The Yarra River
The Yarra River has played an important role in the way Melbourne has developed and grown. Here are some key facts about Melbourne's famous Yarra River.
- Is the Yarra River healthy?
- Is the Yarra River safe for swimming?
- What are we doing to improve the Yarra?
Quick facts
Length: 242 km
Source: About 40 km east of Warburton on the flanks of Mt Baw Baw
Mouth: Port Phillip Bay at Newport
Name: Yarra Yarra means 'ever flowing' in the Wurundjeri language
Colour: Brown in the lower reaches because of suspended silt carried downstream
Catchment: Covers about 4000 square kilometres, includes 24 tributaries and is home to about two million people
Industries: The catchment supports agriculture, forestry, recreation and tourism
Green spaces: Floodplain provides 25 km of parkland from Wonga Park to Kew.
Find out more about the Yarra River in your neighbourhood with our interactive search facility.
Is the Yarra River healthy?
In general, the condition of the Yarra River is excellent in the upper sections, where it flows through forested, mountainous areas that have been reserved for water supply purposes for more than 100 years. But rivers and creeks downstream are in poorer condition as a result of erosion, stormwater and other pollution, weeds and changes to land use and river flows.
Most land in the middle and lower sections was cleared for agriculture and urban and industrial development, resulting in the erosion of clay soils and giving the river its distinct, muddy colour.
As with many rivers flowing through major cities, the Yarra River has been historically degraded by polluted discharges from industrial premises (such as tanneries, abattoirs and breweries etc) unsewered areas, sewage treatment plants, sewer overflows, landfills and urban stormwater.
Over the past 20 years, however, there has been a general improvement in the river's water quality resulting from the increased sewering of catchments and the diversion of industrial discharges into the sewerage system.
In recent years, loss of habitat has been slowed through revegetation, erosion control and removal of barriers to fish migration. This has helped some animals, such as platypus, which have been found again in areas where they had disappeared.
More information:
- History of the Yarra River
- River Health – Yarra Waterways
- Video series - Health of the Yarra
- Know your river – Healthy Waterways website
Is the Yarra safe for swimming?
Melbourne Water and EPA Victoria advises the community not to undertake recreational activities within five days of heavy rain as there may be increased pollution due to stormwater run-off.
Water quality at most sites in rural and outer urban areas has generally met or been close to environmental standards for all forms of recreation, including swimming and boating, except sometimes after rain.
At most sites in inner urban areas, E.coli (a bacteria found in the digestive tract of warm-blooded animals which is used as an indicator of recent faecal contamination) levels have met the standard for water sports such as boating, canoeing and kayaking (except following heavy rain), but not for swimming.
Health authorities, such as the Department of Health, recommend that people should avoid ingesting untreated water from creeks, rivers or the bay at all times.
Parks Victoria does not allow swimming in the Yarra River downstream of Dights Falls due to the danger posed by boats.
The following graphs illustrate the improvement in E. coli levels of the Yarra River over the past 30 years.
Annual geometric means of E.Coli counts (per 100 mL) at Chandler Highway
Annual geometric means of E.Coli counts (per 100 mL) at Princes Bridge
What are we doing to improve the Yarra?
Historically most of Melbourne Water's efforts focused on flood management and engineering works to maintain the stability of river bed and banks. Today we manage rivers and creeks like the Yarra to protect their environmental, social and economic values. Most of our work goes into revegetation and reviving habitat.
In January 2010 we announced a $2 million rejuvenation project for the Yarra River. The three-year project will improve river water quality and habitat for wildlife.
More information: