| Russell | |
| Pushpin Map: | Australia Queensland |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Russell River river mouth in Queensland |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Australia |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Queensland |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Far North Queensland |
| Length: | 59km (37miles) |
| Source1: | Bellenden Ker Range |
| Source1 Location: | east of Topaz |
| Source1 Coordinates: | -17.3922°N 145.7433°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 206m (676feet) |
| Mouth: | confluence with the Mulgrave River |
| Mouth Location: | west of Russell Heads |
| Mouth Coordinates: | -17.2303°N 145.9517°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 0m (00feet) |
| River System: | Mulgrave River catchment |
| Basin Size: | 669km2 |
| Tributaries Left: | Josephine Creek, Pugh Creek, Harvey Creek |
| Tributaries Right: | Coffee Mill Creek (Queensland), Welsh's Creek |
| Custom Label: | National parks |
| Custom Data: | Wooroonooran National Park |
| Extra: | [1] [2] |
The Russell River is a river in Far North Queensland, Australia. The 59km (37miles)-long river flows towards the Coral Sea and is located approximately south of .
The Russell River rises in the Wooroonooran National Park sourced from drainage of the Bellenden Ker Range, below Mount Bartle Frere and Mount Bellenden Ker.[2] In its upper reaches, the course of the river meanders highly as it flows south by east and exits the Wooroonooran National Park. The river flows north by east, joined by the Josephine Creek and it has descended over the Josephine Falls. The river flows east of and then due north, bounded on both its east and western flanks by the Russell River National Park. The river reaches its confluence with the Mulgrave River in an estuarine state, with the Mulgrave flowing east for a short distance to empty into Coral Sea via the Mutchero Inlet. Water from the river is used to grow sugar cane on the coastal plains surrounding the Russell River's lower reaches.[2]
The Russell River catchment area is estimated to be of which is wetlands.[3] The river descends over its 59km (37miles) course.[1]
The river is a popular location for whitewater rafting.[4]
With the Mulgrave River, the Russell River has a well recorded flood history with documented evidence of flooding beginning in the late 1930s.[5]