Real-time water resources information used for water sharing in a Tasmanian irrigation community

For the first time in Tasmania, federated real-time water resources data are being used by a community of irrigators for managing water availability for irrigation and environmental requirements, i.e. in the Ringarooma River catchment, north-east Tasmania. Data include observed weather, soil water, stream flow, and water quality, and daily forecasts of rainfall and stream flow. These data are accessed via a customised website that provides near-real-time information. Irrigators cooperate through a water users group, and aim to avoid flows decreasing below an environmental threshold that would trigger a 'cease-to-take' regulation that may occur during the dry season when irrigation demands are high. At times when there is high risk of a cease-to-take declaration occurring, irrigators coordinate within and outside the group, and with the regulator, to reduce extractions of water from the river and coordinate releases of stored water. Adopting data-driven real-time management has contributed to the avoidance of cease-to-take declarations during the past two years, despite increased irrigation. Several novel aspects of this project include: federating irrigator-relevant data from multiple agencies, daily stream flow forecasts (from the eWater 'Source' model), localised weather forecasts (from a national meteorological model), and a strong community spirit of cooperation in managing water resources and environmental values. This sets a basis for more sophisticated water management, including: sub-catchment water management, and flow predictions that potentially include daily extractions and releases.