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 the State’s 20 urban and rural water corporations.

Rainfall

February was a generally hot and dry month, but which saw significant falls in East and West Gippsland on the 11th and 28th of the month. Rainfall totals for the month were average across much of the State, increasing to be above average in the east, and decreasing to be below to very much below average in the west and to the east/south-east of Melbourne. Across Victoria, maximum temperatures were 1-3oC above average.

Streamflows

Given the prolonged dry conditions, catchments across the State are very dry, and despite the good rainfalls throughout February, most streamflows remained well below the long-term February average. At the end of February, about 60% of the State had flows that were less than 10% of the monthly average for February. Over a third of reported streamflows stations around the State were recording zero flows, and 36% of streamflows were the minimum ever recorded in February.

Storage Levels

Volumes in the major storages in Victoria reduced by 2.3% in February. Melbourne Water's storages reduced by 2.4% in February 2007, to finish the month at 34.1% of capacity (28.3% lower than at the same time last year). Rural Water Authority storages decreased by 2.3%, to finish the month at 11.9% of capacity (29% lower than at the same time last year). Storages in the Glenelg-Wimmera Basin were at 4.2% of capacity compared with 7% at the same time last year. At the end of the month, Lake Eildon was at 8.3% of capacity compared with 30.6% at the same time last year, and Rosslynne Reservoir was at 4.6% of capacity compared with 9.6% at the same time last year.

Urban Water Restrictions

A number of new or increased urban restrictions took effect during February 2007. Key changes included the imposition of Stage 2 restrictions for all towns serviced by Coliban Water on the Goulburn and Murray systems and the imposition of Stage 4 restrictions for all towns serviced by Gippsland Water on the Thomson/Macalister system (excluding Heyfield). The total number of towns subject to water restrictions as at 28 February 2007 was 452 (compared with 136 at the same time in 2006). Ninety two towns were on Stage 1, 58 on Stage 2, 76 on Stage 3, and 226 on Stage 4 restrictions.

Irrigation Allocations 

Water allocations for the 2006/2007 season were updated by Goulburn-Murray Water on 15 February 2007. The scheduled end of the Goulburn irrigation season remains at 15 April 2007. The irrigation allocation on the Goulburn system was increased 1% to 25%, and the allocation on the Broken was increased 1% to 72%. Emergency drought pumping at the Waranga Basin is still required to support the current allocations. There is still no allocation for irrigation entitlements in the Campaspe and Loddon systems. In the Murray system, the allocation remains at 95% of Water Right and Licensed Volume. In the Bullarook System, customers supplied from Newlyn Reservoir have an allocation of 36% and the customers supplied from Hepburns Lagoon still have an allocation of 0%.

In the south-west of the State, allocations remain at 10% for the Bacchus Marsh and Werribee Irrigation Districts. Levels in the Deutgam Groundwater Management Area are low, and in order to protect the resource from seawater intrusion, allocations for the 2006/2007 season are at 25% of licensed volume. Rosslynne Reservoir is at 4.6% of capacity and the allocation for Southern Rural Water diverters is 5%. In the south-east of the State, on the Latrobe system Blue Rock Lake is at 80.6% of capacity.

Restrictions on Diversions 

SRW licence holders downstream are permitted to take up to their licence volume, but availability is likely to be limited by low unregulated river flows (which normally contribute some 70% of entitlements). Lake Glenmaggie, which supplies the Thomson-Macalister Irrigation District, increased to 13.6% of capacity during February. As a result of the increased inflows, the allocation for irrigators in the Northern, Eastern and Tinamba/Riverslea areas was raised by 3%, to 48%. The seasonal allocation for irrigators in the Nambrok-Denison area remains at 50%.

Seasonal Climate Outlook

The Seasonal Outlook released by the Bureau of Meteorology on 22 February 2007, for the March to May period, shows neutral odds (i.e. around 50%) across the State of exceeding the median rainfall. The temperature outlook for March to May shows that the chances of exceeding the median maximum temperature are 45-50% across the State. All the main indicators show that the 2006/07 El Niño event is over and the chance of a La Nina event developing in 2007 is thought to be higher than the long-term average. Overall, there is “cautious optimism” that there will be a general easing of dry conditions in drought-affected areas over the next one to two seasons. However, this is the time of year when predictability of the climate system is at its lowest.