Catchments of the Central Adelaide Region
The Central Adelaide Region encompasses the catchments of the River Torrens, Port Adelaide River, and the Patawalonga, which includes the Sturt River, Brown Hill Creek and Keswick Creek. This region includes a significant portion of metropolitan Adelaide, and the major land use is residential, with livestock grazing and horticulture in the hills.
Aboriginal significance
The Adelaide Plains are home to the Kaurna people.
What were the watercourses like before European settlement?
The Torrens, Port and Patawalonga catchments were all linked via a natural coastal wetland known as The Reedbeds. In summer the Torrens contracted to a chain of water holes, while the Sturt River and Brown Hill Creek flowed all year round, fed by permanent springs. The Patawalonga Basin was a natural estuary and its tributaries followed their natural courses across the plains to meet it. The Port River channel was shallower and a larger area of land was affected by the tides.
What happens to the water flow today?
Urbanisation in the Port has resulted in a series of urban catchments with an increased volume of run-off entering the river; the sewall has changed tidal movements and coastal wetlands have been reclaimed for industry and residential areas. Breakout Creek, the artificial outlet of the River Torrens, connects the river directly to the ocean but does not allow tides to enter. Flows within the Torrens catchment are highly modified due to Adelaide's water supply system. Weirs and reservoirs capture and store water, which is supplemented by water pumped from the River Murray. In the Patawalonga Basin, the weir and Barcoo Outlet have modified tidal movements.