Learn about catchments in NSW
The department manages groundwater and surface water resources in various basins and catchments throughout the state.
Barwon-Darling
The Barwon-Darling is an unregulated river system which stretches from the Queensland border to the Darling River.
![Old bridge over Barwon River in Brewarrina NSW - Image credit: Quentin Jones](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0004/572116/Old-bridge-over-Barwon-River-Brewarrina-NSW-Quentin-Jones-DPE-367x220px.jpg)
Bega
The Bega catchment lies on the NSW far south coast.
![Bega River with trees and green area by the riverside - Image credit: Jaime Plaza Van Roon](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0010/572527/Bega-River-Jaime-Plaza-Van-Roon-367x220.jpg)
Bellinger
The Bellinger catchment is on the mid-north coast, and is renowned for its natural beauty.
![A boat on Bellinger River in Bellingen NSW - Image credit Jaime Plaza Van Roon](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0003/572106/A-boat-on-Bellinger-River-Bellingen-NSW-Jaime-Plaza-Van-Roon-367x220.jpg)
Benanee
The Benanee catchment borders the Murray and Murrumbidgee river basins.
![Lake Benanee with tree skeletons on the lake edge, NSW.](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0003/573402/benanee-lake-367-x-220.jpg)
Border Rivers
The Border Rivers catchment lies along the boundary of NSW and Queensland, and contains the Dumaresq, Severn and Macintyre rivers.
![Severn River: Image credit -Tanya Weir](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0018/572112/Severn-River-Tanya-Weir-367x220.jpg)
Brunswick
The Brunswick catchment is made up of a series of small coastal catchments and contains significant wetland areas.
![Aerial view of people fishing near the mouth of the Brunswick River](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0005/570776/water-register-fishing-brunswick-river-367x220.jpg)
Castlereagh
The Castlereagh is an unregulated river catchment in central-western NSW.
![A sandy bank of the Castlereagh River, Gilgandra. Image credit: Quentin Jones](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0005/572612/Castlereagh-River-Gilgandra-Quentin-Jones-367x220.jpg)
Clarence
The Clarence catchment is situated around the city of Grafton on the far north NSW coast.
![Grafton Bridge over Clarence River - Image credit: Don Fuchs](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0016/572110/Grafton-Bridge-over-ClarenceRiver-Don-Fuchs-367x220.jpg)
Clyde
The Clyde catchment is on the NSW south coast, between the Moruya and Shoalhaven catchments.
![Bridge over the Clyde River on Princes Highway - Image credit: Jaime Plaza Van Roon](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0004/572107/Bridge-over-the-Clyde-River-on-Princes-Highway-367x220.jpg)
Condamine-Culgoa
The Condamine-Culgoa catchment is on the NSW-Queensland border.
![Culgoa River - Image credit: Melissa Hams](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0006/572109/Culgoa-River-Melissa-Hams-367x220.jpg)
East Gippsland
The East Gippsland catchment is largely within north-east Victoria, with a small proportion on the NSW far south coast.
![A sandy bank of the Castlereagh River, Gilgandra. Image credit: Quentin Jones](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0005/572612/Castlereagh-River-Gilgandra-Quentin-Jones-367x220.jpg)
Georges River
The Georges River catchment contains most of Sydney and the Heathcote and Dharawal national parks.
![Burrawang Reach picnic area, Georges River National Park.](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0009/572544/georges-river-367-x-220.jpg)
Gwydir
The Gwydir catchment is in north-eastern NSW. It is surrounded by the Mastermans, Nandewar and Great Dividing ranges.
![Gingham Waterhole, Gwydir Wetlands, Northern NSW - Image credit: Sharon Bowen](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0011/572474/Gingham-Waterhole-Gwydir-Wetlands-Northern-NSW-Sharon-Bowen-367x220.jpg)
Hastings
The Hastings catchment is on the NSW mid-north coast between the Manning and Macleay catchments.
![Hastings River - Image credit: John Lugg](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0003/572475/Hastings-River-John-Lugg-367x220.jpg)
Hawkesbury-Nepean
The Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment is one of the largest coastal basins in NSW.
![Lake Burragorang Warragamba Catchment Nattai National Park- Image credit: John Spencer](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0017/572111/Lake-Burragorang-Warragamba-Catchment-Nattai-National-Park-John-Spencer-367x220.jpg)
Hunter
The Hunter catchment is on the NSW coast, north of Sydney. It contains the state’s second largest city, Newcastle.
![Cargo ship on Hunter River Newcastle - Image credit: Jaime Plaza Van Roon](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0005/572108/Cargo-ship-on-Hunter-River-Newcastle-Jaime-Plaza-Van-Roon-DPE-367x220.jpg)
Karuah
Karuah is an unregulated coastal river catchment directly north of the Hunter catchment.
![Shores of the Karuah River - Image credit: John Spence](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0019/572113/Shores-of-the-Karuah-John-Spencer-367x220.jpg)
Lachlan
The Lachlan is one of the largest catchments in NSW. It borders on the Murrumbidgee and Darling catchments.
