Water

This section of the VRO website is a collaborative effort between the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) (external link) and Department of Primary Industries (DPI). Much of the content was developed within the former Department of Natural Resources and Environment. DSE is now the lead agency in Victoria for the management of water resources across the state. Visit the Water section of DSEs website (external link) for up to date information about: Victoria's Water Allocation Framework, River Health, Irrigation, Water in Cities and Towns, Water Saving and Recycling Projects as well as Water Governance Arrangements.

For our quality of life, agriculture and food industries, and the natural environment, there is no more important commodity than water. Managing and delivering water efficiently is therefore essential for Victoria's sustainable regional development.

These Water pages include maps and information on the water resource and water bodies; their use, management and conservation; rights and responsibilities of water users; and seasonal water status reports.

Status of Water Resources & Supplies
Monthly reports on:

Rainfall
Streamflows
Water Storages
Groundwater Levels
Urban Restrictions
Irrigation Restrictions
Irrigation Allocations
Seasonal Outlook

Victoria's Water Resources
Maps and supporting information:

Surface Water Resources
Groundwater Resources

Access to Water

Rights, responsibilities and opportunities:
Rights to Water
Development Opportunities
The Water Market
Wastewater Reuse
Dam Construction
Bore Construction
Wastewater Disposal
Emergency Water Supply Points
Water Authorities

>Water Resource Management

Groundwater Management Areas
Stream Condition
Water Quality
Groundwater Quality

see also Land and Water Management

Catchment Management Authorities
Landcare Groups
Catchment Condition
Land Degradation
Declared Water Supply Catchments
Floodplain Management
Salinity Management
Recent Reviews and Strategies

Related Links

In June 2004 the Victorian State Government announced the biggest program of water sector reform and water pricing in the State's history. Our Water Our Future (external link) is an 'action plan' to enable smarter water use and management across the State. It sets out 110 new initiatives for water conservation aimed at every sector of the community. It examines household use, industrial and agricultural use, recreation and tourism, environmental impacts, pricing, population increases and climate change to ensure there is plenty of water to sustain growth over the next 50 years.

Water Resources data

The Victorian Water Resources Data Warehouse (external link) is dedicated to disseminating up-to-date information on Victoria’s water resources. The site gives access to both raw and summary data on both water quality and quantity throughout Victoria, and is a central repository for published documents produced from this data.

A wide range of Victorian Resources data can be accessed via MapShare (external link) in the form of an interactive map, using information from DSE. This information includes active water quantity sites, active water quality sites, active Waterwatch sites, Index of Stream Condition sites, active EPA sites, and groundwater bores.

Water Education Resources

Community involvement is at the forefront of many programs. Saltwatch (external link), Waterwatch (external link), Fishcare and other programs play both an educational and a monitoring role.

Waterwatch Victoria maintains a WaterNet site linking to a range of water educational resources on the web.

Australia Wide Information

Water Resources in Australia - information on: Australia's river basins; surface water management areas; groundwater provinces; drainage divisions - on the Australian Natural Resources Atlas website (external link)

Nutrient Loads to Australian Rivers and Estuaries - on the Australian Natural Resources Atlas website.

Inland Waters Theme Report - prepared for State of the Environment (SOE) 2001 reporting - on the Department of the Environment and Heritage website (external link). Includes information on: water resources, water quality, and aquatic ecosystems in Australia.

Information Notes

The DPI Information Notes series include Landcare Notes, Groundwater Notes, Agriculture Notes, Flora & Fauna Notes and Land for Wildlife Notes.

Notes are also categorised by themes such as 'Difficult Seasonal Conditions'.

Further Information

The following references contain more detailed information on Victoria's water resources, their use, management and conservation. These references were drawn upon extensively in preparing the material for this website.

Atlas of Victoria,J.S. Duncan (ed.), 1982, VGPO,

Chapter 8: Water Resources, R.E. Holmes
Chapter 9: Groundwater, C.R. Lawrence

Water Victoria: A Resource Handbook, Dept. Water Resources, 1989

Water Victoria: An Environmental Handbook, Dept. Water Resources, 1989

Water Victoria: The Next 100 Years, Dept. Conservation and Environment, 1991

Available from the DPI and DSE Information Centre or DPI and DSE Library Information Services.