A dairy and avocado farmer at Barham, NSW, says erosion is significantly affecting his property, which adjoins the Murray River.
Phil O'Neill says he'll have to move another one of his irrigation pumps back from the river, after the bank was undercut by high flows.
It's the second pump to be affected by erosion, with the first actually falling into the river.
"We pulled the first one forward and relocated it," Mr O'Neill said.
"We have a pump now that is being undermined continually, so I guess there is no alternative but to move it.
"It's ridiculous what is happening."
RELATED READING:
He estimated the 12-inch pump would have been installed in the early 1950's.
Water advocate and Speak Up deputy chair Lloyd Polkinghorne said there had significant erosion in the area, in recent weeks.
"This river survived 100 years of regulation," Mr Polkinghorne said.
"Now, it's that badly compromised in a 10-day period we lost 500 millimetres in a notch in the bank," Mr Polkinghorne said.
There had been a "massive geographical shift" in water used, under the Murray-Darling Basin plan.
"Water is getting used further down the system and there is also a massive change in how the water is being delivered."
"The flow that has done the damage is only 55 per cent of our historical capacity and that was for 10 days."
Water released from the Hume Dam had not reached Barham-Koondrook.
"Most of the water we have just had is from the rain, below the storages, in the catchments and on top of normal releases," he said.
"The river has dipped a bit and I waiting for the water they have released to come through.
"The risk now is what happens with a full river, full catchments and a wet outlook."
Water passing through the area now was comparable to what was being pushed down the river during the height of summer.
Mr O'Neill said erosion had recently become worse.
"The river bank is always changing, there is no doubt about that, but we seem to be getting a lot more trees and stuff falling in," he said.
"Its probably the last 10 years I have noticed it, and more particularly the last two or three."
Mr O'Neill suggested running a full river, during droughts, was making bank erosion worse.
"All the soil, when you are in a drought, is as dry as a chip.
"Normally when the river runs high it is in winter or spring when we have had rain, so there is moisture consolidating the bank
"Once it cuts through the hardened top layer, the soil just gets eaten away."
The problems come as federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley has announced $3 million feasibility study into ways to take pressure off the Barmah Choke.
Ms Ley said the study was in direct response to the very real community concern about environmental riverbank degradation through the Tocumwal, Barmah and Edward Chokes.
Want to read more stories like this?
Sign up below to receive our e-newsletter delivered fresh to your email in-box twice a week.