Mamberamo River

Mamberamo
Mamberamo River, aerial view in 2017.
Mamberamo, entering the sea, seen from space.
Location
Country	Indonesia
Region	Papua
Physical characteristics
Source	confluence of Tariku and Taritatu
• coordinates	2°55′30″S 138°26′30″E / 2.92500°S 138.44167°E / -2.92500; 138.44167
Mouth
• location	Pacific Ocean, Indonesian, New Guinea
• coordinates	1°28′S 137°54′E / 1.467°S 137.900°E / -1.467; 137.900
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	1,112 km (691 mi)
Basin size	78,992 km2 (30,499 sq mi)[1]
Depth
• minimum	8 m (26 ft)
• maximum	33 m (108 ft)
Discharge
• location	Mamberamo Delta, Pacific Ocean
• average	5,500 m3/s (190,000 cu ft/s)[2] 5,922.9 m3/s (209,170 cu ft/s)[3]
• maximum	25,000 m3/s (880,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Tariku River
• right	Taritatu River

The Mamberamo (Indonesian: Sungai Mamberamo) is the second-longest river on the island of New Guinea, after Sepik River (1,146 km) and the third largest in Oceania by discharge (5,500 m³/s) volume after Fly River (7,500 m³/s) and Sepik (7,000 m³/s). It is located in the Indonesian province of Papua. It is the second largest river in Indonesia by volume of discharge after Kapuas River (6,500 m³/s) and also the widest.^[4]

The river is formed from the confluence of its upper tributaries, the Tariku and Taritatu Rivers in the Lakes Plains region, an interior basin with extensive freshwater swamp forests and grasslands. It flows northwards between the Van Rees Range (Pegunungan Van Rees) and Foja Mountains through a series of rapids and gorges. The last 160 km of the river are navigable.^[5] In the coastal lowlands, the river is lined with marshes and forms a broad river delta. The Mamberamo discharges into the Pacific Ocean at the northern point of Point D'Urville or Cape Narwaku (Tanjung Narwaku).

The river's huge valley is home to various uncontacted peoples and incredible biodiversity. In the 1990s, the Indonesian Government had plans to construct a large hydroelectric dam on the Mamberamo that would have submerged much of the area. This plan was shelved after the Indonesian financial crisis from 1998 to 1999, but there are concerns by environmental groups that it could be resurrected sometime in the future. At present, the Mamberamo remains the second largest river in the world to be completely unfragmented by dams in its catchment, behind only the relatively nearby Fly.^[4]

The Mamberamo area also broadly refers to several nearby mountain ranges, including the Van Rees and Foja Mountains (also known as Foya), which were the subject of a recent rapid biological assessment conducted by Conservation International, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, and Cenderawasih University. The scientific team discovered the first new bird species from New Guinea in 60 years, and a wealth of other new plants and animals. The Foya Mountains appear to be a globally outstanding repository of biodiversity.