| Yass | |
| Name Other: | Cohen Creek |
| Map Size: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map: | Australia New South Wales |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the Yass River mouth in New South Wales |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Australia |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | New South Wales |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | South Eastern Highlands (IBRA), Riverina, Southern Tablelands, South Western Slopes |
| Subdivision Type4: | LGAs |
| Subdivision Name4: | Queanbeyan–Palerang, Yass Valley |
| Subdivision Type5: | City |
| Subdivision Name5: | Yass |
| Length: | 139km (86miles) |
| Source1: | Great Dividing Range |
| Source1 Location: | near Wamboin |
| Source1 Elevation: | 758m (2,487feet) |
| Mouth: | confluence with the Murrumbidgee River |
| Mouth Location: | Lake Burrinjuck |
| Mouth Coordinates: | -34.8767°N 148.7819°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 345m (1,132feet) |
| River System: | Murrumbidgee catchment, Murray-Darling basin |
| Tributaries Left: | Back Creek (New South Wales), Murrumbateman Creek |
| Tributaries Right: | Cohen Creek, Black Joes Creek, Bungendore Creek, Brooks Creek, Derringullen Creek |
| Extra: | [1] |
The Yass River, a perennial river that is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Southern Tablelands and South Western Slopes districts of New South Wales, Australia.
The river rises in rugged country south west of Bungendore, near Wamboin and flows generally north north west then south west, joined by seven minor tributaries, towards its confluence with the Murrumbidgee River into the impounded waters of Lake Burrinjuck, west of Yass; dropping over its 139km (86miles) course.[1]
A number of competing theories exist as to the origin of the name "Yass". It is believed to be named after an Aborigine commented to explorer, Hamilton Hume, that "Yass boss, plains". An alternative theory is that Yass was named after comments made by Mr Angel, a member of Hume's exploration party, that "Yas, yas, plenty of clear country here". A third theory is that the local Aboriginal Gandangara people used the words Yarrh or Yharr as the name for the river, literally translated to mean "running water".[2]