Torrumbarry
Size and Location
The Torrumbarry Irrigation Area covers 167,000 hectares (150,000 hectares suitable for irrigation) in Northern Victoria.
The Area extends along the River Murray from Gunbower in the east to Nyah in the west and includes the towns of Cohuna, Kerang and Swan Hill.
Dehne's Weir
A unique feature of the area is the multiple use made of the natural water bodies that are prevalent throughout the Torrumbarry Irrigation Area. These natural water bodies are an integral component of the irrigation distribution system, but also play important roles in flood mitigation. Many of the water bodies also have significant environmental and cultural values. For instance, Kow Swamp has important aboriginal burial sites around its shores, Middle Reedy Lake is home to the world's largest Ibis rookery and many of the lakes and wetlands are contained in international environmental agreements such as Ramsar and JAMBA and/or CAMBA.
Supply system
Lagoon Offtake
The irrigation system supplies around 2,650 irrigation customers and a further 600 domestic and stock customers.
Water supplies for the Torrumbarry Area are released into the River Murray at Hume Dam. Water from Dartmouth Dam on the Mitta Mitta River provides supplementary storage for Lake Hume. The water in both of these storages is a shared resource managed by River Murray Water. Water released at Hume Dam takes ten days to move downriver to the Torrumbarry Weir pool, behind Torrumbarry Weir which is the diversion point for the Area's irrigation water.
At the Torrumbarry Weir, on the Victorian side, the water is diverted into a complex distribution system of natural waterways and 1400 kilometers of man-made irrigation channels which, in an average irrigation season deliver, over 500,000 ML of water to irrigators around Cohuna, Kerang and Swan Hill. Supplementary supplies are provided from Pental Island and Swan Hill pumps.
Water supplies for the Nyah, Tresco and Woorinen districts is provided by a pumped pipeline system. Water for Nyah and Woorinen is pumped from the River Murray, whilst Tresco is supplied from the No 7 channel near Lake Boga. The area also operates 700 kilometers of surface drains.
Irrigated agriculture
Dairy farms dominate around Cohuna, while mixed farming is more common around Kerang where fat lambs and beef cattle are raised extensively, and cereal, fodder, lucerne and oil seed crops are also widely produced.
As well as dairying, fruit and vegetables are a significant part of irrigated production around Swan Hill. The sandy hills at Tresco and along the River Murray downstream from Swan Hill to Nyah are planted to horticulture - vineyards, stonefruit and market gardening.
The Area's storages and distribution network therefore plays an important role in the production of food for local consumption and for export, and makes a significant contribution to the Australian economy.
Environmental Issues
Goulburn-Murray Water undertakes a number of natural resource management projects, under Government contract with the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
The use of many regional lakes and streams as part of the Torrumbarry Irrigation System has resulted in the same systems being shared for the purposes of water supply, flood mitigation and drainage in many cases.
It is of major importance that both the irrigation system, with its sensitive wetlands, and the productive farm lands are carefully managed to ensure that the threat of high watertables, soil salinity and water quality degradation don't further harm the natural environment and farm lands within the Area.
Gunbower Creek
Natural resource management is progressing through the implementation of the Loddon Campaspe Land and Water Management Strategy. The strategy incorporated the existing Salinity Management Plans (SMP's) of Kerang-Swan Hill, Torrumbarry East of Loddon (TEOL), Tragowel Plains and Boort West of Loddon (BWOL) into a single strategy.
This strategy will build upon the achievements of the existing SMPs whilst identifying the new and emerging natural resource management issues and priorities. The strategy will take into account the environmental, social and economic values of the region.
Land and water management of the area will continue to embrace the principle of Whole Catchment Planning. Effective natural resource management of the Torrumbarry Irrigation Area is imperative for the North Central Catchment Management Authority, State Government, Murray-Darling Basin Commission and Federal Government programs and initiatives.
New Developments in the Torrumbarry Area
The Torrumbarry Area actively supports new irrigation development within the region subject to the developer following the appropriate guidelines.
For further assistance on Irrigation Guideline issues please contact Caroline Welsh (DPI - Swan Hill) on phone (03) 5036 4813.
Officers at the Torrumbarry Area office in Kerang will assist new developers with water related and supply infrastructure issues - phone (03) 5451 0111.
In addition, new developers with economic issues should contact either Roger Griffiths (Economic Development Officer, Gannawarra Shire) on (03) 5450 9333 or Garry Tepper (Economic Development Office - Rural City of Swan Hill) on (03)5032 3033.
Blue-green algae
Because of the many shallow lakes, lagoons and wetlands in the Area, the Area is prone to outbreaks of Blue-green algae (BGA). Water affected by BGA blooms is a potential risk to the health of humans and animals who use the water. During the irrigation period, BGA monitoring occurs throughout the Area. This information is used to warn water users of any outbreaks of potentially toxic BGA in the Area. Regular information reports are provided on the Torrumbarry Algal line (03) 5451 0144. These reports are updated on Friday mornings.
Customer Involvement
Goulburn-Murray Water has established 11 Water Services Committees to represent customers in Irrigation (6), Diversion (2), Groundwater (1), Loddon Waterworks Districts (1) and the Loch Garry Flood Protection Area (1).
The nine person Torrumbarry Area Water Services Committee is drawn from across the area and brings together a wide range of experiences. In the future, the WSC will ensure that all stakeholder's interests (eg; Domestic and Stock customers, environmental) are fully represented.
Committee members interact with their constituents, chair public meetings and determine water pricing issues. They also set levels of service and prioritise maintenance and asset replacement.
The Committee members are also involved in the strategic planning of the future composition of the Torrumbarry Irrigation Area, including guidance to ensure inter-generational issues are not neglected.
The many issues to deal with in this area include: water quality, salinity, flooding, nutrients, water losses, condition of the distribution system and the long term viability of the business.
The committee is keen to make efficiency and productivity savings in the Area and for the benefits of those savings to be retained within Torrumbarry.
Names and addresses of Water Services Committee members are available at the Torrumbarry Area office at Kerang.
Water Ordering
Customers within the Torrumbarry Irrigation Area are required to give 3-4 days' notice when ordering water. Orders are lodged by telephoning a special number (1300 364 752 for Torrumbarry Area customers) which is connected to Goulburn-Murray Water's telephone ordering system (known as WaterLINE). This system allows customers to lodge irrigation orders, leave messages with orders, talk to a Planner, and to confirm irrigation start times.
Area office at Kerang
Click here to view Area Office Contact Details.
