Tooma River, a perennial stream[1] that has had some of its flow diverted as a result of the Snowy Mountains Scheme,[3] is part of the Murray catchment within the Murray–Darling basin and is located in the Australian Alpine region of New South Wales, Australia.

Tooma River
Overlooking Tooma River from Ardenside Road, Tooma
Map
Location
CountryAustralia
StateNew South Wales, Victoria
RegionIBRA: Australian Alps, Snowy Mountains, Victorian Alps
Local government areasTumbarumba, Towong
Physical characteristics
SourceSnowy Mountains
 • locationMount Jagungal, New South Wales
 • elevation1,590 m (5,220 ft)
Mouthconfluence with the Murray River
 • location
near Tintaldra, Victoria
 • elevation
236 m (774 ft)
Length74 km (46 mi)
Basin features
River systemMurray River, Murray–Darling basin
Tributaries 
 • leftBulls Head Creek, Broadway Creek, Little River (Snowy Mountains), Yellow Bog Creek, Taylors Creek
 • rightPugilistic Creek, Hell Hole Creek, Tumbarumba Creek
ReservoirTooma Reservoir
[1][2]

Course and features

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The river rises near Mount Jagungal on the western slopes of the Snowy Mountains and its natural flow drains generally north, then west before turning south, joined by eight tributaries including the Tumbarumba Creek, and reaching its confluence with the Murray River between the villages of Tooma and Tintaldra; descending 1,350 metres (4,430 ft) over its 74 kilometres (46 mi) course.[1][2]

The Tooma Reservoir, part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, captures water in the headwaters of the Tooma River, and diverts some of the water to the Tumut Pondage on the Tumut River, where the water is used to generate electricity in the sequence of hydro-electric power stations along the length of the Tumut River. This diversion results in a transfer of water from the Murray River catchment (which includes the Tooma River), to the Murrumbidgee River catchment (which includes the Tumut River). However, a compensating opposite transfer from the Murrumbidgee to the Murray basins is made using a different part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Tooma River". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 24 January 2013.  
  2. ^ a b "Map of Tooma River". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  3. ^ Thoms, Martin; Suter, Phil; Roberts, Jane; Koehn, John; et al. (June 2000). "Report of the River Murray Scientific Panel on Environmental Flows" (PDF). Murray–Darling Basin Commission. p. 26. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
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36°04′S 148°00′E / 36.067°S 148.000°E / -36.067; 148.000