The Fly River is the third longest river on the island of New Guinea , after the Sepik and Mamberamo , with a total length of 1,060 km (660 mi). It is the largest by volume of discharge in Oceania , the largest in the world without a single dam in its catchment, and overall the 20th-largest primary river in the world by discharge volume. It is located in the southwest of Papua New Guinea and in the South Papua province of Indonesia . It rises in the Victor Emanuel Range arm of the Star Mountains , and crosses the south-western lowlands before flowing into the Gulf of Papua in a large delta . The Fly–Strickland River system has a total length of 1,220 km (760 mi), making it the longest river system of an island in the world. The 824 km (512 mi) Strickland is the longest and largest tributary of Fly River, making it the farthest distance source of the Fly River.
23-559: The Fly flows mostly through the Western Province of Papua New Guinea and for a small stretch, it forms the international boundary with Indonesia's western New Guinea . This section protrudes slightly to the west of the 141°E longitude line . To compensate for this slight gain in territory for Papua New Guinea, the border south of the Fly River is slightly east of the 141°E longitude line. As part of this deal, Indonesia has
46-399: A common point (the “apex”). The distributary channels are 5 to 15 m in depth, separated by elongate, sand-mud islands that are stabilized by lush mangrove vegetation. The islands are eroded and rebuilt rapidly in the apex area, where they have lateral migration rates of up to 150 m/a, with slower rates for the more seaward islands. Upstream from the apex the river gradually narrows to
69-498: A width of 1.6 km or less. The Fly Delta exhibits a distinctive funnel shape in plan view, attesting to the fundamental role of tidal currents in shaping the Delta's geomorphology. Mean spring tidal ranges are amplified within the delta, from around 3.5 m at the seaward entrance of the distributary channels, reaching a peak of about 5 m at the delta apex. Seismic profiles and radiometrically dated core samples indicate that
92-470: Is currently operated by Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML). There are three districts in the province. Each district has one or more Local Level Government (LLG) areas. For census purposes, the LLG areas are subdivided into wards and those into census units. The province was governed by a decentralised provincial administration, headed by a Premier, from 1977 to 1995. Following reforms taking effect that year,
115-442: Is on the same side of the island and 24 km (15 mi) farther northwest. Doropo village is about midway along the north side of the island. At the east end of the island are other small villages, such as Sagasia , Ipisia , Agobara and Oromosapuo . The inhabitants of the Fly River delta engage in agriculture and hunting. Coconut palm , breadfruit , plantain , sago palm , and sugar cane are grown. Administratively,
138-757: Is the lack of suitable tool stone in the region. An examination of twenty of these axes revealed that eighteen of them were composed of intrusive igneous rocks similar to the type found on the Torres Strait Islands. Ethnologists and archeologists both believe that the Kiwai Islanders and the Torres Strait Islanders had a symbiotic relationship involving the exchange of stone axes for large seafaring canoes. This article about an island in Papua New Guinea
161-585: Is the largest island in the Fly River delta, Papua New Guinea . It is one of the Torres Strait Islands . It is 59 km (37 mi) long along the northwest–southeast axis from Wamimuba Point in the northwest to the village of Saguane (Sanguane) in the south, and up to 9 km (5.6 mi) wide, with an average width of 5.6 km (3.5 mi). Its area is 359 km (139 sq mi). Neighboring Purutu and Wabuda Islands to
184-762: The 2011 census, residing in 31,322 households. Of these, 79,349 people were recorded in Middle Fly District , 62,850 in North Fly District and 59,152 in South Fly District . The average household size across the province was 6.4. The major economic activity in the province is constituted by the Ok Tedi Mine , initially established by BHP and the subject of considerable litigation by traditional landowners both in respect of environmental degradation and disputes over royalties. It
207-482: The Fly River at Ogwa : Source: The Flood Observatory Average discharge (m/s): Sediment load: (10 t/year) The main tributaries from the mouth: The delta of the Fly River is over 100 km wide at its entrance, but only 11 km wide at the apex upstream of Kiwai Island . The delta contains three main distributary channels (the Southern, Northern, and Far Northern Entrances) that branch from
230-531: The Fly River floodplain are at a high risk from acid mine drainage . Western Province (Papua New Guinea) Western Province is a coastal province in southwestern Papua New Guinea , bordering the Indonesian provinces of Highland Papua and South Papua . The provincial capital is Daru . The largest town in the province is Tabubil . Other major settlements are Kiunga , Ningerum , Olsobip and Balimo . The provincial government has, as with
253-469: The Pig-nosed turtle due to its odd nose, is notably different from other turtles due to its pig-like nose. The only freshwater turtle to have flippers, the turtle is known to rarely leave water, except in dire circumstances. They are also known to be omnivores who rarely consume meat. The Fly was first discovered by Europeans in 1845 when Francis Blackwood , commanding the corvette HMS Fly , surveyed
