Irrigation Allocations - October 2006
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Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW)
Water allocations for the 2006/2007 season were updated by Goulburn Murray Water on 1 November 2006. Record low rainfalls and inflows occurred across much of the G-MW region during October. G-MW confirmed that emergency drought pumping at the Waranga Basin is required to support the current allocation.
Water resources are still insufficient to meet irrigation entitlements in Loddon and Campaspe systems and therefore allocations remain unchanged at zero in these systems. There is little prospect of sufficiently wet conditions to provide any irrigation allocation in these systems this season. The allocation for the Broken system remains unchanged but G-MW has cautioned that this allocation will most likely be reduced if Lake Mokoan is closed by a blue-green algal bloom.
Current allocations are as follows:
- Goulburn system: 23%;
- Campaspe and Loddon systems: zero allocation;
- Murray system: 95% of Water right and Licensed Volume;
- Broken system: 60% of Licensed Volume;
- Bullarook System: customers supplied from Newlyn reservoir have an allocation of 36%;
- customers supplied from Hepburn’s Lagoon have an allocation of 0%.
The next allocation announcement is scheduled for Wednesday 15 November 2006.
A zero allocation is in place for Coliban rural licence holders for the 2006/07 season. However, a temporary qualification of rights has been made to allow the supply of a limited amount (30% allocation) of water to sustain permanent plantings, food production and intensive animal industries. Other licence holders are eligible for a water cartage rebate from Coliban Water for water (up to 30,000 L) carted for essential in-house use.
Wimmera Mallee Domestic and Stock Supply System
Storages in the Wimmera Mallee domestic and stock supply system finished the month at 5.6% of capacity (compared with 9% at the same time last year).
The region is facing an extremely serious water supply situation. The winter channel run from the Grampians system is well advanced and is only filling town storages. Enough water is being supplied to these storages to provide emergency supplies for cartage to some 2,300 properties for basic domestic purposes.
A water cartage program is being implemented, with Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water (GWMW) proposing to deliver 28,000 L of water for domestic use every second month (once existing house dam supplies become unusable) to rural customers not receiving a house dam fill. The purchase of water tanks to hold supplies is eligible for up to a $3,000 rebate from the Victorian Government.
Additional water will also be available to GWMW rural customers, including those who receive a house dam fill, for stock watering and crop spraying. Water will be provided at no cost, but carting arrangements and costs will be the customer’s responsibility.
Water will also be available at a cost of $1.20/kL under a permit system for carting by others (at their own cost) who are not customers of GWMW for domestic use only.
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;
- irrigation supplies are again zero;
- no supply available for irrigation diversions on Wimmera River;
- supply to recreation lakes has been nil since 2000;
- commercial supplies to major customers (eg the Iluka mine at Douglas, are limited to 6%).
Southern Rural Water
Glenmaggie Reservoir, the principal source of water for Thomson-Macalister Irrigation District, was holding 26.9% of capacity at the end of October. This is the lowest storage figure recorded in the last 30 years for this time of year. The seasonal allocation for the Thomson-Macalister irrigation district was increased to 45% on 3 October.
Water availability on the Latrobe system remains good, with Blue Rock Lake being at 77.8% of capacity. An allocation of 100% has been announced for license holders downstream on the Latrobe and Tanjil Rivers
Southern Rural Water’s share of Werribee Basin storages was at 12.4% of capacity (on 1 November). Because of the low storage situation, initial allocations for the 2006/2007 season were 0% for the Bacchus Marsh irrigation area and 5% for the Werribee irrigation area. These were increased to 10% on 23 October 2006. This increase was made possible by a decision to pump dead storage from Pykes Ck Reservoir. Full domestic and stock entitlements are now also available in both areas.
A range of other measures are in place to assist in ameliorating the supply situation. Irrigators in the Werribee area participating in the recycling scheme (around 50% of growers) are able to access recycled water. In the case of Bacchus Marsh irrigators, SRW installed a connection to enable spare capacity in the “Merrimu Reservoir to Bacchus Marsh pipeline” to be used to bring water from SRW’s entitlements in Merrimu into the Bacchus Marsh Irrigation district.
Levels in the Deutgam Groundwater Management Area have been declining through 2005/2006. In order to protect the resource from seawater intrusion, allocations for the 2006/2007 season are at 25% of licensed volume.
Rosslynne Reservoir remains low at 5.95% of capacity. Current allocations for SRW diverters are at 5%.