "Aboriginal tribes of Australia : their terrain, environmental controls, distribution, limits". catalogue.nla.gov.au. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "Water resources of the Howard River region". 2008. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
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