Irrigation Allocations - July 2009
On this page
Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW)
G-MW made the first allocation announcement for the 2009/10 season on 1 July. The season opened with a 0% allocation for high-reliability water shares on all northern systems. Allocations remained at 0% after the second announcement on 15 July.
| 31 July 2009 | Change Since 1 July 2009 | |
|---|---|---|
| Goulburn | 0% | 0% |
| Murray | 0% | 0% |
| Broken | 0% | 0% |
| Campaspe | 0% | 0% |
| Loddon | 0% | 0% |
| Bullarook | 0% | 0% |
Despite close to average rainfall, inflows to storages were well below average in July due to dry catchments.
The Minister for Water has temporarily qualified rights to water in the Murray, Goulburn, Broken, Campaspe, Loddon and Bullarook systems this season to make sufficient water available for essential urban and farming needs.
Normal allocation rules will resume on the Goulburn and Murray systems when allocations reach 10%. The qualification on the Broken, Loddon, Bullarook, and Campaspe systems will remain in place until a 50% allocation is reached.
The latest outlook for the 2009/10 season was released by G-MW on 15 July. The outlooks are based on observed inflows in seasons following dry autumn inflows. This approach provides an adjustment for reduced runoff caused by dry catchments.
Murray System
| Inflow Conditions |
15 Aug 2009 | 15 Oct 2009 | 15 Dec 2009 | 15 Feb 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wet | 23% | 95% | 100% | 100% |
| Average |
0% | 36% | 61% | 75% |
| Dry |
0% | 8% | 18% | 23% |
Goulburn System (Allocations include pumping from Waranga Basin)
| Inflow Conditions |
15 Aug 2009 |
15 Oct 2009 | 15 Dec 2009 | 15 Feb 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wet |
27% | 77% | 100% | 100% |
| Average | 1% | 43% | 64% | 71% |
| Dry |
0% | 10% | 18% | 23% |
Broken System
| Inflow Conditions |
15 Aug 2009 | 15 Oct 2009 |
15 Dec 2009 | 15 Feb 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wet |
10% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Average |
0% | 30% | 56% | 60% |
| Dry |
0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Campaspe
| Inflow Conditions |
15 Aug 2009 | 15 Oct 2009 |
15 Dec 2009 | 15 Feb 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wet |
0% | 90% | 100% | 100% |
| Average |
0% | 0% | 4% | 5% |
| Dry |
0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
G-MW will make the next allocation announcement on 3 August 2009.
Coliban Water
Coliban Water will announce the opening allocation on the Coliban Rural System on 15 September. It will also announce the availability of recycled water supplies in the Coliban Rural System on this date.
The Minister for Water has qualified rights to water in the Coliban Rural System to allow Coliban Water to provide emergency water supplies to eligible customers if there is not enough water for an allocation.
Wimmera Mallee Domestic and Stock Supply System
Towns and farms in supply systems 1, 2 and 5 are receiving full supply from the pipeline.
Trunk installation in supply systems 3 and 4 (Birchip and Wycheproof lines) is now complete between Taylors Lake and Lubeck. In supply system 4 (SS4) all towns on the trunk main are connected and 60% of the distribution lines in SS4 are complete, with the installation of service connections on these lines well underway. In supply system 3, 95% of customers are connected. Last year’s winter channel run supplied towns and some large supply-by-agreement customers adjacent to the major channels (including Charlton feedlot, QAF Meats) in this area. Other needs are being met by carting. These stages are due to be commissioned in late September 2009.
Over 200 kilometres (of 850 km) of pipeline have been installed in supply system 6 to date and the construction of the Brimpaen storage is well advanced. GWMWater is carting domestic water to farms with dams that have emptied or become unusable due to poor water quality.
The remaining pipelining of the Wimmera-Mallee system is estimated for completion by the end of 2009.
Irrigation allocations are at zero per cent.
Southern Rural Water
Macalister Irrigation District (MID)
At the end of July, Lake Glenmaggie, the principal source of water for the MID, was at 34.8% of capacity.
At the opening of the 2009/10 season on July 1, SRW announced a 30% allocation for high reliability shares in the MID. SRW increased the allocation to 35% on 14 July, and to 40% on 28 July.
Latrobe System
At the end of July, storage levels in Blue Rock Lake were at 71% of capacity.
The irrigation share of Blue Rock was 429 ML. SRW licence holders downstream on the Latrobe and Tanjil Rivers can pump up to their licence volume, but this is subject to the availability of unregulated river flows (which normally contribute approximately 70% of entitlements).
Werribee Basin
SRW’s share of the Werribee storages was at 5.9% of capacity at the end of July.
The 2009/10 irrigation season opened on 1 July with an allocation of 2% for high reliability shares for the Werribee and Bacchus Marsh irrigation districts. This allocation has been guaranteed until 30 November only. Irrigators in the Werribee area continued to rely on the recycling scheme as their principal water source while the river flows are very low. The recycling scheme is providing about 65 ML/day, and approximately 95% of Werribee growers are participating.
The Western Irrigation Contingency Plan for the 2009/10 season is currently in preparation.
Maribyrnong Basin
The storage volume in Rosslynne Reservoir remained very low, at 3.7% of capacity at the end of July.
With inflows well below average, SRW diverters have another season commencing with a zero per cent allocation.