THE Tuross estuary is dying a slow death and can only be saved by the ongoing dredging of a proper navigation channel or construction of a rock breakwall, according to the Tuross Head community.

Oyster growers, tourism business operators, anglers and other Tuross Head community members have joined forces to lobby all levels of government to keep the mouth of the estuary open.

Eurobodalla Shire Council, however, says proper dredging to create a permanent navigation channel at the entrance of the estuary would cost $1.5 million and a once-off dredge would only be a temporary solution.

Quality assurance officer for the estuary's oyster industry Greg Woodford said the estuary closed again late last month after heavy seas pushed sand over the entrance.

The last dredging undertaken by the council in June was not enough to open the entrance properly with only a 100 millimetre tidal difference in recent months, not enough to sustain the oyster industry or nourish the mangroves and seagrasses, he said.

"The mangroves are dying," Mr Woodford said.

"It's going to turn into an environmental disaster as well as ruining a $2.5 million oyster industry because the oysters could be lost with one big flow of fresh water if we get 100 millimetres of rain at once."

There are also questions about how much water was being pumped out of the Tuross River with community members noticing four pumps extracting water at the Comerang Bridge.

Among those who would like answers is Tuross Country Club fishing club president Fred Vezis, who will also be appointed to the Tuross/Coila Lakes Estuary Advisory Committee next year.

Mr Vezis said any dredging from a barge would be, at best, a stop-gap measure and a more permanent solution was needed.

"The break wall is a more permanent solution that will require less maintenance activity and should allow enough of a flow to make a viable oyster industry," Mr Vezis said.

The council opened a channel back in June when the high waters were in danger of flooding nearby homes and businesses and has since had more meetings with the Tuross group lobbying for action.

On October 10, the council agreed to seek funding from the State and Federal Governments to implement a dredging program for the Tuross estuary navigational channel.

A council spokeswoman said council had been working with the Tuross/Coila Lakes Estuary Advisory Committee on this issue for many years, and more recently with the Tuross Business Owners Association.

Council commissioned a Review of Environmental Factors in 2002 to identify exactly what needs to be done to keep the navigational channel open. The estimated cost to completely dredge the whole river mouth was around $1.5 million, a cost that she said was way beyond council's means.

Council acknowledges that more regular tidal flows within the lake would definitely have direct benefits for the continued operation of the oyster lease areas, but they recognise that a once-only dredging operation could be short-lived depending on ocean activity and river flows, she said.

The Department of Natural Resources had expressed concern that a once-only dredge would not be a sustainable use of resources and council believes this is why their previous attempts to gain funding have failed, she said.

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