Declared Special Areas (Water Supply Catchments)

Declared Water Supply Catchments in Victoria

Formally known as Proclaimed Water Supply Catchments, DWSCs are the basis for catchment planning and management under the provisions of the Catchment and Land Protection Act, 1994. (formerly the Soil Conservation and Land Utilization Act, 1958).

Under this Act, Declared Special Areas (Water Supply Catchments) officially recognise designated catchments for water supply purposes. This process highlights to the community, land managers and planners, the importance of the catchment for water supply purposes.

Declaration is now initiated by the Catchment Management Authority's (CMA) recommendation to the relevant State Government Minister. Following Ministerial approval, notification is made in the Government Gazette.

There are eighteen DWSCs within the Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Management Region, the largest being the Rocklands Reservoir, which lies on the border of the Wimmera and Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Management Regions.

Rocklands Reservoir

The Declared Water Supply Catchments map shows those catchment areas as proclaimed under the Soil Conservation and Land Utilization Act, 1958 in conjunction with the Land Conservation Act, 1970. This layer identifies domestic Water Supply Catchments that are subject to a Land Use Determination or a Land Use Notice. Data was derived from the proclaimed water supply catchment (L100) layer in the DPI/DSEs Corporate Geospatial Data Library. Mapping was undertaken by the Centre for Land Protection Research.

Declared Water Supply Catchments Glenelg Region

Declared Water Supply Catchments (DWSCs):