The Snowy River has been robbed of water for the past 20 years under a bizarre and failing agreement to restore the iconic waterway, environmental scientists say.

New research by the Australian National University says the country's first large-scale river restoration program is a sorry story of neglect, with the depleted waterway only receiving two thirds of the water it should have.

Scientists also failed to find any evidence that key environmental outcomes have been achieved.

The research has dismayed but not surprised members of the Snowy River Alliance who waged a passionate campaign in the 1990s to rescue the river after the Snowy hydro power and irrigation scheme cut natural flows by 98 per cent.

Read the full article at the Canberra Times website.