Unregulated catchments and restrictions on diversions:
- Unregulated catchments contain waterways that do not have large dams or weirs controlling the streamflow. Water is taken directly from these systems by pumps or diverted to off-stream storages.
- Unregulated catchments may contain rivers, creeks and numerous small waterways, and provide water to landholders for irrigation, commercial or domestic and stock needs.
- Water availability in unregulated catchments is based purely on rainfall and run-off, not on storage. Therefore, water supplies are more susceptible to variation in streamflow, and less water is available in the drier months and in drought periods.
- Diversion of water in unregulated catchments is managed by water corporations through take and use licensing and local management plans.
- To ensure the equitable sharing of available water, local management plans include rules for restricting licence holder diversions through roster, restrictions or bans.
This file reports on the restriction status of streams as at the end of the month. As the status is taken from the last (or latest) day of the month, the status does not take into account any variation in restriction stages during the month. Roster/restriction stages vary between water corporations and waterways. A description of the restriction stages for each catchment/waterway is documented in the local management plans.