2022-23 Seasonal Watering Plan
View the Seasonal Watering Plan
- VEWH Seasonal Watering Plan Accessible Version 2022-23 (DOC, 42.2MB)
- VEWH Seasonal Watering Plan 2022-2023 (PDF, 7.7MB)
View the Seasonal Watering Plan – Western Region
The Western Region
The Western Region, which include the Wimmera is made up of the Glenelg system (managed by Glenelg Hopkins CMA), the Wimmera system and the Wimmera-Mallee wetlands.
Find out more about each of these areas:
What is a Seasonal Watering Plan?
The Seasonal Watering Plan (SWP) 2022-23 is a state-wide plan which outlines where, when and why water for the environment can be delivered, throughout Victorian waterways.
Water for the environment is water that’s set aside in storages such as dams and released or ‘delivered’ to help native plants and animals survive, thrive and reproduce. It also helps to maintain and improve waterway health needs such as connectivity, water levels and water quality.
The Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) has entitlements that specify how much water it can
use to support the environment in various waterways across the state.
The seasonal watering plan is based on trusted scientific evidence, including environmental requirements for certain types of water flows to trigger natural lifecycles, such as animals breeding or migrating, and forests regenerating.
Waterway managers help inform the plan each year through ecological monitoring and evaluation,
community consultation and growing partnerships with Traditional Owners to also be guided by their
deep cultural knowledge of water and Country.
This robust planning process helps guide the VEWH’s decisions as to where to deliver what water becomes available throughout each season, in the most efficient way to get the greatest environmental benefits under various climatic conditions.
The seasonal watering plan provides the community with visibility of the potential deliveries of water for the environment, and how they’ve been planned to also provide benefits for cultural, social, economic and recreational values.
The plan is a demonstration of the ongoing commitment of program partners – waterway managers, storage managers and land managers – to achieve the best possible outcomes from water for the environment.
The annual seasonal watering plan is published on or by 30 June.
For further information: https://www.vewh.vic.gov.au/watering-program/seasonal-watering-plan
The seasonal watering plan is a legislated reporting requirement for the Victorian Environmental
Water Holder (VEWH) within the VEWH’s statutory objectives and functions under the Water Act
1989.
