The Monthly Water Report provides a summary of the status of Victoria's water resources and water supplies at the end of the reporting month. It is based on validated water resource information provided by Victoria's 19 Urban and Rural Water Corporations and the Bureau of Meteorology. Each month's report is published online the following month. For detailed, specific and up-to-date information, please contact the relevant Water Corporation or the Bureau of Meteorology. Links to these organisations are located within the Monthly Water Report. 

Rainfall

Rainfall was well above average across most of the State during December, with Victoria recording its fifth wettest December on record.

Rainfall stations in western Victoria recorded the highest total December rainfall on record. 

Stream flows

Of the 28 representative streamflow gauging stations, only one station in the Wimmera experienced flows less than 10% of the December average.  Seven stations recorded flows above 100% of the long-term December average, located in the Murray, north-east and Glenelg river catchments.  The remaining 20 stations across the State were spread evenly between 10 and 99% of the long-term December average.

Storages

The total volume in Victoria’s major storages was 74.8% of total capacity at the end of the December. The volume in the State’s major regional water storages increased by 1.8% to 78.5% of capacity, and Melbourne's storages increased by 1.7% to 53.0%.

Restrictions on Urban Water Supplies

There were no changes to urban water restrictions across Victoria during December 2010.

At the end of the month, 154 Victorian towns were still on restrictions, however, this is far less than the same time last year when 266 towns were on restrictions.

Irrigation Allocations

With most systems at or close to 100% allocation for high-reliability shares, there were few increases for irrigation allocations during December.  Goulburn-Murray Water increased the low-reliability allocation for the Campaspe system to 100%.  Southern Rural Water increased the low-reliability allocation for Werribee and Bacchus Marsh irrigators to 25%.

The allocation for the Coliban rural system remained at 70% throughout November.

Grampians Wimmera-Mallee Water has deferred an irrigation channel run on the Wimmera Mallee supply system this year, in consultation with irrigators.

The allocation for HRWS in the Macalister Irrigation District remained at 90% when SRW reviewed its decision following the end of the spilling season on 15 December 2010.

Restrictions on Unregulated Streams

At the end of December, diversions from a total of 13 unregulated streams and lakes across the state were subject to restrictions. This is significantly less than the same time last year when 130 streams were on restriction.

Seasonal Climate Outlook

In the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest rainfall outlook for January to March 2011, the odds for Victoria are closer to neutral (between 50 and 60%), with above average rainfall being as likely as below average rainfall.

The Bureau reports that a moderate to strong La Niña event remains in the Pacific Ocean.  La Niña periods are generally associated with above normal rainfall during the second half of the year across large parts of Australia, most notably eastern and northern regions.