By Bronwyn Hastings

The Wimmera-Glenelg system’s water storages have shown an overall average increase in volume during the past 12 months, from being 37.52 per cent to 38.57 per cent full, making summer restrictions ‘unlikely’.

June’s above-average rainfall generated 24,469 megalitres of inflow to storages and represented the highest inflow month of the 2025-26 water year. 

GWMWater water resources manager Scott Smith said the region was in a reasonable position.

“Our catchments, right now, are effectively primed, which means the soil profile is already wet after two months of average rainfall,” he said.

“System storages have increased over the previous month, leading into the main inflow period for our system, which is between July and October. 

“Historically this period has contributed 75 per cent of the yearly inflow to system storage.”

In the past 12 months, volume at Lake Bellfield has increased by five percent and is sitting at 70 per cent full.

Lake Fyans has seen a 10 per cent increase, now 80 per cent full; Moora Moora Reservoir is up 32 per cent to 54 per cent full; Taylors Lake has increased 28 per cent to be 68 per cent full; Lake Wartook has seen a 21 per cent increase, now 48 per cent full; and Mt Cole Reservoir has increased 28 per cent to be 99 per cent full. 

Mr Smith said the improvements were sufficient to post an opening allocation of 12 per cent to Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline Product entitlements. Eleven gigalitres was also allocated to the early system reserve. 

Volumes have decreased at four storages – Lake Lonsdale has lost one per cent and is now sitting at 19 per cent full; Rocklands Reservoir is down three per cent to be 30 per cent full; Lake Toolondo is 22 per cent full, losing 10 per cent; and Green Lake has lost 19 per cent to be 28 per cent full. 

No allocation was possible to Glenelg River compensation flow, recreation, wetland and Commonwealth environmental entitlements.

“Storages would be expected to increase through the winter-spring period, however the magnitude of increase will depend on climatic conditions such as rainfall and evaporation,” Mr Smith said. 

“Localised events can also result in some storages experiencing greater increases.

“Water restrictions remain unlikely for GWMWater supplied towns over the next six months, although water resources will continue to be monitored closely.”

Permanent water-saving rules apply across the region. 

These include: home and commercial gardens can only be watered between 6pm and 10am when using watering systems; gardens can be watered any time using a hand held hose with a trigger nozzle, a watering can or bucket; and water cannot be used to clean hard surfaces such as concrete, paths and driveways. 

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