The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) has announced that the minimum water allocation for South Australian irrigators remains at 87 per cent for 2019-20.

Previously projected water allocations for 2019-20 were:

• 14 per cent in April
• 22 per cent in May
• 26 per cent in June
• 31 per cent on 1 July
• 38 per cent on 15 July
• 50 per cent on 1 August
• 68 per cent on 15 August
• 74 per cent on 2 September
• 81 per cent on 16 September
• 87 per cent on 1 October.

Water allocations are based on the latest water availability advice from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

The seasonal outlook from November 2019 to January 2020 indicates that it is likely to be drier than average with warmer temperatures.

According to the projections, unless improvements in water availability for the remainder of 2019-20 are worse than for any year in the last 30, water allocations remain likely to get to 100 per cent by the end of the water year.

As at 9 October 2019, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority controlled storages are holding 43 per cent capacity (compared to October long-term average of 81 per cent).  This is a 1 per cent decrease since the water allocation announcement two weeks ago.

Water users will be provided with water allocation updates twice a month reflecting any improved water availability while water allocations remain under 100 per cent. The next update will be on 1 November 2019.

Private carryover has been granted to eligible entitlement holders. This allowed eligible unused water from 2018-19 to be carried over for use in 2019-20. Private carryover is a form of insurance and is currently boosting allocations of water users who elected to carry water over this year. The total allocation against your entitlement plus any carryover cannot exceed 100 per cent. These rules are reflected in the volume of water available to account holders following each allocation announcement.

You can stay up to date with DEW’s announcements here.

An Independent Panel appointed to independently study the social and economic conditions affecting communities in the Murray-Darling Basin is seeking your input to understand the lived experience of communities across the Basin.

As part of a broader stakeholder engagement, the online survey is intended to provide community members with the opportunity to express their vision and concerns for their community – it can be accessed at the link at the bottom of this post.

Participating in the survey will help the Panel to understand how people perceive the current social and economic health of their communities, and to identify the major opportunities and challenges facing Basin communities. The survey should take between 10-30 minutes, and your answers will be anonymous.
This survey is consistent with the discussions that are occurring throughout the basin in the next few weeks.

The survey can be accessed here.

The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) has announced that the minimum water allocation for South Australian irrigators has risen to 87 percent for 2019-20.

This is up from previously projected water allocations of:

• 14 per cent in April
• 22 per cent in May
• 26 per cent in June
• 31 per cent on 1 July
• 38 per cent on 15 July
• 50 per cent on 1 August
• 68 per cent on 15 August
• 74 per cent on 2 September
• 81 per cent on 16 September.

The increased allocation is based on the latest water availability advice from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

The seasonal outlook from October to December indicates that it is likely to be drier than average with warmer temperatures.

According to the projections, unless improvements in water availability for the remainder of 2019-20 are worse than for any year in the last 30, water allocations are likely to get to 100 per cent by the end of the water year.

 As at 1 October 2019, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority controlled storages have decreased to 44 per cent capacity since the last water allocation announcement two weeks ago.

Water users will be provided with water allocation updates twice a month reflecting any improved water availability while water allocations remain under 100 per cent. The next update will be on 15 October 2019.

Private carryover has been granted to eligible entitlement holders. This allowed eligible unused water from 2018-19 to be carried over for use in 2019-20. Private carryover is a form of insurance and it is currently boosting allocations of water users who elected to carry water over this year. The total allocation against your entitlement plus any carryover cannot exceed 100 per cent. These rules are reflected in the volume of water available to account holders following each allocation announcement.

You can stay up to date with DEW’s announcements here.

The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) has announced that the minimum water allocation for South Australian irrigators has risen to 81 percent for 2019-20.

Based on recent rainfall and water availability data, this is up from previously projected water allocations of: 14 per cent in April, 22 per cent in May, 26 per cent in June, 31 per cent on 1 July, 38 per cent on 15 July, 50 per cent on 1 August, 68 per cent on 15 August and 74 per cent on 2 September.
The increased allocation is based on the latest water availability advice from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

The seasonal outlook from October to December indicates that it is likely to be drier than average with warmer temperatures.

Water availability projections currently indicate that under exceptionally dry conditions water allocations are likely to get to 100 per cent.

As at 15 September 2019 the MDBA controlled storages have remained steady at 44 per cent capacity since the last water allocation announcement two weeks ago, even with water being released to care for the river and meet water requirements in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.

Water users will be provided with water allocation updates twice a month reflecting any improved water availability while water allocations remain under 100 per cent. The next update will be on 1 October.

You can stay up to date with DEW’s announcements here.

