Macrophytes play a critical role in riverine ecosystems by improving water quality, stabilising substrates and providing essential habitat for aquatic fauna, including the threatened Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri). However, dams and other instream barriers fragment rivers, alter hydrological processes and disrupt the natural dispersal of aquatic plants, potentially limiting recovery following major disturbances. The mid Brisbane River is regulated by Wivenhoe Dam and has experienced multiple extreme floods, including major events in 2011 and 2022, providing an opportunity to examine how river regulation and repeated disturbance influence macrophyte recovery. Following the 2022 flood, monitoring revealed that upstream macrophyte populations recovered, while downstream macrophyte cover remained low despite available suitable habitat. A subsequent study indicated that reduced longitudinal connectivity likely had substantially limited downstream propagule supply, preventing natural recolonisation after disturbance. To overcome this limitation, restoration was initially attempted by transplanting a total of 360 m² of Vallisneria nana within exclosures. Although plants established successfully, vegetation rapidly declined following removal of exclosures, indicating that herbivory prevented the development of self-sustaining populations. This led to the implementation of a novel restoration approach that sought to overcome limited dispersal by supplementing the propagule supply downstream of the dam. We repeatedly released large quantities of vegetative propagules of two native species, while wooden stakes were installed to increase propagule retention and promote natural establishment. Together, these studies demonstrate that recovery of submerged macrophytes in regulated rivers is constrained not only by frequent disturbance, but also by disrupted dispersal, resulting in prolonged recovery times. By supplementing the propagule supply downstream of the dam, this restoration approach may provide a scalable pathway for rebuilding macrophyte populations, restoring critical habitat for species such as the Australian lungfish and other fauna.