The Murrumbidgee Catchment has one of the most diverse climates in NSW, ranging from the alpine areas of Kosciusko National Park and the Monaro plains, through to the rich grazing and grain belts of the South West Slopes and Plains and the shrublands and grasslands of the semi-arid western Riverina.
Covering an area of 84 000 square kilometres, the Murrumbidgee Catchment is home to more 1/2 million people. Australia's capital, Canberra with 314 000 people and NSWs' largest inland city, Wagga Wagga with 57 000 people, are both situated within the catchment.
Other major urban centres in the catchment include Balranald, Coleambally, Cooma, Cootamundra, Griffith, Gundagai, Hay, Henty, Junee, Leeton, Narrandera, Queanbeyan, Yass and Tumut.
Situated in the lower-Murrumbidgee Catchment are the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and the Coleambally Irrigation Area. More than 10 000 kilometres of irrigation channels supplied by Burrinjuck Dam near Yass and Blowering Dam near Tumut provide these irrigation areas with our most valuable resource, water.
The irrigation industry provides 25 per cent of NSW fruit and vegetable production, 42 per cent of the States grapes and half of Australia's rice production.
Other major industries in the catchment include dryland agriculture, including beef production, intensive poultry production, sheep and wool, cropping and softwood plantations. Agricultural production is worth in excess of $1.9 billion annually.
The Murrumbidgee catchment is home to sites of international ecological significance including the Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps and the Lowbidgee Wetlands.
Approximately 15 per cent of the catchment is managed publicly including National Parks, State Forests and Crown Lands.
