Water

Rain lifts storage levels

By Geoff Adams

Jul 17, 2026

Rainfall in northern Victorian catchments has improved the outlook for water allocations.

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The Resource Manager for northern Victoria announced an update for seasonal determinations, together with updated determination outlooks.

The Murray system seasonal determination increases from 29 per cent of high-reliability water shares to 36 per cent HRWS.

The Goulburn system increases from 15 per cent to 30 per cent. The Campaspe system increases from 35 per cent to 100 per cent and the Loddon system moves from three per cent to 30 per cent.

The Broken system increases from zero per cent to 12 per cent and Bullarook system increases from zero per cent to 27 per cent.

Resource Manager Andrew Shields said each water system in northern Victoria had benefited from further rainfall across the catchment areas.

“Storage volumes across the major storages have increased with rainfall, and this provided additional water to allocate in all systems,” Mr Shields said.

“The water availability improvement in the Campaspe system was substantial enough to allocate 100 per cent to high-reliability water shares.

“In the Broken and Bullarook systems, the increase in water availability secured the system operating requirements in both systems and enabled water to be allocated to entitlement holders.”

The forecasted outlooks show Goulburn and Loddon systems could open in the new season (August 17) at about 41 per cent and for the Murray system at about 46 per cent.

Eildon was holding 49 per cent of capacity on July 15, compared to about 41 per cent in May.

NSW Water has updated its water allocations but there has been no change for general security irrigators in the NSW Murray system.

The cumulative allocation to general security entitlements remains at 22 per cent for 2025-26 water.

The current balance of general security licence holders is 415 GL or an average of 25 per cent of their entitlement. Individual balances may be higher or lower than this percentage subject to their water use decisions.