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Southern Rural Water declares spill entitlement in MID, boosting farmers' allocations as Lake Glenmaggie nears capacity

Southern Rural Water has declared a spill for Macalister Irrigation District customers until 16 September, providing water above 100% allocation as Lake Glenmaggie nears capacity at 98% following strong winter inflows.

By news@gippsland - 11th September 2025 - Back to News

Southern Rural Water declared a spill in the Macalister Irrigation District (MID) on Tuesday 2 September that will be reviewed until Tuesday, 16 September. Declaring a 'spill' means the water ordered and used from the start of the season through to the 16 September is considered over and above the customers' 100% allocation.

The spill boosts MID customers, with 100% HRWS secured early. Lake Glenmaggie sits 98% full, as warmer conditions drive stronger irrigation demand

Spill entitlement declared

After 16 September, we will continue to review spill entitlement on a regular basis and let customers and the community know if it gets extended. The spill will be a welcome boost to MID customers. We have built 100% HRWS early in the season to give customers the confidence to plan their irrigations in advance.

Customer demand has been low since the start of the season to date. Current warm and dry weather, along with available spill water, has increased demand and we remind irrigators that they may experience some wait times due to stronger demand.

Lake Glenmaggie full

Lake Glenmaggie, the storage facility supplying the water entitlements for farms in the MID, is currently 98% full (176,732ML). When the volume levels trigger our release management plan, we make controlled releases to protect the dam and minimise the risk of flooding for communities downstream.

The healthy inflows over winter at Lake Glenmaggie and predicted rainfall for the rest of spring has underpinned our decision to declare spill entitlement for all Macalister Irrigation District customers. Lake Glenmaggie daily storage levels can be found at Southern Rural Water website.

Pictures from Southern Rural Water website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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