Access to recreation water in the Wimmera-Mallee water supply system will be formalised following completion of a review into the way water in the system is shared among water corporations and the environment.
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GWMWater Managing Director Mark Williams said he was confident community expectations would be able to be met in relation to access to recreation water when the Wimmera Glenelg Bulk Entitlement Order is reset.
"GWMWater has co-coordinated an exhaustive consultative process with bulk water entitlement holders, relevant stakeholders and the broader community to review the performance of the operating rules for managing the region's major water reservoirs since construction of the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline," Mr Williams said.
The Wimmera Glenelg Bulk Entitlement review found that, three years after it began, the Wimmera-Mallee bulk and environmental entitlements system is being managed in line with objectives.
The review resulted in 40 recommendations to improve the way the system operates.
"There was consensus among water entitlement holders that there were parts of the region serviced by the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline where it was assumed that they would continue to have access to recreation water."
This was not reflected in previous arrangements, resulting in a key recommendation from the review to reset GWMWater's recreation entitlement from 2,590ML to 3,090ML.
Walkers Lake will replace Lake Batyo Catyo as the recreation lake for the Donald and St Arnaud region, because it is a more reliable option than Lake Batyo Catyo, a position supported by the Regional Recreational Water Users Group.
This will have the added benefits of improving natural flows and environmental outcomes down the Richardson River.
Green Lake, near Horsham, may also be suitable for improving natural flows and environmental outcomes down the Richardson River.