RAINFALL AND DISCHARGE OF THE MURRAY RIVER. LXXXI. 
percentage of run-off in 1895 being high, compared with 
other years of this investigation. In common with the 
other rivers of the Commonwealth, the Murray in 1902 
reached the lowest discharge ever recorded, the volume 
at Morgan for the year amounting to 93,274,000,000 cubic 
feet, or about 9% of that discharged during the flood year 
of 1890. The rainfall over the whole gathering grounds 
during 1902 amounted to 10°64 inches, the run-off being 
0°10 inch, representing the insignificant discharge of 0°94%. 
The loss during the year, therefore, amounted to 99°06? 
of the rain that fell on the catchment. 
TABLE SHOWING RAINFALL AND RUN-OFF OF MURRAY 
RIVER AT MORGAN. Catchment area 408,000 square miles. 
| Annual Mean Run-off i ; 
: discharge | 3; eanee a iy [annual dis- is ua pace eee 
Year. jin millions re fos charge in| In second| In inches ARG 8 4 
of cubic | 2° ° second | feet per over WE SCR aTEe 
feet. feet. | sq. mile. \eatchment°@t¢hment 
1895 | 509,951 |11,706,945 | 16,170 | 0:039 0:54 17°35 3°12 
1896 | 297,939 | 6,839,786 | 9,448 | 0:023 0°32 18°21 1:75 
1897 | 277,548 | 6,371,669 | 8,801 | 0°022 0°29 16°46 6 
1898 | 281,787 | 6,468.984 | 8,985 | 0:022 0°30 15°28 1:96 
1899 | 274,619 | 6,304,428 | 8,708 | 0:021 0 29 15°23 1°90 
1900 | 424,271 | 9,739,989 | 138,454 | 0°033 0°45 16°64 2°70 
1901 | 242,821 | 5,562,963 | 7,684 | 0:019 0:26 14°68 1:77 
1902 | 98,274 | 2,141,291 2,958 | 0°007 0°10 10°64 0°94: 
Se | OOOO OOS I | | 
Means! 300,214 | 6,892,007! 9,519 | 0023 | os2 | 15:56 | 2-00 
When it is considered that the Murray drains such an 
enormous tract of country, extending far into four States 
of the Australian Commonwealth, and that it receives such 
tributaries as the Murrumbidgee, Darling, Mitta Mitta, 
Kiewa, Ovens, Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon, it should 
be one of the greatest streams in the world. Owing 
to the enormous extent of non-effective area, and the 
peculiar character of the catchment, the run-offis extremely 
disappointing. There is, however, a volume of water avail- 
able, sufficient to reclaim, with proper storage, large areas 
of lands within the States of Queensland, New South Wales, 
Victoria, and South Australia. 
6—Sept. 19, 1905. 
