Irrigation Allocations - January 2008
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Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW)
G-MW made allocation announcements on 2 January and 15 January. Allocations were increased on the Murray, Broken, Goulburn and Campaspe systems, but remain low on all systems.As of 15 January, allocations for high reliability water shares were as follows:
| 15 January 2008 | Change since 17 December 2007 | |
|---|---|---|
| Goulburn | 47% | +8% |
| Murray | 34% | +6% |
| Broken | 56% | +27% |
| Campaspe | 12% | +7% |
| Loddon | 5% | 0% |
| Bullarook | 0% | 0% |
The seasonal allocation improvements announced during January were largely due to higher than expected inflows to many of the key water systems and storages following widespread rainfall throughout the region in late December.
G-MW continued to work towards minimising losses in its irrigation systems to reassign as allocations.
The resource improvement on the Campaspe system removed the need for rostering of irrigation deliveries. G-MW also eased rosters for irrigation orders on the Loddon system following minor improvements. However, irrigators were still required to place diversion orders to ensure ongoing efficient operation.
There was not enough water in the Bullarook system for an irrigation allocation in January. No irrigation allocation is likely this season. Bullarook Creek customers continued to have access to water for domestic and stock purposes only.
G-MW released forecast ranges for the final 2007/08 seasonal allocations on 15 January. Using historic drought inflows as a guide to the most likely summer inflows, the possible range of allocations were:
- 47% - 58% in the Goulburn system;
- 34% - 40% in the Murray system.
G-MW will provide further allocation announcements on 1 and 15 February 2008.
Preparations for pumping Waranga Basin, under the recently announced Drought Relief Package, are continuing. Despite recent inflows to the Goulburn system, pumping is still likely to commence in March 2008.
In June 2007, the Minister for Water temporarily qualified rights to water in the Murray, Goulburn, Broken, Campaspe, Loddon and Bullarook systems to make sufficient water available for essential urban and farming needs.
Normal allocation rules resumed on the Goulburn, Murray and Broken systems when allocations on these systems reached 20%. The qualification on the Loddon, Bullarook, and Campaspe systems will remain in place until allocations on these systems reach 50%.
G-MW issued a water quality alert for Tullaroop Reservoir and Tullaroop Creek downstream of the Tullaroop Reservoir on 24 January after monitoring detected high levels of potentially toxic blue-green algae. G-MW will continue to monitor the situation closely and will advise the public and water users of any changes in the blue-green algae alert status.
Coliban Rural System
The seasonal allocation on Coliban Water’s rural system remained at 35% in January.
Coliban Water continued to supplement rural supplies with recycled water from the Bendigo system to interested customers on the Axe Creek and Ascot channel systems. This water is separate to the rural allocation.
Back to TopWimmera Mallee Domestic and Stock Supply System
Supplies to all customer groups are being made available in accordance with the restriction schedule contained in the Wimmera-Glenelg bulk entitlements. Restrictions are as follows:
- towns are on Stage 4 restrictions;
- domestic and stock supply to farms is limited to one dam per enterprise in most areas, with limited pipeline supply in areas where pipeline completed, and carting of water around Berriwillock and Culgoa;
- irrigation supplies are zero;
- no supply is available for irrigation diversions on Wimmera River;
- supply to recreation lakes has been nil since 2000.
At 31 January 2008, storages in the Wimmera Mallee domestic and stock supply system had reduced to 4.3% of capacity. This was a reduction of 0.7% since December and was largely due to the continued winter channel run, which began in September.
The channel run will be completed on 4 February 2008 when GWMWater will have filled occupied house dams on all winter channels that will not be piped in the next 12 months.
Customers on the Wimmera Mallee pipeline systems 1 and 5 were not supplied a dam fill; however carting in those areas will continue until they get a pipeline supply later this year.
GWMWater has confirmed that it will not be undertaking a summer channel run, which supplies Clear Lake, Natimuk and Noradjuha and farm dams in the area, this water year. However, Natimuk and Noradjuha received enough local runoff in April and May 2007 to meet stage 4 restricted demands until mid-2008. Clear Lake is receiving water via carting at present, which is considered to be a satisfactory arrangement for the coming year. These towns will be given priority in the next winter channel run.
Southern Rural Water
Macalister Irrigation District (MID)
At 31 January, Lake Glenmaggie, the principal source of water for the MID, was at 89.3% of capacity.
Continuing inflows allowed SRW to increase the allocation twice in January, from 105% to 115%, for all irrigators within the MID, and for diverters on the Thomson River, Macalister River and Rainbow Creek. The allocation is in addition to the 46,000 ML, equivalent to 32% of water right volume, delivered during the off-quota period up to 20 November 2007.
The outlook for the Macalister Irrigation District remains positive, however further allocation increases will require additional inflows over the late summer and autumn period.
Latrobe System
Water availability on the Latrobe system decreased throughout January with storage levels in Blue Rock Lake falling 1.4% to 79.5% of capacity. Although this level is well above that of this time last year, the regulated irrigation share of Blue Rock as at 31 January was just 19%. This is a result of being heavily drawn upon last season.
In January, Southern Rural Water (SRW) licence holders downstream on the Latrobe and Tanjil Rivers could pump up to their licensed volume, however availability was limited by unregulated river flows (which normally contribute some 70% of entitlements). SRW will announce a formal initial allocation (share of water in Blue Rock reservoir) for the 2007/08 season when unregulated flows in the Latrobe reduce to the minimum environmental flows.At 30 April, Lake Glenmaggie, the principal source of water for the MID, was at 58.3% of capacity.
Allocations remained at 200% for all irrigators within the MID, and for diverters on the Thomson River, Macalister River and Rainbow Creek during April. The allocation is in addition to the 46,000 ML (equivalent to 32% of water right volume) delivered during the off-quota period up to 20 November 2007.
Werribee Basin (Bacchus Marsh and Werribee Irrigation District)
SRW’s share of the Werribee Basin had reduced to approximately 9.8% of capacity during January (a reduction of 2.6% since 31 December).
The seasonal allocation remained at just 8% of water right or licensed volume for the Werribee and Bacchus Marsh Irrigation District in January.
SRW continues to implement its Western Irrigation Contingency Plan which includes:
- Pumping of dead storage from Pykes Creek reservoir;
- Transferring 2,000 ML of water from SRW’s Macalister Irrigation District drought reserve in the Thomson Reservoir to Werribee and Bacchus Marsh; and
- Extending Government approval to make 800 ML of water available to irrigators from the unallocated share of Lake Merrimu.
Irrigators in the Werribee area continue to participate in the recycling scheme. This continues to be of major benefit to participating growers in the area (approaching 90% of the growers). However, algal blooms at the Western Treatment Plant interrupted supplies for several weeks in late December and early January, forcing irrigators to draw heavily on their limited river water allocations. Uninterrupted supplies resumed in early January.
The ban on access to groundwater within the Deutgam Groundwater Management Area remains in place. SRW continues to monitor levels in the aquifer. Access to the resource will resume when the risk of salt water intrusion has diminished.
Maribyrnong Basin
The storage volume in Rosslynne Reservoir fell to 4.4% of capacity. With inflows well below average, SRW diverters face another season of low, possibly zero, allocations.
The allocation remains at 0% of licensed volume.