Goolwa Barrage viewed from the walkway - note the discoloured freshwater on the left hand side
The Goolwa Barrages comprise five barrage structures in the channels separating Lake Alexandrina from the sea at the mouth of the River Murray and the CooronginSouth Australia. They were constructed principally to reduce salinity levels in the lower reaches of the River Murray, Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert, but also to stabilise the river level, for both upstream irrigation and pumping.
Prior to the construction of the barrages, during periods of low river flow, tidal effects and the intrusion of seawater were felt up to 250 kilometres (160 miles) upstream from the mouth of the River Murray, approximately as far inland as the river port at present-day Swan Reach.[1][2]
From the 1900s, with the advent of large irrigation schemes, landowners along the lower reaches of the river strongly urged for the construction of barrages, primarily to keep the water fresh in the lower reaches of the River Murray, as well as Lake Albert and Lake Alexandrina.
[edit]Aerial view of the River Murray barrages, with superimposed text providing locations of Goolwa barrage, Mundoo barrage, Boundary Creek barrage, Ewe Island barrage and Tauwitchere barrage, as viewed from the Coorong towards the Murray Mouth, circa 1940 (State Library of South Australia - PRG-1258/2/546).
The system consists of five barrages extending from Sir Richard Peninsula in the west to Pelican Point on the northern side of the mouth of the Coorong in the east, crossing five channels between the mainland and three islands. From west to east, the five barrages are named Goolwa, Mundoo, Boundary Creek, Ewe Island and Tauwitchere.[2]
The Tauwitchere Barrage connects Tauwitchere Island with Pelican Point on the mainland. The lock in this barrage, provided for fishing boats, measures 13.7 m by 3.8 m.[2]
