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Cotter Avenue
Cotter River, Stromlo ACT

The Cotter River at Cotter Avenue is shallow, playful and readily accessible from the well appointed, streamside picnic facilities. The best spot to get into the water is at the little weir. You can fly over the concrete crest on an inflatable, but still stand up out of the current before taking off and when touching down on the other side. The weir is located next to the basketball court.

Swimming at Cotter Avenue

Above: The shallow concrete weir behind the basketball court at Cotter Avenue (Order this image)

If you want a slightly quieter dip, especially if the weir is overrun with kids, you can wade about twenty metres upstream. Here you will find a balancing stone wall that runs across an anabranch of the river on the opposite side.

The water backs up behind the wall to provide more tranquil water, but it's still quite shallow.

At both locations the visibility in the water is very good, with the clear water coming straight out of Cotter Dam, one of Canberra's urban water supply storages. Apart from these two spots, anywhere you can access the water along this stretch is amenable for getting your feet wet.

Swimming at Cotter Avenue

Above: The shallow pool behind the balancing stone wall at Cotter Avenue (Order this image)

The lawns here are extensive with plenty of shade overhead from well established trees. Combine that with the barbecues, picnic tables and a new playground, and those coming to have a look at the dam wall, and you can imagine that this place gets pretty busy on hot weekends.

Keep one of my nearby backup swims in mind if you can't get a parking space here. There is also a spill over car park on the other side of Cotter Road / Paddys River Road.

Other Information Before You Go:

Location: Cotter Avenue, off Paddys River Road, Paddys River, ACT, 24 km (approx. 25 min. drive) west of Canberra Central.
Latitude:-35.323770 Longitude:148.940972
Getting there: From parliament house, head west along Adelaide Avenue / Cotter Road / Paddys River Road. Cotter Avenue is on the right hand side immediately after crossing the Cotter River. The weir is beside the basketball court.
Facilities: Car park, toilets, electric barbecues, picnic tables, playground, basketball court, lawn areas, walking trails, lookout.

There are no bins provided so take your rubbish home with you.
Entrance fee: None
Water temperature: Mild
Water clarity: Clear
Under foot: Rock, gravel, concrete
Maximum water depth: Less than 1 metre
Suggested minimum swimming proficiency required: Beginners (under supervision, during low flow conditions)
Prohibitions including whether you can bring your dog: No dogs, no collecting firewood, no camping, no taking of native plants or animals.
Sun shade: Shade available in and out of the water
Opening times: Always open
Wheelchair access: Wheelchair accessible paths and toilet, but access to the water is difficult along most of the river
Managing authority: ACT Government
Nearby attractions: Cotter Campground and Cotter Bend, which are both a few hundred metres downstream by road.

Before you head out, make sure to read the swimming safety information and check with the managing authority for any current change of conditions. The managing authority provides general advice on site about swimming in the ACT's rivers that there are strong currents, shallow water, submerged objects, deep water, slippery and uneven ground, steep banks and snakes. The managing authority also advises that mobile phone reception is not reliable throughout this area, so do not depend on your phone for safety or directions.

Water quality in the Canberra area can sometimes be unsuitable for swimming, however due to this site's location below a major urban water storage with forested areas upstream, water quality here is generally very good. As a result, water quality at this site is not specifically monitored for swimmers by the ACT Government.

Locality Map:

The marker indicates the approximate location of the little weir at Cotter Avenue. If the map is not zoomed in locally, as can sometimes occur when loading, simply click or tap on "View Larger Map" below.
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