Freshwater ecosystems are rich in species and have high ecosystem productivity but are highly impacted by centuries of human utilisation. Efforts to rehabilitate rivers, streams and their associated wetlands are necessary not only for the conservation of biodiversity but also for their value to humans.
River and stream restoration, however, is fraught with difficulties including the high dynamism of riparian ecosystems in response to rainfall variation (particularly extremes of flood and drought), problems of broken connectivity; and competing interests between environmental management and human resource extraction.
There is a considerable amount of freshwater restoration work underway in Australia, ranging from small-scale to large-scale efforts including pollution remediation, reinstating environmental flows, riparian and floodplain rehabilitation, targeted fish recovery and the removal of barrier to fish passage.
1. Lessons and Limitations
River restoration is a long-term challenge due to high levels of ongoing disturbance, river regulation (permanency of many dams, weirs and irrigation), high vulnerability to pest species and the many (often competing) demands upon a river (which are likely to increase with climate change and increased populations).
Conversely, rivers link people and environments and as such, small but continuous improvements can have cumulative effects to increasingly achieve recovery.
2. Rivers and Streams
- Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) Multiple states
A range of funded projects over the decades have been conducted as joint Australian and State Government initiatives to improve the health of the River Murray and its wetlands and floodplains
- MDBA’s Native Fish Strategy
https://www.mdba.gov.au/basin/plants-and-wildlife/fish/native-fish-recoveryALSO SEE
Revitalising a Native Fish Strategy
https://emrprojects.wordpress.com/2019/09/13/recovering-murray-darling-basin-fishes-by-revitalizing-a-native-fish-strategy-update-of-emr-feature/
(Original article: Native Fish Strategy – first 10 years)
- Sea to Hume Dam Fishways
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2006.00307.x
More current fish passage restoration projects here
https://www.dpird.nsw.gov.au/dpi/fishing/fish-passage-nsw/fish-passage-projects
- Murray River Resnagging Experiment, Victoria / NSW
Managed by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and Arthur Rylah Institute, this large-scale project restored 4,450 structural woody habitats (snags) between Lake Hume and Lake Mulwala, leading to a threefold increase in native Murray Cod populations.
https://www.ari.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/37313/Murray-River-resnagging-fact-sheet-2014.pdf
- Dewfish demonstration reach
https://emrprojects.wordpress.com/2016/03/05/dewfish-demonstration-reach-restoring-native-fish-populations-in-the-condamine-catchment/ALSO SEE
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/emr.12092/
- Monitoring in demonstration reaches
https://emrprojects.wordpress.com/2014/01/25/establishing-a-framework-for-developing-and-implementing-ecological-monitoring-and-evaluation-of-aquatic-rehabilitation-in-demonstration-reaches/
- Rivers of Carbon, New South Wales
Led by the Australian River Restoration Centre, involves local landholders and communities to revegetate riparian zones, install stream fencing, and reconnect creeks across the Murrumbidgee, Lachlan, and Yass catchments. https://www.greeningaustralia.org.au/rivers-of-carbon-mess-it-up-and-slow-it-down/ALSO SEE
https://riversofcarbon.org.au/southern-riparian-linkages/
- Coxs River Catchment Restoration, New South Wales
A 10-year collaborative project between Amazon and the ARRC to repair a degraded section of the Coxs River, which provides drinking water for Greater Sydney.
https://arrc.au/projects/coxs-river-catchment
- Riverine Recovery Project & South Australia Riverland Floodplain Program, South Australia
A $155 million investment program utilising engineering and adaptive management to restore natural flow variations, improve wetland health, and manage salinity along the River Murray.
https://www.landscape.sa.gov.au/mr/water/river-murray/restoration-programs
- Tyenna River Restoration Program, Tasmania
A community-driven effort by the Derwent Catchment Project removing invasive willows, stabilising riverbanks, and enhancing native fish habitats through a 10-year management plan.
https://derwentcatchment.org/river-restoration/ALSO SEE
https://sfmau.com/tyenna/
3. Wetlands connected to rivers
- Murray wetlands rewatering
The program focuses on improving the health of private wetlands and ephemeral creeks that have become artificially isolated from natural flooding and no longer receive adequate water. The project was initiated by the Murray–Darling Wetlands Working Group in 2001 and is now managed by the Department. Since that time, more than 65,000 megalitres of water for the environment has been delivered to over 200 wetlands and 280 kilometres of ephemeral creeks throughout the Murray Valley.
https://mdwwg.com.auALSO SEE
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/water/water-for-the-environment/catchments/murray-and-lower-darling/private-wetland-watering.
- Living Murray – Chowilla floodplain icon site
https://www.mdba.gov.au/basin/landscapes/internationally-and-nationally-recognised-sites/chowilla-floodplain-icon-site
- Barmah-Millewa
https://www.mdba.gov.au/water-use/water-environment/progress-and-outcomes-improving-system/barmah-millewa-forest-report-card
- Gunbower, Victoria
https://www.mdba.gov.au/water-use/water-environment/progress-and-outcomes-improving-system/gunbower-forest-report-card-2022
- NSW’s Great Cumbung
https://minister.dcceew.gov.au/wilson/media-releases/joint-media-release-new-15-million-commitment-accelerate-first-nations-restoration-and-protection-nsws-great-cumbungALSO SEE
https://www.natureaustralia.org.au/newsroom/great-cumbung-new-ownership/
- Wirra-lo Wetlands and Floodplains, Victoria
https://emrprojects.wordpress.com/2026/10/02/restoration-of-wirra-lo-conservation-reserve-victoria/ALSO SEE
https://www.aabr.org.au/portfolio-items/protecting-and-restoring-wirra-lo-wetlands/
