| Modern Name: | Mulwala Canal Offtake |
| Date Began: | 23 March 1935[1] |
The Mulwala Canal is an irrigation canal in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest irrigation canal in the Southern Hemisphere.[2] The canal, starting at Lake Mulwala, diverts water from the Murray River across the southern Riverina plain to the Edward River at Deniliquin. The canal is 156 km long. The channel has an offtake capacity of 10,000 megalitres (ML) per day and annually supplies over 1,000,000 ML to 700000ha in the Murray Irrigation Area.[3]
The canal was constructed between 1935 and 1942.[4]
As well as water for agriculture, the canal also provides water for the southern Riverina towns of Berrigan, Finley, Bunnaloo and Wakool.[5]
Pacific Hydro operate The Drop Hydro hydroelectric power station on the canal, near Berrigan. The power station, with a generating capacity of 2.5 MW of electricity, is Australia's first hydroelectric power station on an irrigation canal.