The groundwater section of the Monthly Water Report is updated on a quarterly basis. The next update will be March 2012.

A new approach to determining trends was adopted in the December 2009 report. This approach recognises changes in season and distinguishes between short and long term trends.

Groundwater level trends in Water Supply Protection Areas (WSPAs) and Groundwater Management Areas (GMAs) as of December 2011 are summarised below.

• Groundwater levels are categorised as declining in the short term (< 5 years) for 4 of the 23 WSPAs. Groundwater levels for the long term trends (>10 years) are categorised as declining for 9 of the WSPAs.
• Groundwater levels are categorised as increasing in the short term (< 5 years) for 6 of the 23 WSPA’s.
• In the remaining WSPAs groundwater levels are categorised as stable
• Management Plan’s either have been prepared or are being prepared in 12 WSPAs. Local Management Rules are now in place in the Mid Loddon WSPA.
• Of the 38 GMAs groundwater levels are categorised as increasing in the short term (<5 years) in 4 areas, declining in 7 areas, stable in 18 areas, and there is insufficient information (through lack of state observation bores) to determine a trend in the remaining 9 areas.
• It is likely that floodwaters have infiltrated some groundwater bores which may impact on the groundwater level reading recorded. Works on flood impacted bores has commenced and will be completed by June 2012.

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