Catchment Management Arrangements

Declared Water Supply Catchments

Some of the main catchment management issues in the Wimmera catchment include native vegetation clearing, dryland salinity, water quality and soil erosion. In fact, more than 1% of the land’s productive capacity has been lost due to salinity while the upper Wimmera River catchment contains some of the most sever soil erosion in Victoria and water quality throughout the 1990’s has been well below minimum standards (Wimmera Catchment Co-ordinating Group, 1992). Community groups have prepared Regional Catchment Strategies for the Wimmera region in response to such issues. Management Plans have focussed on:

• Land management: particularly with respect to productivity and environmental impacts of agricultural practices, but also on other minor land uses such as urban, industrial, mining, recreation and forestry
• Stream frontage and floodplain management
• Water quality management
• Water supply management
• Native vegetation and wildlife management
• Fisheries management
• Invasive plants and animal management
• Cultural heritage management

Key strategic actions to protect and enhance regional biodiversity in streams have been identified in the Wimmera Dryland Salinity Management Plan and Community Action Plan produced by Trust for Nature (DNRE, 1997). Other relevant reports (produced by the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority (external link) and the former DNRE include:

WCMA, (1999) Regional Rural Drainage Strategy, Horsham.

WCMA, (1999) Wimmera Waterway Management Strategy, Horsham.

WCMA, Wimmera Regional Roadside Management Strategy, (Draft), Horsham.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment, (1997), Draft Management Plans, Wimmera Heritage River, Melbourne.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment, (1997). Wimmera River and Environs Action Program, Horsham.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment and University of Ballarat, Centre for Environmental Management, (1997) Yarriambiack Creek Management Plan.

References

Wimmera Catchment Co-ordinating Group, (1992) Wimmera River: Integrated Catchment Management Strategy, Final Report, National Soil Conservation Program, Victoria.

WCMA, (1999) Regional Rural Drainage Strategy. Horsham.

WCMA, (1999) Wimmera Waterway Management Strategy. Horsham.

WCMA, Wimmera Regional Roadside Management Strategy, (Draft). Horsham.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment, (1997). Draft Management Plans, Wimmera Heritage River, Melbourne.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment, (1997). Wimmera River and Environs Action Program, Horsham.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment and University of Ballarat, Centre for Environmental Management, (1997) Yarriambiack Creek Management Plan.

Catchment Planning

Catchment Planning in the Wimmera is based upon the conditions established the region’s two Declared (Proclaimed) Water Supply Catchments (DWSC). The Land Conservation Council (LCC) previously had jurisdiction over these proclamations. The LCC was charged with approving any proposed ‘Determination of Land Use’ (now known as a Special Area Plan) put forward by the former Soil Conservation Authority (SCA). The Determination of Land Use generally established permissible land and water uses within the defined area and stipulated planning controls and potential hazards to the proclaimed water supply.