Uncovering Australia's lifeline: Which rivers flow all year round? These five major water systems support the vitality of the entire continent

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Australia is the driest continent in the world, with an annual rainfall of less than 600 mm. However, in such an environment, there are still several "rivers of life" running all year round, which not only shape Australia's unique geographical landscape, but also support the key lifeline of agriculture, animal husbandry, urban agglomerations and ecosystems.

### 1. Australia's five core water systems that continue to flow
1. Murray River
- **Total length 2,508 km**, drainage area over 1 million square kilometers
- Originated from the Snow Mountain Range, and recharged by snowmelt and groundwater
- Flows through New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, irrigating 60% of agricultural land in Australia
- Annual runoff fluctuates between 50-150 billion cubic meters

2. Darling River
- The largest tributary of the Murray River, with a total length of 1,472 kilometers
- Unique "intermittent flooding" supply mode
- Maintaining the world's largest eucalyptus corridor ecosystem
- There was a crisis of water cut-off during the drought in 2020, and the government invested 500 million Australian dollars in ecological restoration

3. Cooper Creek
- Miracle of inland rivers, with a total length of 1,300 kilometers
- Adopting "braided river" morphology to cope with arid environments
- In 2019, the desert began to flow again after being dry for three years, causing the spectacle of desert flowers blooming
- Known as the "breathing river" in Aboriginal culture

4. Fitzroy River
- The longest navigable river in Western Australia, with a total length of 733 kilometers
- Tropical monsoon recharge mode, base flow remains in the dry season
- The estuarine mangroves support Australia's 40% dugong population
- The daily water intake limit for coastal iron ore mining companies is 2 million liters

5. Ord River
- Artificially controlled ecological model, with a total length of 320 kilometers
- Stable water supply all year round through Argyle Dam
- Created the only year-round farming area in the Northern Territory (Kununurra)
- The reservoir covers an area of 740 square kilometers, which is equivalent to the land area of Singapore

### 2. The Secret of the Continuous Flow of These Rivers
1. **Multiple supply systems**
The alpine snowmelt (Murray River), monsoon rainfall (Fitzroy River), and groundwater infiltration (Cooper Creek) form a complex recharge network. The Murray-Darling Basin has 23 large reservoirs and 80 regulating weirs to achieve cross-year water allocation.

2. **Geological structural advantages**
The Great Dividing Range in East Australia forms a natural aquifer, and the sandstone base can store groundwater equivalent to 300 times the amount of water in Sydney Harbour. A 2012 CSIRO study found that the total amount of groundwater resources in Australia is 100 times that of surface water.

3. **Eco-flow management**
The 2007 Water Act established the "Environmental Water Rights" to compel the retention of 40% of natural runoff. The Murray River implemented fish passage projects to maintain the migration needs of 50 native fish species.

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Hot issues related to Australia's non-stop rivers

**Q1: Why can the Murray River continue to flow through drought-stricken areas? **
Inter-basin water transfer is achieved through the Snowy Mountains Scheme, which includes 16 dams, seven power stations and 145 kilometers of tunnels, with an annual water transfer capacity of 230 billion litres, equivalent to 4.6 Sydney Harbours.

**Q2: How does Australia deal with the conflict between agricultural and ecological water use? **
The market-based water rights trading mechanism was adopted, and the water rights trading volume reached A$2.8 billion in 2023. Farmers saved 30% of water through laser land leveling technology, and the yield of rice fields increased by 15% after switching to intermittent irrigation.

**Q3: How much impact does climate change have on Australia’s rivers? **
CSIRO predicts that by 2050, the Murray River runoff may decrease by 11%-23%. The government is experimenting with "artificial recharge aquifer" technology to inject excess water during floods into the ground to form a strategic reserve.

**Q4: Which river is most suitable for ecotourism? **
The Murray River cruise route receives more than 500,000 tourists each year, providing unique Red Cliff Canyon sightseeing and ancient fish exploration projects. The starry sky rafting project in Cooper Creek was rated as one of the top ten ecological experiences in the world by Lonely Planet.

**Q5: How can international students participate in river protection? **
You can join the Waterwatch citizen science project to monitor water quality through testing kits. The University of Sydney has a master's degree in watershed management, with Chinese students accounting for 35%.

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