ENVIRONMENTAL WATER RELEASES BEGIN DOWN THE WEST BRANCH

Releases of environmental water for the 2023-24 water year began on the 2nd of February 2024 at a rate of 2 megalitres per day down the west branch of the upper Barwon River and on the 7th of February increased to 5 megalitres per day.

These flows are on top of the minimum passing flow that Barwon Water release down the west branch and any natural flow that might be in the river. These dry season (December-May) releases are the highest priority when planning releases from the Upper Barwon River Environmental Entitlement. They aim to maintain permanent water in the channel/pools to provide habitat to support resident and migratory fish, platypus and waterbugs.

While releases are taking place, Corangamite CMA monitors weather conditions, flow rate, water level and the volume of water left in the entitlement.

It is important to note that the risk of inundating private property and the size of the environmental entitlement limits the volume of water that Corangamite CMA can release from the environmental entitlement each day.

The current environmental entitlement can have the greatest effect on the river reaches between the West Barwon Reservoir and Winchelsea, with diminishing benefit to the reaches downstream. In a dry climate scenario, environmental water releases may not be enough to prevent a cease-flow in the mid reaches of Barwon River.