About the area
- The Campaspe basin is in north-central Victoria. It extends 150 km from the Great Dividing Range north to the Murray River and is 45 km across at its widest point.
- The basin experiences hot summers, particularly in the north. Annual rainfall varies from over 900 mm in the southern headwaters to around 400 mm at Echuca.
- Most of the basin has been cleared for agriculture; however significant forested areas remain in the Axe Creek catchment and on the southern hills. Dryland farming produces cereal crops, beef cattle, lambs and wool, while farming under irrigation is popular in the lower catchment for dairying and fruit and vine growing.
More information on water management and accounting is detailed in Water .
2021-22 overview
Available water
Catchment inflow was higher than the previous year.
Licensed diversion restrictions
The same number of restrictions on licensed diversions than the previous year.
Seasonal determinations
Campaspe system reached 100% allocation to high-reliability water shares – the same as the previous year.
Water use
A similar volume of water was diverted for consumptive purposes to the previous year.
When compared to the previous year, in 2021-22:
- more rainfall was received, catchment inflow was higher and storage levels peaked and declined at slightly higher levels.
- seasonal allocations were similar to the year before, with high-reliability entitlements reaching 100% allocation a month earlier
- restrictions on licensed diversions from unregulated streams were similar
- a similar volume of water was diverted from the basin for consumptive uses.
Climate
Rainfall
Rainfall in the Campaspe basin was above average in most areas, higher than the year before. Rainfall was:
- above average in the north around Echuca and west toward Bendigo
- average in the east from Elmore down to Woodend in the south.
River basin water balance
In 2021-22, 41,826 ML of water was diverted for consumptive uses: town, domestic and stock, irrigation and commercial supply. This was similar to the 39,398 ML diverted in the previous year.
Water balance table
The table below shows the total volumes of water available and supplied from water resources in the Campaspe basin in 2021-22.
Table 1: Water balance, Campaspe basin
Storages
Major — greater than 1,000 ML — on-stream storages in the Campaspe basin are included in the water balance.
Storage levels
Storage levels in the Campaspe basin were 56% on 30 June 2022.
Higher than the previous year
On 30 June 2021 storage levels were 45% full.
Table 2: Storage levels, Campaspe basin
Catchment inflow
Catchment inflow represents the volume of water flowing into the waterways of a basin. It is calculated to be the difference between the total outflow, the known inflow and the net change in storage volume.
Below average catchment inflow received
Catchment inflow was 57% of the long-term average annual volume of 258,600 ML.
More than the previous year
Catchment inflow was higher than the previous year (43% of the long-term average).
Wastewater treatment plants
Water treated at wastewater treatment plants can be used to supplement water available in the basin. Water discharged to waterways from treatment plants is included as an inflow to the water balance.
Information on treatment plants is now reported in the Water Supply local reports for the water corporation responsible for managing the plant.
In this basin, wastewater treatment plants are managed by Coliban and Greater Western .
Small catchment dams
Water harvested, used and lost by small catchment dams (farm dams) is included in the water balance.
Table 3: Small catchment dams, Campaspe basin
Entitlements and compliance
Entitlements provide the basis for how water is shared in the basin.
Entitlements to water in regulated systems in the Campaspe basin provide for the right to carry over unused allocation to the next season. In the Campaspe basin, these entitlement holders can carry over unused water up to 100% of their entitlement volume; any unused water above this amount is written off as an end-of-season forfeiture. Water held above entitlement volume is also subject to a risk of spill. There were no spill events in 2021-22 affecting customers’ spillable water accounts.
Diversions under bulk entitlements are assessed against the Murray-Darling basin annual cap target for the Campaspe valley. Details of this assessment are published annually in the MDBA’s cap register and annual water take report.
Since 2019/20, the diversions are also assessed against the annual permitted takes under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) compliance reporting which are annually published in the MDBA’s SDL accounts register of take and the Inspector-General of Water Compliance’s SDL compliance statement.
Entitlement volumes
Rights to water in the Campaspe basin are shown in table 4 below.
Entitlement volumes represent a maximum volume that can be taken in a one-year period. The volume available in a particular year is dependent on the rules for allocating water set out in the entitlement and the seasonal conditions in that year, which varies. The rules for allocating water under an entitlement can differ between entitlements and systems. This affects the ability and likelihood of water being taken in a particular year.
Table 4: Annual entitlement volumes at 30 June, Campaspe basin
Available water and take under entitlements
Total water available under entitlements represents the volume of water that was available to be taken by entitlement holders in 2021-22. The volume includes carryover from the previous year, seasonal allocations and net trade into the basin.
