Dalhousie Springs

Dalhousie Springs pool

Dalhousie Springs is a group of over 60 natural artesian springs located in Witjira National Park on the western fringe of the Simpson Desert, 180 kilometres northeast of Oodnadatta in northern South Australia. The water temperatures in the springs range from 38 to 43 degrees Celsius. The water is highly mineralised but drinkable (barely). Dalhousie Springs is a popular starting point for crossing the Simpson Desert eastwards to Birdsville in Queensland (around 600 kilometres).

In 1915, the total flow rate of the Dalhousie Springs complex was over 23,000 litres/second, but drilling had reduced this to 17,360 litres/second by 2000.[1][2]

There are a number of unique species of fish that live in the waters around Dalhousie Springs, such as the Dalhousie catfish (Neosilurus gloveri), the Dalhousie hardyhead (Craterocephalus dalhousiensis) and the Dalhousie goby (Chlamydogobius gloveri).

The Dalhousie Springs is also part of a series of Dreamtime Stories involving 3 species of fish which only live in the Dalhousie Springs, which consists of 8 active springs with the largest 50 metres long and 10 metres deep.

Witjira-Dalhousie Springs was added to the Australian National Heritage List in August 2009.[3] In 1980, It was listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Desert Springs of Great Australian Arterial Basin, W. F. Ponder, Conference Proceedings. Spring-fed Wetlands: Important Scientific and Cultural Resources of the Intermountain Region, 2002.
  2. ↑ Threats to Australian desert springs
  3. ↑ "Witjira-Dalhousie Springs". Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
  4. ↑ "Dalhousie Springs Area, French Tk, Dalhousie ruin via Oodnadatta, SA, Australia – listing on the now defunct Register of the National Estate (Place ID 14710)". Australian Heritage Database. Department of the Environment. 21 October 1980. Retrieved 13 May 2018.

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Coordinates: 26°27′20″S 135°28′57″E / 26.4555°S 135.482481°E / -26.4555; 135.482481

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