Nepean River
Nepean River (Darug: Yandhai), is a major perennial river, located in the south-west and west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Nepean River and its associated mouth, the Hawkesbury River, almost encircles the metropolitan region of Sydney.
| Nepean River Cowpasture River, Mittagong River, London River | |
|---|---|
Nepean River, Looking north towards Penrith, 2006 | |
| Etymology | In honour of Evan Nepean, in 1789 |
| Native name | Yandhai (Dharuk) |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | New South Wales |
| Region | Sydney Basin (IBRA), Southern Highlands, Macarthur, Greater Western Sydney |
| District | Wingecarribee, Wollondilly, Camden, Penrith, Hawkesbury |
| City | Penrith |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Mittagong Range |
| • location | near Robertson |
| • coordinates | 34°33′59″S 150°36′01″E |
| • elevation | 766 m (2,513 ft) |
| Mouth | confluence with the Grose River to form the Hawkesbury River |
• location | near Yarramundi |
• coordinates | 33°36′34″S 150°42′00″E |
• elevation | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Length | 178 km (111 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Erskine Creek, Breakfast Creek (New South Wales), Warragamba River, Glenbrook Creek |
| • right | Burke River (New South Wales), Cordeaux River, Cataract River (Wollondilly) |
| National park | Blue Mountains National Park |
The headwaters of the Nepean River rise near Robertson, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of Sydney and about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the Tasman Sea. The river flows north in an unpopulated water catchment area into Nepean Reservoir, which supplies potable water for Sydney. North of the dam, the river forms the western edge of Sydney, flowing past the town of Camden and the city of Penrith, south of which flowing through the Nepean Gorge. Near Wallacia it is joined by the dammed Warragamba River; and north of Penrith, near Yarramundi, at its confluence with the Grose River, the Nepean becomes the Hawkesbury River.