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Latest information about where, when and why environmental water may be delivered to the Goulburn River and the environmental objectives being targeted is available in this year’s seasonal watering plan.
The seasonal watering plan also contains information about how environmental flows could support cultural, social, recreational and economic values in the Goulburn River.
Watering data for the Goulburn River and the wider northern region is updated quarterly. Visit current watering releases to find out more.
To find out the current environmental water entitlements held by the VEWH in the Goulburn River visit our water holdings.
Waterway managers
Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority
Melbourne Water
Storage manager
Environmental Water Holders
Victorian Environmental Water Holder (including the Living Murray program)
Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
Traditional Owners
Taungurung Land and Waters Council (TLaWC) has a Recognition and Settlement Agreement with the Victorian Government and is the statutory authority for the management of Aboriginal heritage values and culture, under the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.
Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation (YYNAC) has a Recognition and Settlement Agreement with the Victorian Government and is the statutory authority for the management of Aboriginal heritage values and culture, under the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.
System overview
The Goulburn is Victoria’s largest river basin, covering over 1.6 million ha or 7.1 per cent of the state. The Goulburn River flows for 570 km from the Great Dividing Range upstream of Woods Point to the Murray River east of Echuca. It is an ancient, iconic river rich with environmental, cultural and recreational values.
There are several environmental water holders in the Goulburn system. The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) holds the largest volume, and the use of Commonwealth Water Holdings is critical to achieving outcomes in the Goulburn River, as well as priority environmental sites further downstream. Water for the environment held on behalf of the Living Murray program may assist in meeting objectives in the Goulburn system en route to icon sites in the Murray system. Water held by the VEWH in the Goulburn system is primarily used to meet environmental objectives in the Goulburn River and the Goulburn wetlands, but it can also be used to support environmental objectives at downstream sites along the Murray River and in South Australia.
The construction and operation of Lake Eildon and Goulburn Weir have significantly altered the natural flow regime of the Goulburn River. Water harvesting during wet periods and releases to meet irrigation and other consumptive demands during dry periods means the flow below these structures is typically low in winter/spring and high in summer/autumn. This is the reverse of the natural seasonal flow pattern. Land use changes and the construction of small dams and drainage schemes have further modified the Goulburn River’s flow regime. Levees and other structures prevent water from inundating the floodplain and filling many of the natural wetlands and billabongs. Several tributaries, including the Acheron, Yea and Broken rivers, join the Goulburn River downstream of Lake Eildon and can add some flow variation to the river’s regulated flows. Large floods that cause the Goulburn River’s storages to fill and spill are also important for the overall flow regime and its associated environmental values.
The priority environmental flow reaches in the Goulburn River are downstream of Goulburn Weir (reaches 4 and 5), collectively called the lower Goulburn River. The mid-Goulburn River extends from Lake Eildon to Goulburn Weir (reaches 1 to 3). From early spring to late autumn, large volumes of water are delivered from Lake Eildon to Goulburn Weir to supply the irrigation system. During that period, the flow in the mid-Goulburn River is usually well above the recommended environmental flow targets. Deliveries of water for the environment have the most benefit in the mid-Goulburn River (especially in reach 1 immediately downstream of Lake Eildon) outside the irrigation season when releases from Lake Eildon are often much lower than natural.
Environmental flow targets in the lower Goulburn River can sometimes be met by the coordinated delivery of operational water being transferred from Lake Eildon to the Murray River. These inter-valley transfers (IVTs) occur during the irrigation season between spring and autumn and may meet environmental flow objectives without the need to release water for the environment. IVTs in the Goulburn River can significantly exceed the environmental flow recommendations for summer and early autumn, damaging bank vegetation and eroding riverbanks. A new Goulburn to Murray trade rule and operating plan was introduced in 2022-23 to prevent further damage to the lower Goulburn River from a prolonged high flow over summer and autumn. Wet conditions between 2021-22 and 2023-24 have meant only small volumes of IVTs have been delivered from the Goulburn system in recent years, so the impact of the new trade rules and operating plan on environmental assets is yet to be fully assessed.
Environmental values
The Goulburn River and its tributaries support a range of native fish (including golden perch, silver perch, Murray cod, trout cod, Macquarie perch and freshwater catfish), turtles, platypus and rakali (water rats). Aquatic vegetation, scour holes and woody debris within the channel provide high-quality habitat for adult and juvenile fish. River red gums are a dominant feature of the streamside zone along the length of the Goulburn River. These trees shade the river and provide habitat for many species, including the squirrel glider. Leaves that fall from the river red gums provide carbon that supports riverine food webs, and dead trees that fall into the river provide a surface for biofilms and waterbugs and habitat for fish. Birds (such as egrets, herons and cormorants) use trees along the river to roost and feed, while frogs benefit from shallow vegetated habitats at the edge of the river channel and in adjacent wetlands.
The Goulburn River system is an important conservation area for threatened species. Several wetlands in the Goulburn catchment are formally recognised for their conservation significance. Tributaries of the mid-Goulburn River between Lake Eildon and Goulburn Weir host some of the last remaining Macquarie perch populations in the Murray-Darling Basin, while freshwater catfish occur in lagoons connected to reach 3 of the Goulburn River. Citizen science monitoring programs indicate the mid-Goulburn River supports a strong population of platypus, which are now classified as vulnerable under Victoria’s Fauna and Flora Guarantee Act 1988. Monitoring in recent years shows that environmental flows in the lower Goulburn River trigger golden perch and silver perch to spawn. However, the extent to which these spawning events contribute to populations locally and in the wider southern basin is unknown. Self-sustaining populations of Murray cod have been confirmed, and trout cod are extending their range in the lower Goulburn River.
Page last updated: 05/12/24