Darling River Tributaries

Murray-Darling Basin Waterways

While the Darling River Run is a touring adventure along the Darling River between Walgett and Wentworth, it is beneficial to understand just how big the Darling Basin is.

The river system of the Darling consists of over ten tributaries, with the Upper Darling River (Barwon-Darling) being a complex waterway made up of many individually named waterways. The Barwon-Darling covers about 13% of the Murray-Darling Basin but only accounts for about 2.8% of the flow in the Basin. However, much more water flows through the system, with 99% of its flow generated via the upstream catchments.

The Tributaries of the Darling River

M of the Darling River Tributaries, part of the Murray Darling Basin, Australia
A map of the Darling River tributaries - part of the Murray Darling Basin, Australia

The Paroo, an ephemeral river that only flows in wet years, joins the Darling via a series of waterholes, lakes and wetlands and is the last free-flowing river in the Murray Darling Basi