What is Water for the Environment?
As Melbourne’s population has grown, many of its rivers and wetlands have been significantly modified to provide water for communities. In some rivers, up to half of the water that would have naturally flowed in them is diverted each year to provide water for homes, farms and industry.
To address this, Water for the Environment has been set aside in some reservoirs and dams that is then released into rivers and billabongs to improve their health and protect environmental values.
Melbourne Water works with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) to manage and release Environmental Entitlements from reservoirs to improve the health in four of Melbourne’s waterways: Werribee, Maribyrnong, Yarra and Bunyip-Tarago Rivers.
Why is Melbourne Water preparing a Seasonal Watering Proposal?
Melbourne Water develops a Seasonal Watering Proposal according to our statutory obligation under the Water Act 1989. This document assists VEWH to develop the Victorian Seasonal Watering Plan. This annual planning document outlines what environmental water releases will occur in the following year (July to June).
Sometimes the need for environmental water is higher than the water available to use. It’s therefore important to consider where water is most needed and how it can be used most efficiently to achieve the best environmental outcomes.
Water for the Environment delivered in 2023/24
261.9 ML of water has been secured through trade in the Maribyrnong River in 2023/24. This water will be delivered as a series of freshening flows during summer and autumn 2024.
Rainfall within the Maribyrnong (Mirrangbamurn) catchment was below average during the 2023 winter and spring period. This has led to low streamflow conditions and no opportunity to achieve low flow and fresh flow recommendations, despite some unregulated flow events. Lack of available environmental water constrained any opportunity to deliver flows during this period. Despite these conditions high flows have been experienced through this system in the previous year and live water quality monitoring did not detect any sustained periods of flow stress-related water quality issues so far this year.
Melbourne Water is working with DEECA (formerly DELWP) and other stakeholders to try and secure an Environmental Water Entitlement for the Maribyrnong River through the Central Region Sustainable Water Strategy review process and other Integrated Water Management opportunities.
Key environmental values supported by Water for the Environment
- small bodied native fish
- platypus
- channel morphology
- in-stream and streamside vegetation
- waterbugs
- water quality, particularly dissolved oxygen concentrations
Opportunities for shared benefits are also incorporated into planning and watering decisions, if they do not compromise environmental outcomes.
Potential Watering Actions
We plan for all climatic scenarios, below are the proposed environmental watering actions for the Maribyrnong River in 2024/25 under an “average” year scenario (if water is available):
• Summer/Autumn freshes in reaches 6 and 7 (Jacksons Creek)
Learn more and provide feedback on the 2024/25 Seasonal Watering Proposal
Engagement with Traditional Owners, local communities, management authorities and scientists is integral to understanding both the ecological values of waterways and how water for the environment can also provide a range of shared benefits including cultural, recreational and economic.
You are invited to attend an online information session Wednesday 31st January 11:00am - 12:30pm. Register your attendance here
Provide your feedback via a three question survey
If you would like a copy of the Melbourne Water Seasonal Watering proposal or would like to contribute to its development, please contact us at: EnvironmentalWater@melbournewater.com.au
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Victoria and Australia and pay our respects to them, their culture and their Elders past, present and future. Melbourne Water and its partners recognise the intersection between environmental flow objectives and Aboriginal cultural outcomes. We acknowledge the benefit of genuine, enduring partnerships with Aboriginal people in planning and managing water for the environment.