A four-kilometre reach upstream of Point Hut Crossing near Tharwa is the most degraded stretch of the Murrumbidgee in the ACT. Sediment build-up and historic clearing have reduced the river’s ecological function and created barriers to the movement of native species, particularly Murray cod. One way to help is to build in-stream structures that scour out deeper pools and add complexity to the river channel, creating the shelter and refuge Murray cod need as they move between key habitat sites. An options assessment is identifying the best interventions, likely to include structures that narrow the channel in places to scour the deeper pools this reach currently lacks. Additional habitat such as rootballs, snags and cod boxes may also be installed.
