Goulburn-Murray Water reports a total of 59 water orders placed with the authority at the opening of the season.
This compares to 191 at the same time last year, which followed a very dry winter.
G-MW Water Systems Operations manager John Weber said this year’s water orders were comparable to the start of the 2023 (63 orders) and 2022 (58 orders) irrigation seasons.
“The return to average water order numbers reflects the more favourable seasonal conditions experienced for winter-sown crops compared to last season,” Mr Weber said.
“G-MW will continue to closely monitor irrigation demand in combination with seasonal conditions for our customers’ spring watering requirements.”
Meanwhile, the resource manager for northern Victoria has announced incremental increases in high-reliability water share allocations for the Murray and Goulburn systems.
The Murray system seasonal determination increased from 49 per cent to 53 per cent HRWS and the Goulburn and Loddon systems increased from 38 per cent to 39 per cent.
The Campaspe system remains at 100 per cent. The Broken and Bullarook systems stay at zero per cent.
Resource manager Mark Bailey said there had been limited flows into the storages in recent weeks.
“Flows into the storage have been close to our estimates in the absence of any significant rainfall since the last assessment,” Dr Bailey said.
“Additional flows into the Menindee Lakes contributed to the increase in the Murray system.
“All operating requirements in the Broken system are now fully established for the season. Further resource improvements will contribute to seasonal determinations.
“More rainfall is needed in the Bullarook system over the coming weeks to secure the system’s operating requirements and increase seasonal determinations.”
The next 2025-26 seasonal determination announcement will be on Monday, September 1.
In the NSW Murray irrigation district, general security irrigators have an extra one per cent allocation, taking the seasonal entitlement to three per cent, so far.
Low risk of spill
Dr Bailey said the risk of spill in the Goulburn system had fallen below the 10 per cent threshold needed to make a low risk of spill declaration.
“While recent rainfall in the Goulburn catchment has increased streamflows, the current and forecast conditions and the available storage capacity has reduced the risk of spill at Lake Eildon this season,” he said.
“The risk of spill at Lake Hume in the Murray system is about 40 per cent. The risk of spill from Lake Eppalock in the Campaspe system has decreased to 30 per cent.”
Dr Bailey said the risk of spill assessment did not describe the chances of flooding this season.
“The risk of spill is a water accounting assessment. It does not refer to flood risks downstream of the storages.”
The risk of spill in the Murray and Campaspe systems will be updated on Wednesday, September 10.
For information about the resource manager’s regulated water systems, including seasonal determinations and resource availability, visit: https://nvrm.net.au/
Visit the Murray-Darling Basin Authority website for Victorian shares of Murray storages.
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