A dedicated bin may be on way of helping stop leaf litter going down the gutters and into the lakes increasing the likelihood of blue-green algae.

The groups say the $76 million announced by the federal government on Thursday came as no surprise as it was money sidelined for at least four years as part of the Murray-Darling Basin management plan.

The ACT Government also announced on Thursday a further $8.5 million to fund water projects

ACT Liberal Senator Zed Seselja , a former ACT opposition leader, said there seemed to be a "strange reluctance" from the ACT Government to introduce green bins, when small councils in other jurisdictions seemed to manage it.

The federal money will fund 25 projects such as wetlands, ponds, "swales" that contain vegetation to treat stormwater before it enters a pond and "rain gardens" through which urban run-off can be filtered before entering waterways and lakes.

The projects are designed to reduce solids, nitrogen and phosphorus going into the water systems.

Among the $27 million sidelined for the Tuggeranong catchment are a rain garden and pond to be built next to St Anthony's School near Athllon Drive in Wanniassa, two rain gardens in the Fadden Pines Reserve and a pond next to the Kambah East District Playing Fields. A wetland and swale were also proposed for Isabella Pond at Monash.

Further research has also been funded for Jerrabomberra Creek and Lake Tuggeranong, including the value of using "bubblers" in the lake, basically jets to keep the water circulating.

The $16.3 million for the Yarralumla Creek catchment includes a pond on Athllon Drive opposite Marist College in Mawson.

A rain garden and new boardwalk will be built on the site for the Woden Flood Memorial in Curtin. A pond is also proposed at the Mawson playing fields.

Two wetlands will be established, between Dixon Drive and Cotter Road, in Holder at a cost of $9.6 million to help the Lower Molonglo catchment.

A wetland and rain gardens have been sidelined for Queanbeyan to help the Upper Molonglo catchment.

Projects worth $6.5 million have been set aside for the West Belconnen catchment and comprise wetlands in Croke Place, McKellar and in open space between St Francis Xavier College and Krefft Street.

Six priority projects have been chosen for the Fyshwick catchment, including four wetlands at a cost of $15.9 million.

Tuggeranong Lake (and Catchment) Carers convenor Glenys Patulny said she hoped it was just the beginning of a concerted effort to improve the lake.

"It won't solve all the problems but hopefully it will start to make an improvement in the lake," she said.

Mrs Patulny said the blue-green algae that plagued the lake in summer was partly due to the leaf litter and other rubbish that went into it and the lake's shallow nature, which meant the water warmed up quickly.

She was in favour of large-scale dredging to deepen the lake and practical solutions such as a green garden waste bin for households to reduce vegetation being swept into gutters.

The Tuggeranong Community Council had also invited water experts from the ACT Government to explain the projects at its next meeting on June 7.

Lake Burley Griffin Guardians convenor Juliet Ramsay welcomed the projects.

"We think it's great. To clean up Lake Burley Griffin is important," she said. "And people have to be educated about how to keep it clean."

Mrs Ramsay was also in favour of a green waste bin being introduced.

"It's something a lot of councils have initiated and the ACT Government should do the same," she said.

Damon Cusack, the water watch coordinator for the Ginninderra Catchment Group, said it had to examine the projects more closely. Outside the current funding, "there's no doubt the Ginninderra Catchment Group would be in favour of another bin for green waste", he said.

Senator Seselja said the funding of the projects had been a two-phase initiative, with research into what would work best, followed by the allocation of money. He said this had been the best way to ensure the money was spent wisely and effectively.