A bum-breathing turtle that helped bring down a controversial Queensland dam project is now bringing farmers and conservationists together.

In 2009, the then federal environment minister Peter Garrett ruled against the construction of the Traveston Crossing Dam in the state's south-east, as it posed a threat to a number of endangered species including the Mary River Turtle, Lungfish and the Mary River Cod.

Five years on, the Tiaro Landcare group is studying the endangered turtle in a bid to give local landholders a better understanding of the health of the river.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 9 minutes 25 seconds 9 m Rural Reporter: Bum-breathing turtles reveal their secrets Download 4.3 MB

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Researcher Marilyn Connell said the turtles were only found in the Mary River, and have no known relatives in the reptile world.

"Tiaro Landcare feel that the river is the lifeblood of our country and unless we've got a healthy river the rest of the country really is affected," she said.

"We felt that the Mary River Turtle could be a flagship for the Mary River and for a good health river.

"If we've got a healthy population of that species, hopefully the the rest of the river will be in reasonable condition that will be suitable for irrigation, town water, stock and domestic water supply which it's used for."

Volunteers Saranne Judas and Sydney Collett help researcher Marilyn Connell approach a turtle net in the Mary River. More than 35 volunteers have helped count, tag and release turtles during the project. ( ABC Rural: Kallee Buchanan )

The turtle was discovered in 1990, and a new genus was created to classify the unique species.

A cloacal ventilator, it breathes oxygen through its anus.

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Ms Connell started the trapping program in April last year, but a second program in July had to be put on hold when one of her turtle cameras photographed a crocodile lurking well outside its normal northern range.

In addition to looking at turtles, the program is giving landholders a clearer idea of what makes its home in the river that is critical to agriculture.

"A number of landholders help us, volunteers come and help us, do the trapping because then they learn about the turtle and they get to know what's in the river as well at their place," she said.

The banks of the Mary River are all privately owned, which means Ms Connell must have the cooperation of landholders to do her work.

The data she collects will be used to help inform them about the health of the river, which is a critical water source for horticulture, graziers, dairy farmers and canegrowers.

Saranne Judas, Sydney Collett and Marilyn Connell walk the boat 'Turtle 'Tubby up parts of the Mary River where the water level is too low. There are five nets in this section of the Mary. ( ABC Rural: Kallee Buchanan )

The team also monitors nesting and eggs, and landholders carry out fox and dog baiting programs to prevent predation.

"Some people are really supportive and have changed they way the way they manage [their land]," she said.

"Keeping the cattle off the sandy bars when the turtles are nesting, revegetating, controlling some of the weeds.

"We've noticed a number of people as part of our project are just really showing some care for the river bank and others, they're interested, but not everybody does something."

The turtles are captured in nets in several parts of the river, and every morning Ms Connell and some volunteers venture out to tag them, take and skin sample and release them.

In the first year the program saw more than 35 people — including some of the farmers whose land takes in the banks of the river — join her in the venture.

Saranne Judas and Marilyn Connell empty a turtle net in the Mary River. The river is home to six species of the reptile, including the critically endangered White Throated Snapping turtle and the unique Mary River turtle. ( ABC Rural: Kallee Buchanan )

Saranne Judas from the Bundaberg Mary Regional Group said the project was an example of what a small community could do to protect its water resources.

"A very important part of the project is building awareness in the community and Tiaro Landcare and Marilyn [Connell] are excellent at doing that," she said.

Student Sydney Collett said her experience surveying turtles in the Mary River had inspired her to study the ecosystem further.

"Marilyn's been really great, she's allowed you to be really hands-on with all the turtles and she's just a wealth of knowledge both about turtles and plants, anything environmental," she said.

"I'm thinking about doing Masters on the Mary River, her work's got me into doing that.

"She's really convinced me that it's a great opportunity, especially with something so rare and so endangered."

Saranne Judas measures the tail of a Mary River turtle held by Marilyn Connell. The turtles are measured, weighed, tagged and a skin sample is taken to examine their genetics. ( ABC Rural: Kallee Buchanan )

Ms Connell said he hoped the work would also help educate non-landholders and other river users about how to care for the resource.

"Yesterday we picked up bait bags, plastic bait bags, that had just been dropped where they were fishing," she said.

"They're not a riparian landholder, they're probably not necessarily interested in land care, but they have an effect on the river and of course out to the reef as well."