Deua River
The Deua River, being the main perennial river of the Moruya River catchment, is located in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features The Deua River rises about southeast of Bendethera Mountain, on the eastern slopes of the Badja Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, within Deua National Park, in rugged and thickly forested ranges south of Braidwood. The river flows generally south, west, north, northeast, south southeast and east, making almost a complete circle, and is joined by fourteen minor tributaries, before becoming the Moruya River near Kiora. The river descends over its course. The lower reaches of the river are estuarine by nature and are called the Moruya River, while the freshwater reaches are called the Deua River. The upper catchment of the Deua River is suspected to be in a rain shadow, so the Deua River is on the whole a small river, and naturally experiences periods of very low flow. Heavy use of groundwater and riverwater however, for summer irrigation of fruit crop in the tributary Araluen Valley and the main river locality Merricumbene, greatly exacerbate summer low flows. The village of Araluen lies in the valley of Araluen Creek,