Stanley River (Queensland)

Stanley
River
280px Stanley River downstream from the Somerset Dam
Country	Australia
State	Queensland
Region	South East Queensland
Part of	Brisbane River
Tributaries
- left	Neurem Creek, Stony Creek (Queensland), Blackrock Creek, Oaky Creek (Queensland), Reedy Creek (Queensland)
- right	London Creek, Scrubby Creek, Sandy Creek (Queensland), Kilcoy Creek
Cities	Peachester, Kilcoy
Source	Conondale Range
- location	west of Landsborough
- elevation	216 m (709 ft)
- coordinates
Mouth	confluence with the Brisbane River
- location	below Lake Somerset
- elevation	64 m (210 ft)
- coordinates
Length	35 km (22 mi)
Basin	1,535 km2 (593 sq mi)
National park	Conondale National Park
Reservoir	Lake Somerset
Location of the Stanley River mouth in Queensland
Wikimedia Commons: Stanley River

The Stanley River is a perennial river located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. A major tributary of the Brisbane River, the Stanley River valley extends roughly 35 kilometres (22 mi) westwards from the area south of Maleny, through Woodford to Kilcoy before veering southwards.

Course and features

Formed by runoff from the Jimna, Conondale, Bellthorpe and D'Aguilar ranges, the river rises west of Landsborough in the hinterland surrounding the Sunshine Coast and flows generally southwest, joined by eighteen minor tributaries before being impounded by the Somerset Dam built 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) upstream from its confluence with the Brisbane River. The dam was the principal water supply for Brisbane for some fifty years until the construction of the Wivenhoe Dam was completed, forming Lake Wivenhoe. The Stanley River tributaries include Ewen, Crohamhurst, London, Running, Blackrock, One Mile, Monkeybong, Delaney’s, Neurem, Stony, Marysmokes, Scrubby, Sandy, Kilcoy, Sheepstation, Oaky, Byron and Reedy Creeks.

The river courses through one of the heaviest rainfall areas in Australia. The average annual rainfall in the area is 925 millimetres (36.4 in).

Riparian vegetation around the Lake Somerset area have been almost completely cleared for grazing. In the upper reaches bushland remains mostly intact although wildlife corridors have been fragmented and fish stocks reduced.

The Gastric-brooding frog is an extinct frog that was discovered in only three catchments, the Mary River, Mooloolah and Stanley Rivers. The Endangered Giant Barred Frog Mixophyes iteratu has also been recorded on the Stanley River.

History

Before either dam was built the Stanley and Brisbane Rivers were both prone to flooding. Despite warnings instigated by Henry Somerset who saw flash flooding in the upper reaches of the Stanley River valley, the 1893 Black February floods caused severe flooding downstream in Brisbane and other towns such as Fernvale. The 1893 floods occurred after heavy rains near Peachester.

The river once marked the north-west boundary of the defunct County of Stanley.

See also

• List of rivers of Queensland