Tamar River
River in Tasmania, Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tamar River, officially kanamaluka / River Tamar,[2] is a 70-kilometre (43-mile) estuary located in northern Tasmania, Australia. Despite being named a river, the waterway is a brackish and tidal estuary over its entire length.
| kanamaluka / River Tamar | |
|---|---|
kanamaluka / River Tamar from Brady's lookout, near Exeter | |
 Course of kanamaluka / River Tamar | |
| Etymology | River Tamar |
| Native name | kanamaluka |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Tasmania, Northern Tasmania |
| City | Launceston |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source confluence | South and North Esk Rivers |
| • location | Launceston |
| • coordinates | 41°26′4″S 147°7′38″E |
| Mouth | Port Dalrymple, Bass Strait |
• location | Low Head |
• coordinates | 41°3′19″S 146°46′28″E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 70 km (43 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Supply River |
| State reserve | Tamar Conservation Area |
| [1] | |
Etymology
The Tamar River was named after the River Tamar in South West England by Colonel William Paterson in December 1804.[3]
Location and features
Formed by the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers at Launceston, kanamaluka / River Tamar flows generally north towards its mouth at Low Head, north of the settlement George Town and into the Bass Strait via Port Dalrymple.[4] kanamaluka / River Tamar has several minor tributaries including the Supply River.[1]
Low Head Lighthouse is located at the tip of a peninsula on the eastern side of the river mouth. The only full crossing of the river is the Batman Bridge in the relatively remote area of Sidmouth, approximately halfway along the river.
The Tamar has perennial issues with silting, contributing to its slow decline in commercial navigational use. This has required occasional dredging operations. A scheme enacted between the 1920s and 1970s planned to partially dam the river and slow the flow around the western side of Tamar Island and speed up the flow around the eastern side (the main channel) by sinking 14 boats to disrupt water flow.[5] The success of this project is debated.
Navigation and fishing
The Port of Launceston is now used very little in comparison to historically, and the SeaCat Tasmania ferry no longer docks at George Town. Despite this, the Tamar still is used for commercial shipping, with industries at George Town including aluminium smelters as well as for sightseeing cruises.[6][7][8]
The last 10 kilometres of the Tamar River estuary are generally smooth and sheltered waters, depending on tidal and weather conditions. The Clarence Point boat ramp has picnic amenities, toilets, and a pontoon on the western side. The more wind exposed basic boat ramp at Kelso is a few kilometres further north.
George Town, a significant port town, lies on the eastern side and has amenities nearby. The Low Head boat ramp is also on the eastern side, just past Pilot Bay, several kilometres further north.
