The acquisition of environmental water by the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments represents a significant investment in aquatic ecosystem health and rehabilitation. The Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) currently holds approximately 634 GL of environmental water in Victoria (long term average), while the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) holds an additional 543 GL.
Maximising the efficiency and effectiveness of environmental water use requires that the ecological objectives and outcomes predicted for environmental watering allocations are clearly demonstrated and experience(s) learnt captured within an adaptive management framework. Monitoring environmental water delivery in selected regulated rivers commenced in 2007 with the Victorian Environmental Flow Monitoring and Assessment Program (VEFMAP).
A similar large-scale, co-ordinated approach to assessing the effectiveness of environmental water application in wetlands has yet to be established. This gap was highlighted in the Victorian Waterway Management Strategy (2013), which contains an action to develop a program to monitor the ecological response of priority wetlands to environmental watering. In response, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) commenced development of the Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment Program (WetMAP), with a view to implementing the program over an initial five years, including four years of monitoring and annual reporting, and detailed evaluation of the response of wetland ecosystems to the delivery of Victorian environmental water in the fifth year.
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