The Purari (also known as Puraari) is a river that originates in the south central highlands especially in Kandep District of Enga Province of Papua New Guinea, flowing 630 km though Gulf Province to the Gulf of Papua. The Purari has a 33,670 km2 drainage basin and is the third largest river in Papua New Guinea. The discharge varies through the year, averaging around 3,000 m3/s–4,000 m3/s at the delta.

History

The headwaters of the river were charted in 1930 by Michael Leahy and Michael Dwyer.

Geography

It is fed mainly by the Kaugel, Erave, Lai, Tua and Pio rivers, starting just south of Mount Karimui at the junction of the Tua and Pio rivers, where it flows through a quite spectacular gorge before flowing out into the lowlands and delta country closer to the coast. River becomes tidal at substantial distance from the waters of Gulf of Papua. The Purari is a heavy muddy brown from silts washed down from the mountains, and rises and falls constantly depending on local rainfall.

Delta

The Purari Delta is one of a number of large deltaic complexes which border the Gulf of Papua. Along with the Fly, the Kikori and many other rivers, the Purari drains the western and central highland region of Papua New Guinea. Upper sections of these rivers are located in highly mountainous terrain reaching 4510 m at Mt. Wilhelm, with steeply descending valleys debouching onto a deltaic plain 30 to 50 km wide. Average annual rainfalls ranging from 2000 to 8500 mm in the catchment of the Purari result in a mean annual discharge at delta of about 105 km3/year, carrying 88.6 million m3/year of sediment into the delta (Pickup 1980; this volume). These inputs provide the material for a major deltaic complex of global significance.

Tributary

Purari River List of Tributaries by length.

Biodiversity

The general area is heavy tropical jungle with high rainfall and abundant bird life.

Economy

Along the river in various places there are small human populations, mostly subsistence villages. Dugout canoes are seen along the river from Wabo downstream, however population is sparse until you get closer to the coast where there are a few more villages.

Hydroelectric plant

The governments of Papua New Guinea and Government of Queensland have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with PNG Energy Developments Ltd (PNG EDL) and Origin Energy (Origin) to support the potential development of a renewable hydro electricity project based on the Purari (Wabo Dam).