About the area
- The Kiewa River in northern Victoria is about 100 km long; it extends from the Bogong High Plains and drains northward to the Murray River.
- Within the region, most of the precipitation occurs as rain, while in winter snow falls above 1,400 m.
Average annual rainfall gradually increases from below 900 mm in the north to over 1800 mm at Mount Bogong in the southern headwaters. - Water in the Kiewa basin is used for power generation as well as agriculture and urban uses.
More information on water management and accounting is detailed in Water explained.
2021-22 overview
Available water
Catchment inflow was higher than the previous year.
Licensed diversion restrictions
Fewer restrictions on licensed diversions than the previous year.
Water use
More water was diverted for consumptive purposes than the previous year
When compared to the previous year, in 2021-22:
- more rainfall was received and catchment inflow was higher
- storages finished the year at lower levels
- there were fewer restrictions on licensed diversions from unregulated streams
- more water was diverted from the basin for consumptive uses.
Climate
Rainfall
In 2021-22, rainfall in the Kiewa basin was above average in most areas, much higher than the year before. Rainfall was:
- average in the south near Hotham Heights
- above average in the centre
- very much above average in the north around Wodonga.
River basin water balance
Reflecting the above average rainfall, in 2021-22 catchment inflow was higher than the previous year. However, there was less water in storages at the end of the year than in 2020-21. Above average inflow of 815,734 ML was received (121% of the long-term average of 676,700 ML), more than the previous year (80% of the long-term average).
In 2021-22, 9,033 ML of water was diverted for consumptive uses: town, domestic and stock, irrigation and commercial supply. This was more than the 8,021 ML diverted in the previous year. While an increase in use was reported, licensed diversions for irrigation were 983 ML less than last year – offset by a 2,015 ML increase in the estimation of small catchment dam use volume, causing the overall increase.
Water balance table
The table below shows the total volumes of water available and supplied from water resources in the Kiewa basin in 2021-22.
Table 1: Water balance, Kiewa basin
Storages
Major — greater than 1,000 ML — on-stream storages in the Kiewa basin are included in the water balance. Volumes in off-stream storages are presented for additional information about the resource condition.
An estimate of rainfall and evaporation for storages in the Kiewa basin has not been made, as data for these sites is not available.
Storage levels
Storage levels were 41% in June 2022.
Lower than the previous year
In June 2021 storage levels were 58% full.
Table 2: Storage levels, Kiewa 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 outflows, the known inflows and the net change in storage volume.
The volume of water flowing out of the Kiewa River into the Murray basin represented 94% of the Kiewa basin’s total inflows.
Above average inflow received
Catchment inflow was 121% of the long-term average of 676,700 ML.
More water received than last year
Higher than the previous year (80% 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 East Gippsland and North East .
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, Kiewa basin
Entitlements and compliance
Entitlements provide the basis for how water is shared in the basin.
Diversions under bulk entitlements are assessed against the Murray-Darling Basin annual cap target for the Murray-Kiewa-Ovens 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 Kiewa 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, Kiewa 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 the net trade in the basin.
Water taken under entitlements
There was 6,386 ML taken under entitlements in 2021-22, about the same as the year before (6,318 ML).
Restrictions on licensed diversions from unregulated streams
- There were no restrictions on licensed diversions from unregulated streams in 2021-22.
- Compared to the previous year when there was a peak of 16 streams with restrictions by February 2021.
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, about the same amount of water was taken under entitlements as the previous year.
Table 5: Available water and take, Kiewa 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 or 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 (6,386 ML) was within the volume available for the year (20,393 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
There are no environmental entitlements in the Kiewa basin, so no active environmental watering occurs.
However, important sites and environmental values in the Kiewa basin that depend on water for the environment include:
- Threatened remnant vegetation and Murray cod in the reaches of the West Kiewa River and lower Kiewa River
- Nationally significant Alpine wetlands, known as the Alpine sphagnum bogs and associated fens.
Water from the Kiewa basin also flows into the Murray basin, helping to maintain environmental assets in that basin.
Environmental water reserve
In 2021-22, water for the environment in the Kiewa basin comprised:
- water set aside for the environment:
- through flow-sharing arrangements
- through the operation of passing flow conditions on consumptive bulk entitlements held by North East Water and AGL Hydro Ltd
- through the operation of passing flow conditions on licensed diversions
- all other water in the basin not allocated for consumptive uses: this water also provides social, recreational and cultural benefits.
Management responsibilities
Management of water in the Kiewa basin is undertaken by various parties
| Authority | Management responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Goulburn-Murray Water |
|
| North East Water |
|
| AGL Hydro |
|
| North East Catchment Management Authority |
|
| Water supply system | 2021-22 (ML) | 2020-21 (ML) |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Beauty system | 365 | 345 |
| Yackandandah | 151 | 158 |
