What is the environmental water reserve?

The environment’s share of water is called the Environmental Water Reserve (EWR). The EWR can be held in storage and released to a river, it can be run-of-river flow and it can be groundwater. The EWR is defined in section 4A of the Water Act 1989 and comprises water set aside for the environment through:

• Environmental entitlements;
• Bulk entitlements held by the Minister for Environment;
  
• Conditions on bulk entitlements and water licences;
• Provisions in Water Supply Protection Area management plans;
• Any other provision of the Water Act 1989 or regulations, including for example permissible consumptive volumes; and
• Provisions of the Murray Darling Basin Act 1993 and the Groundwater (Border Agreement) Act 1985.

Management of environmental water

The EWR is managed to preserve the environmental values and health of water ecosystems, including their biodiversity, ecological function and quality of water, and the other uses that depend on environmental condition (section 4B).

From an operational perspective, the EWR includes two types of water:

• Water that is held in storage and actively managed to meet specific environmental needs (environmental entitlements); and
• Water that is available as a result of rules on consumptive use (conditions on bulk entitlements and water licences, management plans and caps on water use).

Who are the environmental water reserve managers?

Waterway management and general river health management is the responsibility of Catchment Management Authorities and Melbourne Water (Part 10, Water Act 1989).

Environmental entitlements are held by the Minister for Environment, who delegates management responsibility to Catchment Management Authorities and Melbourne Water.

Catchment Management Authorities and Melbourne Water work with the holders of bulk entitlements and water licences to manage other environmental water.

Water authorities are responsible for administering and enforcing management plans for water supply protection areas.