Southern Rural Water has announced 100% low-reliability water shares for the Macalister Irrigation District.
Irrigators will receive 100% allocation on their low-reliability shares this season, in addition to 100% high-reliability water shares.
Southern Rural Water announced the additional allocation increase after reviewing the current volume in Lake Glenmaggie.
Manager Water Supply, Simon Wilkinson, said that with Lake Glenmaggie at 83% full, there was plenty of capacity for Macalister Irrigation District farmers to complete their final irrigations before the close of the season on 15 May.
Lake Glenmaggie is a highly reliable storage with a catchment four times the size of the Thomson Dam, despite being only one-fifth its size. Irrigation demand had been slower this season, largely due to consistent rainfall throughout the season and a wet catchment.
“We had confidence in the storage volumes to open the season with 100% high-reliability water allocation,” he said.
“Good inflows throughout the season has meant Macalister Irrigation District customers received spill entitlement up until 15 December, using more than 8,000 megalitres (ML) during this spill period.
“This effectively allowed them to ‘reset’ their allocation for 100% high-reliability water shares from 15 December 2021 onwards.”
With the consistent rainfalls through the season there has been a reduced demand on the irrigation system. This has seen one of the lowest delivery periods of recent times with only 63,000 ML being delivered to date.
Mr Wilkinson reminded Macalister Irrigation District stock and domestic customers that the pipeline outlets, along with channel water, are not available when the irrigation system is shut down for winter.
“Those relying on it will need to make alternative arrangements for the shutdown period between 15 May and 15 August,” he said.
Irrigators can contact the Water Supply team on 1300 139 510 for more information.
For media enquiries, please contact Southern Rural Water on 1300 139 510