Water

Victorian rivers water plan released

By Geoff Adams

Oct 4, 2024

New watering plans have been published for Victorian Rivers by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder.

The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder has released watering plans for Victorian rivers for 2024-25.

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Despite the recent wetter conditions, many sites continue to have a high demand for water for the environment to maintain and improve their ecological health, the water holder said in the announcement.

“Environmental water demands in the Victorian rivers will be met by a combination of held environmental water, natural flows, and operational water deliveries,” the watering plan said.

“As in previous years, the use of Commonwealth, Victorian and The Living Murray environmental water will be adaptively managed together throughout 2024-25, in response to changing water resource availability, environmental conditions and demands, and local knowledge and advice.”

The CEWH is considering supplying environmental water to the following actions in 2024–25:

• Low flows and freshes in each river, as well as off-channel wetland actions (where possible) that support a range of environmental outcomes for plants and animals.

• Flows that are coordinated across the southern connected basin when conditions are conducive to achieve identified ecological outcomes (eg golden and silver perch migration). This includes a coordinated fresh in autumn and spring across the Goulburn and Campaspe rivers where possible.

• Enhancing ecological benefit from natural flows and when possible, intervalley transfer flows.

For access to the watering plans, go to: Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Water Management Plan 2024-25: Victorian Rivers Water Plan (dcceew.gov.au)