The Diamantina River catchment area covers approximately 119,000 km2, rising at the Swords Range, 70 kilometres southwest of Kynuna and flows initially in a north and easterly direction before changing to a southwesterly direction 70 kilometres west of Winton. Major tributaries joining the river are the Western and Mayne Rivers above Diamantina Lakes and Farrars Creek below Monkira. The river does not have a well defined main channel but consists of a series of wide relatively shallow channels.
The Diamantina joins the Georgina River at Goyder's Lagoon and becomes the Warburton River which then flows into Lake Eyre North. In major flood Goyder's Lagoon becomes an extensive wetland area of over 1300km2.
Flooding of the Diamantina River is a reasonably common occurrence with major flooding isolating the towns and properties, lasting several months in some areas and road transport disrupted for considerable periods of time. Floods normally develop in the headwaters of the Diamantina River and its major tributaries, however, flooding may result from heavy rain falling in the middle to lower reaches of the catchment around Diamantina Lakes. Local area rainfalls can be a significant factor throughout these areas.
Links
Lake Eyre Basin website www.lakeeyrebasin.org.au
The Diamantina Shire acknowledges information obtained from http://www.bom.gov.au/hydro/flood/qld/brochures/diamantina/diamantina.shtml