Recently, Trust representatives attended World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden. Organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the five day event (25-30 August), is a focal point for global water issues, providing an opportunity for participants to engage in conversations with a broad range of countries and NGO’s striving to improve lives through better water management. The following link is a reflection of this week, referencing the Renmark Irrigation Trust’s industry leading conduct, published in ICE WaRM’s (International Centre of Excellence in Water Resource Management) newsletter: https://www.icewarm.com.au/news/article/equity-in-water-sharing/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ICE%20WaRM%20Newsletter%205%20September&utm_content=ICE%20WaRM%20Newsletter%205%20September+CID_d5eaca88c62711e537f6a469bcfcf204&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Read%20moreView All News

The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) has announced that the minimum opening water allocation for South Australian irrigators has risen to 74 percent for 2019-20.

Based on recent rainfall and water availability data, this is up from previously projected water allocations of: 14 per cent in April, 22 per cent in May, 26 per cent in June, 31 per cent on 1 July, 38 per cent on 15 July, 50 per cent on 1 August and 68 per cent on 15 August.

After two consecutive years with low rainfall and inflows across the Murray-Darling Basin, the volume of water in Murray-Darling Basin Authority controlled storages is around 45 per cent of capacity and slowly increasing.

The latest information provided by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority shows an improvement to South Australia’s water resource availability by 40 gigalitres under a very dry scenario.

The latest rainfall forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology is not showing any significant rainfall over the coming two weeks, therefore the pace in allocation increases observed in the last few announcements might slow a little in mid-September.

Water users will be provided with water allocation updates twice a month reflecting any improved water availability while water allocations remain under 100 per cent. The next update will be on 16 September.

You can stay up to date with DEW’s announcements at the following link: https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/river-murray/water-allocation-and-carryover/water-allocations-and-announcements?fbclid=IwAR3AUL9nhgCSxoGNCYS_A9Ty8OiXe1TFcKapfUMH_zo9AtR_aGD2DG3gZag

The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) has today announced that the minimum opening water allocation for South Australian irrigators has risen to 68 percent for 2019-20.

Based on recent rainfall and water availability data, this is up from previously projected water allocations of: 14 per cent in April; 22 per cent in May; 26 per cent in June; 31 per cent on 1 July; 38 per cent on 15 July and 50 per cent on 1 August.

After two consecutive years with low rainfall and inflows across the Murray-Darling Basin, the volume of water in Murray-Darling Basin Authority controlled storages is around 41 per cent of capacity and slowly increasing.

An assessment of the likelihood of increased irrigation allocations currently indicates allocations will continue to rise in the 2019-20 water year.

We will continue to monitor resources conditions closely with the aim of increasing water allocations for the remainder of 2019 and into 2020.

Based on historical climate variability across the last 30 years, water availability projections indicate that water allocations are likely to reach 100 per cent in 2019-20 under all inflow scenarios.

Water users will be provided with water allocation updates twice a month reflecting any improved water availability while water allocations remain under 100 per cent. The next update will be on 2 September.

You can stay up to date with DEW’s announcements at the following link: https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/river-murray/water-allocation-and-carryover/water-allocations-and-announcements?fbclid=IwAR06u_FBX4jX7dNHpCZyCz6lMFSFYQatZQrWV9nue-JgflyNBZb5z_is_m4

For a useful explainer on River Murray water allocations, and the working relationship and different roles of the NSW, VIC, SA state governments and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, take a look at the following video, it’s a quick (less than 3 minute!) watch:https://vimeo.com/345603099

The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) has today announced that the minimum opening water allocation for South Australian irrigators has risen to 38 percent for 2019-20.

Based on recent rainfall and water availability data, this is up from previously projected water allocations of 14 percent in April, 22 percent in May, 26 percent in June and 31 percent on 1 July.

After two consecutive years with low rainfall and inflows across the Murray-Darling Basin, the volume of water in Murray-Darling Basin Authority controlled storages is around 38 per cent of capacity and slowly increasing.

Given that we have reached winter in-flow season, we will continue to monitor resources conditions closely with the aim of increasing water allocations for the remainder of 2019 and into 2020.

The next update will be on 1 August. Water users will be provided with water allocation updates twice a month reflecting any improved water availability while water allocations remain under 100 percent.

The full statements from DEW (and future updates) can be found at: 
https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/river-murray/water-allocation-and-carryover/water-allocations-and-announcements?fbclid=IwAR04YPOfaRY3fzmkJnwL_WhOSDm8WNJaFzBU9h8Ju9O8PsTPW-8L9wOCwEE

The availability of carryover water can serve as an important tool for irrigators in times of restricted water availability.

To help support irrigators, this private carryover video explains how any unused water from 2018-19 can be carried over for use in 2019-20, up to 20 percent of a user’s entitlement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FIRIcbzE1U&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0D91JmduofDX564qoU8waNziEefe4Hq7EGPnJKxs2Yde-zUX6uyFLsbzY