The Mitta Mitta River is a major tributary of the Murray River in Australia and the source of approximately 40% of the Murray's flow.
The river's headwaters include Victoria's highest mountain, Mount Bogong, with the Mitta Mitta itself forming at the confluence of the Cobungra River and the Big River, just south of Anglers Rest. The river then winds its way north about 100 kilometres (62 mi), gradually slowing before joining the Murray east of Albury.
The river's flow is heavily modified by the presence of two major dams, the Dartmouth Dam and the Hume Dam. Upstream of the Dartmouth Dam, the river flows swiftly through near-pristine forest. Below the dam, it travels more sedately through flatter, cleared farming country (some of which is now irrigated using its water, though most continues downstream to meet the needs of irrigators there).
The junction with the Murray is now submerged beneath the waters of Lake Hume for a large part of the time.
The river valley used to flood on a nearly annual basis, but the completion of Dartmouth Dam in the 1970s largely eliminated the floods.
For the fisherman, the Mitta Mitta river is a good source for trout, particularly brown trout and the occasional rainbow trout.
The Mitta Mitta River upstream of hinnomunjie bridge is a favourite for white water enthusiasts with one licensed company operating commercially. It is also frequented by recreational kayakers as a single or multi day trip. Grade II-IV
The Mitta Valley contains four small towns:
- Mitta Mitta
- Eskdale
- Dartmouth
- Tallangatta
Coordinates: 36°12′S 147°11′E / 36.2°S 147.183°E / -36.2; 147.183
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Famous quotes containing the word river:
“Every incident connected with the breaking up of the rivers and ponds and the settling of the weather is particularly interesting to us who live in a climate of so great extremes. When the warmer days come, they who dwell near the river hear the ice crack at night with a startling whoop as loud as artillery, as if its icy fetters were rent from end to end, and within a few days see it rapidly going out. So the alligator comes out of the mud with quakings of the earth.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)