![The Lachlan river in the central west of New South Wales.](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0009/572454/lachlan-river-367-x-220.jpg)
Lake George
Lake George is a small, internally draining catchment. The lake dries up during dry periods.
![Lake George in south-eastern New South Wales.](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0011/572456/lake-george-367-x-220.jpg)
Lower Darling
The Lower Darling catchment is the portion of the catchment below the Menindee Lakes.
![Lake Menindee with trees growing in the water and blue sky.](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0004/572458/lower-darling-menindee-lake-367-x-220.jpg)
Macquarie-Bogan
The Macquarie-Bogan is a large catchment with large changes in elevation from north to south.
![A view of the Bogan River at Nyngan in rural New South Wales.](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0007/572452/bogan-river-367-x-220.jpg)
Macquarie Tuggerah
The Macquarie Tuggerah is a small catchment on the NSW Central Coast.
![The Entrance bridge over Tuggerah Lake, The Entrance, NSW - Image credit: Don Fuchs](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0006/572613/Entrance-bridge-over-Tuggerah-Lake-Don-Fuchs-367x220.jpg)
Manning
The Manning is a highly fertile catchment on the NSW mid-north coast.
![Manning River, Cundletown.](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0010/572545/manning-river-367-x-220.jpg)
Mooni
The Mooni catchment lies predominantly in Queensland, with a small portion in NSW.
![Flood waters flow down the Mooni River.](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0008/572462/mooni-river-367-x-220.jpg)
Moruya
The Moruya catchment lies on the NSW south coast.
![Deua River campground, Deua National Park.](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0008/572543/deua-river-367-x-220.jpg)
Murray Riverina
The Murray Riverina is the regulated portion of the Murray River in NSW.
![Wetlands Sunset, Mid Murray River - Image credit: John Spencer](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0009/572481/Wetlands-Sunset-Riverina-John-Spencer-367x220.jpg)
Murrumbidgee
The Murrumbidgee is a large catchment in southern NSW.
![Birds take flight over Tuckerbil Swamp, Murrumbidgee Valley - Image credit: James Maguire](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0010/572473/Birds-take-flight-Murrumbidgee-Valley-James-Maguire-367x220.jpg)
Namoi
The Namoi lies in north-western NSW, and includes the urban centre of Tamworth.
![Namoi River. Gunnedah, NSW - Image credit: Neil Fenelon](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0010/572491/Namoi-River-Gunnedah-NSW-Image-credit-Neil-Fenelon-367x220.jpg)
North-western NSW
The Barwon-Darling is an unregulated river system which stretches from the Queensland border to the Darling River.
![Bulloo River.](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0008/573398/bulloo-river-north-west-367-x-220.jpg)
Paroo
The Paroo catchment has minimal water extraction, and is an important area for water birds.
![Paroo River - Image credit: Joanne Ocock](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0007/572479/Paroo-River-Joanne-Ocock-367x220.jpg)
Richmond
The Richmond catchment extends from the NSW-Queensland border to the ocean at Ballina.
![Scenic country views of the Mann River near Cangai.](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0004/539257/richmond-wsp-367-x-220.jpg)
Shoalhaven
The Shoalhaven is a smaller catchment which transfers water to Sydney through the Shoalhaven Scheme.
![Aerial view of Shoalhaven hospital looking west with the sun setting over the Shoalhaven River](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0003/572646/Shoalhaven-River-DPE-Planning-367x220.jpg)
Snowy
The Snowy catchment is home to the Snowy Hydro-electric Scheme and the Snowy Mountains.
![Snowy River Reflection - Image credit: Vanessa Allen](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0011/572492/Snowy-River-Reflection-Image-credit-Vanessa-Allen-367x220.jpg)
Towamba
Towamba is a small catchment on the far south coast of NSW.
![Merimbula Lake, NSW.](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0004/556051/towamba-wsp-367-x-220.jpg)
Tuross
The Tuross is a smaller catchment on the NSW south coast.
![Aerial view of the Tuross River estuary - Image credit: DPE](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0007/572614/tuross-river-estuary-367x220-DPE.jpg)
Tweed
The Tweed catchment is on the far north NSW coast around the Tweed River.
![Tweed River with view onto Wollumbin National Park - Image credit: Don Fuchs](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0020/572114/Tweed-River-with-view-onto-Wollumbin-National-Park-and-Mount-Warning-Murwillumbah-Don-Fuchs-367x220.jpg)
Upper Murray
The Upper Murray catchment is a major contributor to water flows in the Murray River.
![Horses cross Swampy Plain River at Geehi Valley Kosciuzko - Image credit: Murray Vanderveer](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0008/572741/Geehi-Valley-Kosciuzko-Murray-Vanderveer-367x220.jpg)
Warrego
The Warrego is an important catchment for waterbirds in the Murray-Darling Basin.
![Warrego wetland walk - Image credit: Melissa Hams](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0003/572115/Warrego-wetland-walk-MelissaHams-367x220.jpg)
Wollongong
Wollongong is a narrow coastal catchment south of Sydney.
![Cabbage Tree Creek in Wollongong - Image credit: Georgia McKeon](https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0009/572742/Wollongong-catchment-Cabbage-tree-creek-367x220.jpg)