The implementation of the Lachlan Environmental Water Management Plan (LEWMP) is partially linked to the Annual Watering Plan process undertaken within the Lachlan Riverine Working Group (LRWG) forum. This process is guided to some extent by the LRWG’s internal goverance procedural guideline, ‘Lachlan Environmental Water Management Implementation Plan: Procedures for Environmental Flow Management within the Lachlan Catchment’.
The Implementation Plan covers the different phases in the delivery of environmental water, including planning, investigation, alert, operational response and reporting. These phases are useful in prompting action by others involved in environmental water delivery including the LRWG.
In terms of planning, preparation for any event occurs at both the valley and individual river reach or wetland scales, and operates over different time scales. Valley‐scale planning, firstly in the form of the LEWMP i) provides an overview of aquatic dependent ecosystems in each valley; ii) outlines their ecological assets and other values; iii) identifies delivery points for water; and iv) establishes priorities for watering over the longer term under different water availability scenarios. Secondly, Water Sharing Plans associated with the Lachlan set rules for sharing of water within a water source between various users, including the environment. Water use plans specify how water held in accounts, established under adaptive environmental water licence, can be used. Annual Watering Plans propose likely opportunities for watering in the year ahead using asset condition, immediate watering history, the availability of both planned and adaptive environmental water at beginning of water year and climatic forecasts.
The flow diagram below illustrates the context for, and relationships between various plans influencing environmental water use adapted from the LRWG Implementation Plan.