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#1732765338901276-478: The delta is prograding seawards at an average rate of about 6 m/a The Fly Delta is considered a global "type case" of a tide-dominated delta and the patterns of sedimentation seen in the delta today have been studied by sedimentary geologists as a model for interpreting the ancient rock record. The river delta is studded with low and swampy islands covered with mangroves and nipa palm, with villages and cultivated areas on these islands. The land on both sides of
299-528: The estuary is of the same character. The islands in the estuary are flat and covered with thick, fertile alluvial soil. The largest islands are Kiwai Island , Purutu Island , Wabuda Island , Aibinio Island , Mibu Island , and Domori Island . Kiwai, Wabuda, and Domori are inhabited. A list of the river delta islands is: The inhabitants of the Fly River delta engage in agriculture and hunting. Coconut palm , breadfruit , plantain , sago palm , and sugar cane are grown. The Fly River turtle , also known as
322-558: The governments of North Solomons , Chimbu and Northern provinces, sought to change the name of the province. The government uses the name Fly River Provincial Government ; however, this remains unofficial as it has not been changed in the Constitution of Papua New Guinea . Western Province covers 99,300 km² and is the largest province in Papua New Guinea by area. There are several large rivers that run through
345-409: The island is part of Kiwai Rural LLG (Local Level Government area) of South Fly District, Western Province . Archeologists have recovered some of the largest stone axes ever discovered and ethnographers believe that these axe heads were used as ceremonial grave markers. Anthropologists believe that most of these stone axes were imported from the Torres Strait Islands . Owing to this belief
368-722: The island. Both the Strickland and the Ok Tedi Rivers have been the source of environmental controversy due to tailings waste from the Porgera Mine and the Ok Tedi Mine , respectively. Sediment sampling and coring in the distributary channels of the Fly Delta had not detected copper concentrations significantly higher than background as of 1994. In 2008, Ian Campbell, a former advisor to Ok Tedi Mining Limited , claimed that company data suggest significant portions of
391-493: The national government reassumed some powers, and the role of Premier was replaced by a position of Governor, to be held by the winner of the province-wide seat in the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea . The province and each district is represented by a Member of the National Parliament . There is one provincial electorate and each district is an open electorate. Kiwai Island Kiwai Island
414-420: The north and northeast are also among the three largest islands in the Fly River delta. A language study mentioned a population of about 4500, but the census of population of 2000 showed only 2092 inhabitants. The island separates the north and south entrances of the Fly River. It is well wooded and only a few feet above water. The chief village, Iasa , is located on the south side of the island. Sumai village
437-581: The province have eucalyptus and melaleuca savannas (the Trans-Fly savanna and grasslands ) that support large populations of birds, wallabies, and introduced deer, with dense rainforests being located to the north. The dry season is from July–November, while the wet season is from December–June. Sago cultivation dominates the wetter north, while yam cultivation dominates the drier south. There were 201,351 inhabitants in Western Province in
460-437: The province, including the Fly River and its tributaries the Strickland and Ok Tedi rivers. The largest lake in Papua New Guinea, Lake Murray , is also in Western Province. This province is the only part of Papua New Guinea to hold land west of the 141°E line, which divides it from Indonesian Western New Guinea . This is a small section of territory bordered by the Fly River . The Tonda Wildlife Management Area in
483-1438: The right to use the Fly River to its mouth for navigation. The principal tributaries of the Fly are the Strickland and the Ok Tedi . Close to its mouth, the flow of the Fly River encounters a tidal bore , where an incoming high tide pushes water upstream until the tide changes. The range of this tidal bore is still undocumented. 8°33′57.1428″S 143°38′26.6892″E / 8.565873000°S 143.640747000°E / -8.565873000; 143.640747000 7°38′47.5008″S 141°21′8.5104″E / 7.646528000°S 141.352364000°E / -7.646528000; 141.352364000 7°35′4.3188″S 141°23′12.7536″E / 7.584533000°S 141.386876000°E / -7.584533000; 141.386876000 7°35′14.5212″S 141°19′25.2228″E / 7.587367000°S 141.323673000°E / -7.587367000; 141.323673000 6°10′5.0088″S 141°6′56.034″E / 6.168058000°S 141.11556500°E / -6.168058000; 141.11556500 6°7′35.3316″S 141°17′48.732″E / 6.126481000°S 141.29687000°E / -6.126481000; 141.29687000 Minimum 300 m/s, maximum 3,500 m/s; Minimum 120 m/s, maximum 3,340 m/s; Minimum 57 m/s, maximum 1,950 m/s; Average, minimum, and maximum discharge of
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#1732765338901506-434: The south-western corner of the province is a wetland of international importance. It is the largest protected area in Papua New Guinea. The flora and fauna of much of Western Province resemble those of northern Australia . Flora includes eucalyptus , melaleuca , acacia , and banksias . Fauna includes wallabies , bandicoots , goannas , coastal taipans , and mound-building termites . The drier, southern parts of
529-479: The western coast of the Gulf of Papua. The river was named after his ship and he proclaimed that it would be possible for a small steam-powered boat to travel up the mighty river. In 1876, Italian explorer, Luigi D'Albertis , was the first person to successfully attempt this when he travelled 900 km into the interior of New Guinea, in his steamer, Neva . It was the furthest any European explorer had ever been into
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