Water available under entitlements
There was 122,353 ML made available under entitlements in 2021-22. This is more than what was available the previous year (110,624 ML).
Water taken under entitlements
There was 67,614 ML taken under entitlements in 2021-22, more than the year before (57,759 ML).
Seasonal allocations
High-reliability entitlement allocations opened at 14% and reached 100% in September 2021 (1 month earlier than the previous year). There was no seasonal determination for low-reliability water shares.
Restrictions on licensed diversions from unregulated rivers
Restrictions on licensed diversions from unregulated streams in 2021-22 were similar to the previous year.
- Total bans were in place for Cornella Creek and Wanalta Creek for the whole year
- Diversions from Axe Creek, Emu Creek, McIvor Creek, Mt Ida Creek, Sheep Wash Creek, and Sweenies Creek were banned throughout July 2021 and lifted from August to November.
- There was a peak of 17 streams with total bans on licensed diversions in place by March 2022, the same amount as the previous year.
- There were no restrictions in place for Coliban River, Meadow Valley Creek, Mia Mia Creek, and Native Gully Creek for the entirety of 2021-22.
Available water and take table
This table shows the volume of available water and the volume taken under entitlements in 2021-22.
More information on available water and take has been detailed in the How do we account for surface section on the How do we account for water page.
In 2021-22, more water was available and taken under entitlements than the previous year.
Table 5: Available water and take, Campaspe basin
Compliance
Compliance against water entitlements is reported for this basin in three areas:
- entitlement issued: the volume of entitlements issued in a basin does not exceed formal caps, and has not increased without appropriate approvals
- water taken: the volume of water taken during the year does not exceed the volume considered to be available for consumptive and/or in-stream use during that year
- bulk entitlement provisions: holders of entitlements do not breach any provisions that are documented in their bulk entitlement orders.
Total entitlement volume
There was no net increase in the total entitlement volume from the previous year.
Total volume diverted
The total volume diverted (67,614 ML) was within the volume available for the year (122,353 ML).
Individual bulk entitlements
No individual bulk entitlement holder took more than the annual volume made available to them.
Exceptions to compliance
Individual bulk entitlement holders complied with all provisions in their entitlements.
Water for the environment
Environmental watering sites
Environmental watering sites and environmental values in the Campaspe basin that depend on water for the environment include:
- several native fish species, including Murray cod, silver perch, golden perch, Murray-Darling rainbowfish and flat-headed gudgeon
- Platypus, rakali (water rats), turtles and frogs are also present along the length of the river
- riparian vegetation is dominated by large, mature river red gum trees that support wildlife (such as the swift parrot and squirrel glider)
Water from the Campaspe basin also feeds into the Murray basin, helping to maintain internationally significant environmental assets (such as Gunbower Forest and Kerang Wetlands) in that basin.
Environmental water reserve
In 2021-22, water for the environment in the Campaspe basin comprised:
- the Campaspe River Environmental Entitlement 2013, comprising 20,652 ML of high-reliability and 2,966 ML of low-reliability entitlements held by the VEWH
- the Environmental Entitlement (Campaspe River – Living Murray Initiative) 2007, comprising 126 ML of high-reliability and 5,048 ML of low-reliability entitlements held by the VEWH
- 6,594 ML of high-reliability water shares and 395 ML of low-reliability water shares held for the environment
- water set aside for the environment through the operation of passing flows which are able to be flexibly managed (temporarily reduced, and then released at a later date) for the Victorian Environmental Water Holder, on consumptive bulk entitlements held by Coliban Water and Goulburn-Murray Water
- water set aside for the environment through the operation of passing flow conditions:
- on consumptive bulk entitlements held by Greater Western Water
- on licensed diversions
- all other water in the basin not allocated for consumptive uses: this water also provides social, recreational and cultural benefits.
Environmental water use
In 2021-22, a total of 32,779 ML of environmental water was delivered in-stream in the Campaspe basin. This includes 214 ML of passing flows withheld then delivered under the Bulk Entitlement (Campaspe System – Coliban Water) Conversion Order 1999.
Management responsibilities
Management of water in the Campaspe basin is undertaken by various parties
| Authority | Management responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Goulburn-Murray Water |
|
| Coliban Water |
|
| Western Water |
|
| North Central Catchment Management Authority |
|
| Water supply system | 2020-22 (ML) | 2020-21 (ML) |
|---|---|---|
| Goornong | 84 | 72 |
| Main integrated system | 184 | 273 |
| Bendigo system | 13,411 | 13,730 |
| Castlemaine system | 2,037 | 2,263 |
| Heathcote system | 370 | 312 |
| Kyneton system | 1,053 | 1,079 |
| Trentham | 140 | 140 |
