Ryans Lagoon is a nationally listed wetland complex on the Murray River floodplain downstream of Lake Hume in North East Victoria. Decades of river regulation and floodplain modification have substantially reduced hydrological connectivity, with inundation now largely restricted to sustained flows exceeding 24,000 ML/day or major flood events. Under current operational constraints, these conditions occur infrequently, limiting the ecological and cultural functions historically supported by regular flooding. To restore wetland function, North East Catchment Management Authority and Water Technology assessed a range of infrastructure options, including a regulator and supply channel, reinstatement of historic flow paths, and diesel, solar and electric pumping systems. Hydraulic modelling and feasibility assessments identified pumping from Ryans Floodway as the most practical mechanism for restoring a more natural inundation regime under contemporary river operations.
Environmental water was delivered to the site in spring 2024 and 2025 using temporary diesel pumping. While variable river levels and conveyance losses limited the extent of inundation, watering successfully reintroduced water to the wetland system and generated positive ecological responses. Monitoring recorded increased abundance in wetland vegetation, elevated frog activity including the threatened Sloane's Froglet, and increased waterbird use, demonstrating the rapid reactivation of floodplain wetland processes following inundation.
Restoration is being delivered through a partnership with Duduroa Dhargal Aboriginal Corporation, integrating ecological outcomes with culturally-led stewardship. The project demonstrates how engineered environmental water delivery can restore ecological function, support Traditional Owner aspirations, and improve wetland resilience where natural hydrological connectivity can no longer be achieved.