Mulgrave River
The Mulgrave River, incorporating the East Mulgrave River and the West Mulgrave River, is a river system in Far North Queensland, Australia. The -long river flows towards the Coral Sea and is located approximately south of.
Location and features
Sourced by runoff from the Bellenden Ker Range, the headwaters of the Mulgrave River rise as the east and west branches of the river below South Peak and west of, respectively. The two branches form their confluence within the Wooroonooran National Park and the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The Mulgrave River flows generally north towards Little Mulgrave, through the outskirts of, and continues through the Goldsborough Valley. From Gordonvale, the river flows east by south and then south, eventually emptying into the Coral Sea south at the southern extremity of the Yarrabah Hills range, where it meets the Russell River. The Trinity Inlet was once the river mouth of the Mulgrave River. Volcanic activity that resulted in the rise of Green Hill in the Mulgrave Valley blocked the river from entering the sea near present-day Cairns. However, further research has shown river sediments above the basalt flows, suggesting that other factors, such as alluvial sediments, may have altered the river's course, possibly causing it to alternate between the two mouths over time.The river has a catchment area of. From source to mouth, incorporating the east and west branches of the river, the river descends over a combined course.
The river is crossed by the Bruce Highway south of Gordonvale via the Desmond Trannore Bridge.
History
Gold was discovered in the river in the 1870s, bringing considerable change to the Goldsborough Valley. Gravel is now extracted from the riverbed.Together with the Russell River, the Mulgrave River has a well-recorded flood history with documented evidence of flooding beginning in the late 19th century.