About the area
- The Lower Campaspe Valley Water Supply Protection Area (WSPA) extends from Lake Eppalock in the south to the River Murray in the north.
- Rural centres within the boundary include Axedale, Goornong, Elmore, Lockington, Rochester and Echuca.
- The water authority responsible for managing groundwater in the Lower Campaspe WSPA is Goulburn-Murray Water.
- The Lower Campaspe WSPA Groundwater Management Plan applies to groundwater for all depths, except where it is overlain by the Shepparton Irrigation Region GMA and the Campaspe West Salinity Management Plan area. In these areas, the Lower Campaspe Valley WSPA applies to the management of groundwater resources downwards from 25 m.
- More information on the WSPA can be found on the Goulburn-Murray website.
Groundwater level trends
Table 1: Groundwater level trends, Lower Campaspe Valley WSPA
Groundwater restrictions
75% restriction in the Lower Campaspe Valley
Licence holders in the Lower Campaspe Valley WSPA were restricted to 75% of their licence volume in 2021-22. This is the second time a restriction has been placed on licensed groundwater extraction since the Lower Campaspe Valley WSPA Groundwater Management Plan was implemented.
Entitlements and use
Groundwater entitlements have been issued for licensed (non-urban) use and urban supply to Elmore in the Lower Campaspe Valley WSPA. Groundwater is also available for domestic and stock use.
Entitlement volumes
Table 2: Groundwater entitlements at 30 June, Lower Campaspe Valley WSPA
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 WSPA, 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, Lower Campaspe Valley WSPA
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 (55,860 ML) in the Lower Campaspe Valley WSPA did not exceed the PCV (55,875 ML).
Total volume extracted under licences was within the available volume
The total volume extracted under licences (25,468 ML) was within the volume available for the year (53,552 ML).
Table 4: PCV vs total entitlement volumes, Lower Campaspe Valley WSPA
Management responsibilities
Management of water in the Lower Campaspe Valley WSPA is undertaken by Goulburn-Murray Water.
| Authority | Management responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Goulburn-Murray Water |
|
