There’s been a further increase in seasonal determinations for both the Goulburn and Loddon River systems.
Northern Victorian Resource Manager Dr Mark Bailey said the Goulburn system and the Loddon system both increased from 81 per cent to 91pc high-reliability water shares (HRWS).
The low-reliability water share (LRWS) seasonal determination in the Campaspe system increased from 24pc to 29pc.
Dr Bailey said the Campaspe system also had 100 per cent HRWS.
He said good flows continued in all systems, despite lower rainfall in recent weeks.
“Stream flows have remained higher than expected since the last seasonal determination update,” Dr Bailey said.
“This, together with recent use which reduces delivery commitments, has contributed to the increased seasonal determinations.”
In the Murray system, the Resource Manager continued to repay water borrowed from the Barmah Forest account.
“Water was borrowed from the Barmah Forest to improve early seasonal determinations for Murray system high-reliability water shares,” Dr Bailey said. “Low-reliability water share assessments for the Murray system will start when all the borrowed water in the Murray system is repaid. The remaining balance is 64 gigalitres.”
Dr Bailey confirmed that Victoria could not store all the flows into its share of Lake Hume during September. He said 70 gigalitres (GL) could not be stored, so about 33 per cent of the spillable volume would be deducted proportionally from Murray system water accounts. “Further deductions from Murray system spillable water accounts and environmental water accounts are possible.”
