The Monthly Water Report provides a statewide monthly summary of the status of water resources and water supplies. Each month's report is published online towards the end of the following month. It is based on data provided by Victoria's 19 urban and rural water corporations and rainfall data from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

Rainfall

Total rainfall for January was mainly average or below average across Victoria except for parts of north-east and north-central Victoria where it was above average. Isolated patches of below average rainfall were recorded in most regions around the state.

Streamflows

Streamflows have receded this month due to hot dry weather. Flows less than 10% of the long-term January average were recorded at 18 of the 28 representative stations, extending across three-quarters of the state. Of these, 11 gauges recorded no flows. The remaining 10 stations recorded flows between 10 and 79% of the long-term January average.

Storages

The total volume in the state’s major storages decreased by 2.6% to 23.5% of capacity.

Melbourne's storages are holding 36.1% of capacity which is 1.4% lower than at the end of December. The major regional water storages decreased by 2.7% to 21.8% of capacity at the end of January.

Restrictions on Urban Water Supplies

During January, Central Highlands Water reduced restrictions for Ballarat and district to Stage 3, and restrictions for Clunes to Stage 1.

North East Water removed restrictions for towns supplied by the Murray system including Wodonga, and restrictions were removed for Beechworth later in the month.

Goulburn Valley Water introduced Stage 1 restrictions for Longwood on 27 January.

At the end of January, 251 Victorian towns were on restrictions, which is significantly lower than the same time last year when 334 towns were on restrictions.

Irrigation Allocations

At the end of January, G-MW allocations for high-reliability water shares (HRWS) on the Murray and Goulburn systems were at 63% and 55% respectively. The allocation for Bullarook Creek was increased to 11% of HRWS. Allocations for all other northern systems remained at 0%.

G-MW’s outlook for the 2010/11 season will be released in mid-February.

The allocations for the Coliban Rural System and the Wimmera-Mallee irrigation supply system remain at 0%.

In southern Victoria, the seasonal allocation for the Werribee and Bacchus Marsh irrigation districts remained at 10% of HRWS.

At the end of the month, Lake Glenmaggie was at 58.2% of capacity and the Macalister Irrigation District allocation was increased to 100% of HRWS.

The irrigation share of Blue Rock was 1,431 ML at the end of January.

Restrictions on Unregulated Streams

At the end of January, diversions from a total of 161 unregulated streams and lakes across the state were subject to restrictions. This is similar to the same time last year when 169 streams were on restriction.

Seasonal Climate Outlook

The Bureau of Meteorology released its rainfall outlook for February to April on 19 January. The outlook reports a neutral chance overall for total rainfall across southeast Australia being wetter or drier than an average season.

In the latest ENSO Wrap-Up issued on 20 January, overall, the Bureau reports mature El Niño conditions, which are likely to result in below average rainfall for southeast Australia through to early 2010. The impact of El Niño on Australian rainfall typically declines after mid to late summer.