Queanbeyan River - Water Quality

Water Quality

Under the Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1909 New South Wales guaranteed the Australian Capital Territory access to resources including water by protecting and not polluting the waters of the Queanbeyan River.

The condition of the river as a native habitat below Googong Dam has been seen as unhealthy in recent years by the council, with the river being overrun with carp and reeds. The council has put in place a resource development scheme to clean out the river, including a 'catch a carp' competition where the winners won $500 or fishing gear.

European carp have not penetrated the river above Googong Dam, providing an excellent trout and native fish catchery in both the dam and the river upstream. Carp are present the entire length of the river, but in small quantities. Since construction of Googong Dam in 1979, the endangered Macquarie perch has been very occasionally reported in the reservoir, and rarely beyond the first waterfall upstream of Googong Dam, despite the introduction of 57 Macquarie perch in the 1980s.