Edition 6, July and August 2012 watering actions Welcome to the latest edition of the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) Watering Update. This edition includes an update of environmental watering actions that happened across Victoria in July and August 2012.
Victorian Frog. Source - Keith Ward, Goulburn Broken CMA
The VEWH is an independent statutory body responsible for holding and managing environmental water entitlements in Victoria. The VEWH works with waterway managers (catchment management authorities and Melbourne Water), the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Commonwealth Environmental Water, storage operators and land managers to deliver environmental water. A full list of VEWH Holdings is available in the Seasonal Watering Plan 2012-13 and at www.vewh.vic.gov.au. If you have any suggestions or feedback, or wish to subscribe to this update, please email adam.miller@vewh.vic.gov.au. Header image - Azure Kingfisher, Bridie Velik-Lord, Victorian Environmental Water Holder.
Watering recap Southern Victoria
Yarra system Where - Release from Upper Yarra Reservoir into the Yarra River. When - Began late July and finished early August 2012. What/how much - Targeted winter high flow of 300 ML a day for three days. Why - To scour built up silt and organic material in the stretch of river immediately downstream of Upper Yarra Reservoir. This aims to improve habitat availability for fish and macroinvertebrates.
Release into the Yarra River Source - VEWH
Who - Melbourne Water.
Werribee system Where - Release from Lake Merrimu into the Werribee River. When - Began and ended in August 2012.
Werribee River Source - Melbourne Water
What/how much - Targeted a baseflow of 10 ML a day and a high flow event of 130 ML a day for two days. Melton Reservoir has also been spilling for the whole of August which has added to winter baseflow and fresh events that have been provided naturally in the lower reaches. Why - Baseflows aimed to inundate macroinvertebrate habitat. The high flows aimed to disturb vegetation, create macroinvertebrate habitat and inundate some frog habitat. Who - Melbourne Water, Southern Rural Water.
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Western Victoria
Glenelg system Where - Release from Rocklands Reservoir into the Glenelg River. When - Began in early June and will continue into November 2012. What/how much - Targeting winter baseflows of 150 ML a day at Harrow. Why - To provide connections for fish movement and to inundate low areas along the river bank (channel Glenelg River margins) and low islands (bars) Source - Glenelg Hopkins CMA to promote the growth of shrubs, reeds and trees. Who - Glenelg Hopkins CMA, Grampians-Wimmera-Mallee Water.
Wimmera system Where Wimmera River - Release from Lake Lonsdale via Mt William Creek, and Taylors Lake into the Wimmera River. MacKenzie River and lower Burnt Creek - Release from Lake Wartook and Moora Reservoir into the MacKenzie River and lower Burnt Creek.
Wimmera River Source - Wimmera CMA
When All flows - Began in early June and will continue into November 2012. What/how much Wimmera River - Targeting winter/spring baseflows of 37 ML a day and winter/spring freshes of up to 334 ML a day upstream of Dimboola gauge. MacKenzie River - Targeting winter/spring baseflows of 20-80 ML a day and winter/spring freshes of up to 80 ML a day at MacKenzie Creek reserve gauge. Lower Burnt Creek - Targeting winter/spring baseflows of 4-10 ML a day at the outfall into lower Burnt Creek. Why Wimmera River - To maintain water quality and habitat for fish including the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act-listed freshwater catfish. MacKenzie River and lower Burnt Creek - To maintain water quality, habitat, vegetation communities and connectivity for fish and macroinvertebrates. Who - Wimmera CMA, Grampians-Wimmera-Mallee Water.
Northern wetlands and floodplains and the Living Murray icon sites
Where - Release through Gunbower Creek. When - Began in early July 2012 will continue throughout the year. What/how much - Consumptive water is being delivered through the creek, en route to water users by Goulburn-Murray Water, with any additional use in the Creek being underwritten with a combination of Commonwealth, Living Murray and Victorian environmental water. Why - To provide habitat refuge, spawning and recruitment for fish.
Gunbower Creek Source - North Centra CMA
Who - North Central CMA, Commonwealth Environmental Water, Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Goulburn-Murray Water.
What does ‘using consumptive water en route’ mean? Consumptive water is water provided for all human uses (ie. non-environmental uses). Rivers, creeks and wetlands are often used to deliver consumptive water from storages to water users. The timing and route of this delivery can sometimes be altered to provide environmental benefit without impacting water users.
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Using consumptive water en route can also involve timing environmental releases with consumptive releases to achieve greater environmental benefits than an environmental release alone could achieve. For example, environmental water can be used to build on irrigation flows to water river red gums. The use of consumptive water en route reduces the amount of extra environmental water needed to meet specific objectives.
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