Snowy Mountains (Australia)

Snowy Mountains (Australia), mountain range in southern Australia straddling the southeastern corner of the states of New South Wales and Victoria. The Snowy Mountains are a southern extension of the Great Dividing Range, which stretches parallel to the Australian coast from Victoria to northeastern Queensland. The Snowy Mountains' highest peaks are Mount Kosciusko (2,228 m/7,310 ft), which is the highest peak in Australia, and Mount Townsend (2,209 m/7,245 ft). The range was highly glaciated during the last Ice Age, more than 10,000 years ago. The glaciers carved U-shaped cross-sections in valleys and left moraine deposits (boulders, stones, and other debris), many of which dam lakes. The range acts as a watershed between the Snowy and Murray rivers; tributaries of the Murray drain the mountains to the steeper western side, while the Snowy rises on the slopes of the east.

The range also accommodates a powerful hydroelectric complex completed in 1972 and located at the headwaters of the Snowy and Murray rivers. The Snowy Mountains Scheme uses 16 dams to divert water to generators in seven power stations. The scheme also allows for extensive irrigation of the Murray and Murrumbidgee valleys. The range is also known for good trout-fishing waters, and for hiking and skiing. Much of the range is now enclosed within Kosciusko National Park, which covers 6,500 sq km (2,500 sq mi).