Wimmera Development Association and Wimmera Catchment Management Authority are leading a four-year socio-economic investigation to assess 25 lakes, weirs and rivers in the Wimmera and southern Mallee.

The investigation’s second-year results found more than 300,000 people visited these waterways in the 2017-18 financial year, generating an estimated economic contribution of $30.2 million.

The organisations have worked with councils, GWMWater and community groups.

Their aim is to establish a baseline set of data that will allow for longer-term studies to identify seasonal patterns, which in turn will help plan for tourism, recreation and infrastructure.

Authority chief executive David Brennan said the latest results gave the groups a solid understanding of what having healthy waterways meant for the region both economically and socially.

“The study confirmed a lot of the anecdotes and feelings that when a lake isn't producing yabbies or fish aren't biting for example, or a lake cannot be used due to algae, it has a significant impact on economic activity and visitor numbers,” he said.

“It allows us to start to accumulate some in-depth knowledge, particularly on the financial and social aspects, that over the long term will allow us to plan for better infrastructure and projects to improve water quality and achieve better outcomes.

“The data allows us to have different conversations with user groups and committees of management about the best options to get the most out of lakes and rivers.”

Mr Brennan said this was the first time such research had been completed in the region.

“There is a particular emphasis on longitudinal data, which will give us an analysis of both wet and dry years in the Wimmera,” he said.

“It creates the argument of the cost-benefit analysis for the use of water in landscapes. We’ve now got some good figures around it and what it generates.

“Over the next few weeks we'll continue to analyse the data, with a particular interest in the Wimmera River.”

Researchers also hope the results will help when advocating for state and federal funding for recreational water-related infrastructure and services.