Kiewa River
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The Kiewa River is a major tributary of the Murray River in Australia and the source of approximately 40% of the Murray's flow.
The river's headwaters include Victoria's highest mountain, Mount Bogong, and wind their way north-west about 100 kilometres, gradually slowing before joining the Murray west of Albury.
The river's flow is constrained at its headwaters by the presence of dams associated with the Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme, which traps waters flowing from the Bogong High Plains. The McKay Creek and West Kiewa power stations are the major generating elements of the Scheme, which provides peak load to the Victorian electricity grid.
Two major tributaries, the East and West Kiewa Rivers, flow swiftly through near-pristine ash and peppermint forest, joining together at Mount Beauty. From here, the river travels more sedately through cleared farming country until it reaches its junction with the Murray.
The Kiewa Valley contains a number of small towns:
- Mount Beauty
- Tawonga
- Tamgambalanga/Kiewa Township
- Yackandandah