Southern Rural Water has placed a temporary ban on winterfill pumping on the Mitchell River.
The decision is in response to lower-than-average rainfall in the Mitchell River catchment and in accordance with local management rules that require Southern Rural Water to implement bans once passing flows drop below 1,400 megalitres per day.
Passing flow refers to the volume of water required to be maintained at a location to manage the health of the environment.
The temporary ban applies to all winterfill licence holders, and conditional licence holders who cannot pump from the river during restriction periods. Annual licence holders can still pump from the river and are only restricted in their use if the Mitchell River falls below 185 megalitres per day.
Ensuring the sustainability of the water resource is a top priority. The temporary ban will be lifted if stream flows rise above 1,400 megalitres per day at the Glenaladale gauge site before the end of October.
A winterfill licence permits users to pump water from the river to on-farm storage dams for use at a later time. The winterfill season ends Thursday, 31 October.
We have notified all those impacted by the temporary ban.
We are committed to providing our customers with timely and accurate information about the Mitchell River flow. Prior to pumping, Customers must call the Mitchell River rostering hotline on 1300 723 294 to ensure compliance and for up-to-date information.
We would also strongly encourage customers to do the following:
- Call the local Southern Rural Water field officer to ensure water is flowing above the required level.
- Check real time river flow data at data.water.vic.gov.au