About the area
- The Eildon Groundwater Management Area (GMA) extends from the Victorian Alps to the dam wall at Eildon. Comprising the Upper Goulburn River, Big River, Jamieson River, Delatite River, Howqua River, Merton Creek, Brankeet Creek and Ford Creek catchments.
- Rural centres within the boundary include Eildon, Mansfield, Jamieson and Howqua.
- The water authority responsible for managing groundwater in the Eildon GMA is Goulburn-Murray Water.
- The Eildon Groundwater Management Area Local Management Plan applies to groundwater resources to a depth of 200 m below ground surface. Domestic and stock bores are typically constructed in the fractured rock aquifer to a depth of less than 100 m below surface.
- More information on the GMA can be found on the Goulburn-Murray website.
Groundwater level trends
Although there are no observation bores currently monitoring groundwater levels in the Eildon GMA, historical records indicate that groundwater levels in both aquifers of this GMA are generally within five metres of the ground surface and fluctuate in response to rainfall. Goulburn-Murray Water reported that rainfall in the Eildon GMA in 2021-22 was above average.
Table 1: Groundwater level trends, Eildon GMA
Groundwater restrictions
There were no restrictions on licensed use for the Eildon GMA in 2021-22.
Entitlements and use
Groundwater is available for licensed (non-urban) supply and for domestic and stock use.
Entitlement volumes
Table 2: Groundwater entitlements at 30 June, Eildon GMA
Available water and use
The table below shows the total water available and used under entitlements, and estimated domestic and stock use in 2021-22. Total water available under entitlements is the sum of: opening carryover, allocation issued and the net of the in/out trade of water.
Estimated domestic and stock use is calculated based on an assumed usage per registered bore per year. In this GMA, 2 ML usage per bore per year is assumed.
More information on groundwater use and availability has been detailed in the How do we account for section.
Table 3: Groundwater availability and use, Eildon GMA
Compliance
Compliance against water entitlements is reported for this groundwater management unit (GMU) in two areas:
- entitlement issued: the volume of entitlements issued in the GMU does not exceed relevant PCVs or has not increased without appropriate approvals
- water extracted: the volume of water taken under entitlements during the year does not exceed the total water available to licence holders.
Key points on compliance against entitlements
Entitlement volume did not exceed the PCV
The volume of entitlements (645 ML) in the Eildon GMA did not exceed the PCV (1,496 ML).
Total volume extracted under licences was within the available volume
The total volume extracted under licences (196 ML) was within the volume available for the year (645 ML).
Table 4: PCV vs total entitlement volumes, Eildon GMA
Management responsibilities
Management of water in the Eildon GMA is undertaken by Goulburn-Murray Water.
| Authority | Management responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Goulburn-Murray Water |
|
