The River Murray Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC) in conjunction with Department for Environment and Water (DEW) and Natural Resources South Australian Murray Darling Basin (SAMDB) have undertaken the Aboriginal Waterways Assessment (AWA) in late 2015-2016. The outcomes of the AWA have assisted to determine which floodplains and waterway systems need urgent attention according to the Traditional Owners Aboriginal Cultural values and the overall health of the Murray River and the waterways that run off from the River.
The First Peoples NRM Working Group (FP NRM WG) met at one of their bi-monthly meetings to discuss which sites where of cultural significance to assess using the AWA. 6 sites overall from within the Riverland where chosen for assessing using the AWA.
From the AWA that was undertaken, the main concern for First Peoples of the River Murray Mallee was Putjeda Creek, which is of Cultural Significance to First Peoples because it was the original site of Gerard Mission, when the Mission originally moved from Swan Reach to Riverland in 1945.
DEWNR’s Major Projects have begun works at Putjeda creek, beginning with a topography of the creek to determine where dredging is to take place, DEWare also constructing a culvert in Putjeda creek to maintain regular flows and to restore the health back to this degraded section of the creek. The overall health of Putjeda Creek only read at 19% and the Traditional Cultural use and value was scored at 100%.