A regional council is trying to encourage residents not to build houses, shacks or shanties too close to frequently-flooding river edges.

The Mid Murray Council is reportedly struggling to police the thousands of dwellings in varying states of legitimacy along the South Australian banks of the Murray River.

Safety is often eschewed for riverside views along the mighty Murray, but the effect of floodwaters leave a much stronger impression.

A single employee has been tasked with the insurmountable duty of ensuring landholders on a 220-kilometre stretch of the river are not putting up illegal structures.

There are currently over 100 cases of unlawful development already underway at the Mid Murray Council, but it seems shacks are popping up faster than they can be litigiously torn down.

The Mid Murray Council is charged with the oversight of more than 3,000 huts, hovels, humpies and homes along the stretch of the river from Cadell to Mannum, east of Adelaide.

Regulatory services manager Rocky Warren says it is an almost impossible situation, “because council's resources are so stretched, being a small rural council they just can't afford to be employing more staff to try and police these provisions.”

“We rely mainly and wholly on the complaints received from neighbours who are getting frustrated and annoyed with illegal development occurring and knowing it shouldn't occur, because we just don't have those facilities or the resources to make sure everyone complies.”

The Conservation Council of South Australia has concerns with any development, authorised or not, in the fragile and vital ecosystem.

“Our population is increasing, legal developments along the riverbanks are increasing and if illegal developments along the riverbanks are increasing as well, there's more sources of pollution,” said CEO Tim Kelly.

“If we have more nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, entering the river system that can lead to things like algal bloom. There's also pathogens to be concerned about.”

Mr Warren says the Mid Murray Council would live to appease all concerned groups; landholders, conservationists and developers.

“Council again has sought assistance from the minister and from the Government to provide us with some funding to assist us in engaging or employing extra staff, but at this stage that request has been refused,” he said.

“We really hope we can highlight the problems we do have along the River Murray and engage the residents and landowners and say, ‘Please please, let's start to think about the condition and the safety of the River Murray and look after this pristine ecosystem we've got within South Australia’.”