TOOLONDO residents and fishing enthusiasts believe the drying Toolondo Reservoir has missed out on a vital water allocation.
It comes after the Victorian Environmental Water Holder bought 5000 megalitres for the Wimmera and Glenelg rivers.
Toolondo spokesman Trevor Holmes said the reservoir was down to eight per cent and fishing was terrible.
”It’s hard work to fish there and unless it’s an overcast, windy day, you might as well stay home,” he said.
“It’s disappointing because the overall condition of the lake is the best it has been in a long time, water quality wise.”
The reservoir received 5000 from the state government in January last year after almost a year of lobbying.
However, Mr Holmes said water levels had dropped quickly because of changes to nearby farming practices.
“We thought one of those mining companies – Iluka or Donald Mineral Sands – might have been a last ditch effort for us, if we needed the water,” he said.
“For the Victorian Environmental Water Holder to buy that water before we ever had a chance to is very disappointing.
“The authority isn’t even sure if it will use the water in the rivers this year, yet we are the ones who need a lifeline.”
Mr Holmes said he had emailed Premier Daniel Andrews, asking him to come and look at the reservoir.
“If Toolondo was in Tasmania or New Zealand, it would be showcased as a trophy fishery reservoir, which it is,” he said. “The growth rate of fish here is unheard of and can be up to a kilogram a year. We get swept under the rug though and are not considered for water.”
Mr Holmes said the reservoir needed 5000 megalitres to survive the summer. It is the same amount the reservoir needed two years ago, when it was struggling to survive.
“We are virtually living the whole horror again,” Mr Holmes said. “We are still hoping for big rains though through spring. September and October are our run-off months where water traditionally runs into Toolondo, but our biggest change is out in the Black Range, where there has been big changes in what is being farmed.
“The area has gone from hard grazing land to cropping land, so any rain we do get soaks into the ground. Because of that, Mt Talbot Creek doesn’t run as much as it used to.” Mr Holmes hoped politicians would listen to the reservoir users’ pleas.
“The reservoir is now on its knees,” he said. “We’re trying to rattle a few cages, but we really need either the skies or the premier to open up.”
Mr Andrews said last year that Toolondo was famous for its quality and numbers of fish. Mr Holmes wants the premier to see what the reservoir is like now, compared with January last year.
