Purari
Purari is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- -6.67°, 144.60°
About Purari
The Purari (also known as Puraari) is a river that originates in the south central highlands especially in Tari Pori District of Hela Province of Papua New Guinea,(Local name Tagali River) flowing 630 kilometres (391 mi) though Gulf Province to the Gulf of Papua. The Purari has a 33,670 km2 (13,000 sq mi) drainage basin and is the third largest river in Papua New Guinea. The discharge varies through the year, averaging around 3,000 m3/s (110,000 cu ft/s)–4,000 m3/s (140,000 cu ft/s) at the delta.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Purari River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Purari in Depth
Geography
It is fed mainly by the Kaugel, Erave, Lai, Tua and Pio rivers, starting just south of Mount Karimui at the junction of the Tua and Pio rivers, where it flows through a quite spectacular gorge before flowing out into the lowlands and delta country closer to the coast. River becomes tidal at substantial distance from the waters of Gulf of Papua.
The Purari is a heavy muddy brown from silts washed down from the mountains, and rises and falls constantly depending on local rainfall.
The Purari Delta is one of a number of large deltaic complexes which border the Gulf of Papua. Along with the Fly, the Kikori and many other rivers, the Purari drains the western and central highland region of Papua New Guinea.
Economy
Along the river in various places there are small human populations, mostly subsistence villages. Dugout canoes are seen along the river from Wabo downstream, however population is sparse until you get closer to the coast where there are a few more villages.
The governments of Papua New Guinea and Government of Queensland have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with PNG Energy Developments Ltd (PNG EDL) and Origin Energy (Origin) to support the potential development of a renewable hydro electricity project based on the Purari (Wabo Dam).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Purari River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Purari: Key Facts
| Length | 470 km |
|---|---|
| Drainage basin | 28,738 km² |
| Mouth | Gulf of Papua |
Facts from Wikidata Q1724008 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Purari: Quick Answers
- Where is Purari?
- Purari is located in Papua New Guinea, at 6.6731° S, 144.5958° E.
- Are there dams on the Purari?
- No dam on the Purari is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.