Avon River (Wollongong) should not be confused with Avon River (Mid-Coast Council).
Avon River | |
Pushpin Map: | Australia |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of mouth |
Subdivision Type1: | Country |
Subdivision Name1: | Australia |
Subdivision Type2: | State |
Subdivision Name2: | New South Wales |
Subdivision Type3: | Region |
Subdivision Name3: | Sydney Basin (IBRA), Southern Highlands, Macarthur |
Subdivision Type5: | Local government areas |
Subdivision Name5: | Wollongong, Wollondilly |
Length: | 32km (20miles) |
Source1: | Illawarra escarpment |
Source1 Location: | west of Calderwood |
Source1 Elevation: | 348m (1,142feet) |
Mouth: | confluence with the Cordeaux River |
Mouth Location: | near Wilton |
Mouth Elevation: | 193m (633feet) |
River System: | Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment |
Custom Label: | Reservoir |
Custom Data: | Lake Avon |
Extra: | [1] |
The Avon River, a perennial river of the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment, is located in the Southern Highlands and Macarthur districts of New South Wales, Australia.
The Avon River rises on the western slopes of the Illawarra escarpment, near Calderwood within the Wollongong local government area and flows generally north, reaching its confluence with the Cordeaux River, south of Wilton. The river descends over its 32km (20miles) course.[1]
The river is impounded by Lake Avon, the largest of the four reservoirs within the Upper Nepean Scheme that supplies potable water for greater metropolitan Sydney. Located near Bargo, approximately south-west of Sydney,[2] construction of Avon Dam commenced in 1921 and was completed in 1927. In 1963, the water supply was diverted to meet the increasing needs of the Illawarra region and now supplies all the Wollongong area.[3]