Environmental Monitoring

Our waterways are an important part of the Murray-Darling basin, which is responsible for draining one-seventh of the Australian land mass. 

The Tumut River originates in the Snowy Mountains and is joined by twelve tributaries before it meets the Murrumbidgee catchment near Gundagai.

The Tumut River is impounded by six dams: Happy Jacks Dam, Tumut Pond Dam, Tumut Two Dam, Talbingo Dam, Jounama Dam, and Blowering Dam. Although a relatively short river, the natural flow of the Tumut River is quite high as it drains the snowmelt and other runoff from a large section of the Snowy Mountains. The natural flow of the river is also amplified by water transferred from the Tooma River and Lake Eucumbene by the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

Burra Creek originates on the northern slopes of Ginendoe Hill (Great Dividing Range) and is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray-Darling basin. It is the main supplier of water for the town of Tumbarumba, and maintains continuous flow in parts of its stream bed all year round, provided normal rainfall has occurred.