A hundred and seventeen kilometres of mainstem falling from thirteen hundred metres on the Tiers to a hundred and thirty at Hadspen. The fall of the river drawn on this page has the steep upper river coming off the mountains, the flat shelf of Huntsman Lake, and the long gentle run across the farmland to the South Esk. The Deloraine bridge gauge sits at about forty-four kilometres and Strathbridge at eighty-eight, both reading flow and height. The bank survey from space describes the lower river’s country: two-fifths of the corridor under crops, a third open woodland, a fifth dense timber up toward the Tiers.
Three rivers in one, and four pages, because IFS draws a fourth line where the season changes.
Headwaters to Huntsman Lake is the mountain stream: thirteen kilometres off the Tiers from thirteen hundred metres, over Meander Falls and through State Forest to the head of the lake, fast and clear, small wild browns.
Huntsman Dam to Deloraine is the fly water: twenty-seven kilometres of runs and pools between shingle riffles on the regulated flow, past Meander township to the town bridge, with the Deloraine gauge at its foot.
Deloraine to Strath Bridge is the farmland river slowing down: forty-five kilometres of long runs and broadwaters between high banks through pasture and poppy country to the Selbourne Road bridge, where the upper river’s season ends.
Strath Bridge to the South Esk is the lower river: twenty-six nearly flat kilometres past Carrick and the Liffey junction to Hadspen, opened to the bank by willow removal, and on the longer of the river’s two seasons.