Strickland River
The Strickland River is a major river in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. It is the longest and largest tributary of the Fly River with a total length of 824 km (512 mi) including the Lagaip River the farthest distance river source of the Strickland River. It was named after Edward Strickland, vice-president of the Geographical Society of Australasia[2] by the New Guinea Exploration Expedition of 1885.
| Strickland | |
|---|---|
 Location of the Strickland | |
| Location | |
| Country | Papua New Guinea |
| Region | Western Province |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Central Range |
| • location | Confluence of Lagaip and Ok Om (Papua New Guinea) |
| • coordinates | 5°8′49.9632″S 142°18′9.1404″E |
| • elevation | 468 m (1,535 ft) |
| 2nd source | Lagaip River |
| • location | Central Range |
| • coordinates | 5°38′52.692″S 143°36′48.7404″E |
| • elevation | 2,710 m (8,890 ft) |
| 3rd source | Ok Om River |
| • location | Central Range |
| • coordinates | 4°58′30.612″S 141°51′9.2592″E |
| • elevation | 1,955 m (6,414 ft) |
| Mouth | Fly River |
• location | Obo |
• coordinates | 7°35′S 141°23′E |
• elevation | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Length | 824 km (512 mi) |
| Basin size | 37,000 km2 (14,000 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Confluence of Fly River, Western Province (Papua New Guinea) |
| • average | 4,000 m3/s (140,000 cu ft/s)[1] 3,600 m3/s (130,000 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 21,000 m3/s (740,000 cu ft/s) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Herbert, Western Province (Papua New Guinea) |
| • average | 3,500 m3/s (120,000 cu ft/s)[1] |
| • minimum | 1,200 m3/s (42,000 cu ft/s)[1] |
| • maximum | 4,500 m3/s (160,000 cu ft/s)[1] |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Fly River |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Lagaip, Liddle, Carrington, Aiema |
| • right | Ok Om, Murray, Herbert |
Tributary
Strickland River List of tributaries by length.
- Lagaip River 213 km (132 mi)
- Ok Om River 90 km (56 mi)
- Upper Lagaip River 68.2 km (42.4 mi)
- Kera River 46 km (29 mi)
- Porgera River 44 km (27 mi)
Environmental concerns
The Porgera Gold Mine, run by Barrick Gold, is a mine near the Strickland, which is the source of environmental concerns in the area. Since 1992, Barrick Gold has dumped mine waste, particularly metal particulates or tailings, directly into the river. This process of riverine disposal by the mine has led to much controversy, with numerous deaths and environmental problems being blamed on the metal particulates.
See also
References
- David, Lawrence; Tim, Cansfield-Smith (1990). "Sustainable Development for Traditional Inhabitants of the Torres Strait Region".
- Walsh, G. P. "Strickland, Sir Edward (1821–1889)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
Further reading
- Chairperson Quits Over River Pollution at Placer Dome’s Porgera Mine in Papua New Guinea
- Danny Kennedy: Ok Tedi All Over Again. Placer and the Porgera Gold Mine