NORTHERN Victorian irrigators are set to gain their first opening season allocation since 2007.
Those on the Goulburn are expected to gain at least 15-20 per cent of their high reliability entitlement on August 16.
The rosier outlook is driven by good summer and autumn rain, with the prospect of further improvements as La Nina develops across the Pacific Ocean in spring.
Lake Eildon and Waranga Basin now hold more than 1320 gigalitres, well above the 788 gigalitres needed to cover dead storage, human needs and losses.
At this time last year, the Goulburn's main storages held less than 650 gigalitres.
Goulburn Murray Water's carryover accounts show irrigators hold less than 335 gigalitres of carryover water in storage, which leaves about 202 gigalitres available for this season's allocation, equal to about 17 per cent of irrigator's high reliability entitlement.
However, the rise in Goulburn irrigators' allocations will slow once they reach 30 per cent this season, under the Victorian Government's new drought reserve policy.
Under the policy, half the storage inflows will be diverted into a drought reserve for next season once irrigators' allocations reach 30 per cent. The reserve will then be used to guarantee delivery of carryover, stock and domestic supplies in 2011-12.
The outlook on the Victorian Murray system is not clear.
NSW and Victorian irrigators share Hume and Dartmouth dams, which currently hold about 2360 gigalitres compared to 1342 gigalitres this time last season.
South Australia owns water in these storages, as do NSW and Victorian irrigators.
But allocations on the Victorian Murray should still be reasonable given Victoria and NSW will be able to meet much of the monthly flow obligations to South Australia using the 1550 gigalitres stored in the Menindee Lakes, plus another 379 gigalitres in Lake Victoria.
Victorian water managers are diverting water into Lake Victoria from the state's share of Murray flows, including the recent flood surge down the Ovens River.
