| Towns | |
| Name Etymology: | Robert Towns |
| Map Size: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map: | Australia Northern Territory |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the Towns River mouth in the Northern Territory |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Australia |
| Subdivision Type2: | Territory |
| Subdivision Name2: | Northern Territory |
| Length: | 84km (52miles) |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 15.8m3/s |
| Source1 Location: | Arnhem Land, Australia |
| Source1 Elevation: | 29m (95feet) |
| Mouth Location: | Limmen Bight, Australia |
| Mouth Coordinates: | -14.9294°N 135.4253°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 0m (00feet) |
| Basin Size: | 5432km2 |
| Extra: | [1] |
The Towns River is a river in the Northern Territory, Australia.
The headwaters of the river rise in Arnhem Land and flow in an easterly direction and eventually discharges into the Limmen Bight within the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The estuary formed at the river mouth is tidal in nature and in near pristine condition.[2] The estuary at the river mouth occupies an area of 54.8ha of open water. It is river dominated in nature with a tide dominated delta having single channel and is surrounded by an area of 109.4ha covered with mangroves.[3]
The catchment occupies an area of 5432km2 and is situated between the Roper River catchment to the north and west and the Limmen Bight River catchment to the south.[4] The river has a mean annual outflow of 500GL,[5]
Ten species of fish are found in the river including; glassfish, Barred Grunter, Fly-specked Hardyhead, Salmon Catfish, Mouth Almighty, Barramundi, Rainbowfish and Bony Bream.[6]
Believed to have been named by the explorer Francis Cadell during his expedition of 1868, he named it for Robert Towns, the person that the city of Townsville is also named after. The name also appears on Goyder's pastoral compilation of 1888.[7]