How Do Seasonal Allocations Work?
How is Irrigation Water Allocated?
Water is allocated each year for use during the irrigation season. The irrigation season in gravity channel areas normally extends from 15 August to 15 May. The irrigation season for private diverters (ie customers who divert water directly from a river) is usually between 1 July and 30 June.
The volume of water available for allocation at any time is the volume actually held in storages, minus up-front commitments the losses incurred by the storage and delivery of water (eg seepage and evaporation). The up-front commitments include urban water supplies, environmental flows, and carryover when it is permitted.
The available water resources are assessed before the start of the irrigation season, and an announcement is made of the seasonal allocation available at that time. The available resources are then regularly reassessed during the irrigation season and any changes to the allocation are widely publicised. If rain has significantly increased inflows to the storages or reduced demand, the seasonal allocation is increased consistent with the above principles.
In any irrigation season, the actual volume of water held in the storages is important. If the storages start the season full, a high seasonal allocation is likely. If storages start the season low, good spring rain will be necessary to obtain high seasonal allocations.
When low seasonal allocations are possible, the probabilities of future seasonal allocations are also published to allow irrigators to understand the chances of better allocations being available later on.
Goulburn-Murray Water's policy is to announce the highest possible seasonal allocation as early in the irrigation season as possible, to allow irrigators time to plan their water use.Water is allocated each year for use in a particular irrigation season. The irrigation season normally extends from 15 August to 15 May. The volume of water available for allocation at any time is the volume actually held in storages, minus losses which will be incurred in storing and delivering the water (eg seepage, evaporation).
For more information on Victoria's water allocation framework, please visit the Department of Sustainability & Environment website.
