Current allocations
Latest announcements
15 April 2024 Projected Opening Allocation
The projected minimum opening allocation for South Australian River Murray irrigators for the 2024-25 water year is 100%.
As the projected opening allocation is greater than 50%, the carryover of unused allocations from 2023-24 will not be available in 2024-25.
As the projected minimum opening allocation is 100 percent, no more allocation announcements are scheduled in relation to the 2024-25 water year. In mid-June 2024, the volume of water available for allocation will be gazetted and allocations issued for use from 1 July 2024.
Download allocation statements
See past allocations.
Murray-Darling Basin rainfall outlook
Rainfall, inflows and temperatures are highly variable across the Murray-Darling Basin.
Check the Bureau of Meteorology’s rainfall outlook.
Information to help you plan
Use the water calculator to plan for the season ahead and find out how water is shared in South Australia.
Find out if you can carryover your unused allocation this year.
Ways to keep informed
Sign up to the River Murray Flow Report e-newsletter or view past reports on the WaterConnect website: River Murray Flow Reports
Find out current water prices on the Bureau of Meteorology Water Markets in SA dashboard.
Find out about storages, allocations and trading information for Murray-Darling Basin catchments on the Bureau of Meteorology Murray-Darling Basin water information page.
For the River Murray Prescribed Watercourse, a quarterly accounting period applies. Compliance action is taken if any water is taken in excess of the allocation available on a water account at the end of each quarter.
Want to know what happens in cases of unauthorised take and use of River Murray water? See our information on fees, charges and penalties.
How water is allocated to licence holders
People who hold a water licence are entitled to receive a volume of 'water allocation', which is the total volume of water that is permitted to be taken each water use year for a particular water licence. A water use year runs from 1 July to 30 June, the same as a financial year
Having a water licence, however, does not guarantee you to access the full volume of allocation every year. Availability of water from year to year is influenced by climate, water movement and other demands. The volume available depends on the conditions during the year e.g. in a dry year an allocation may be less than 100 per cent of the volume of a water access entitlement.
In the South Australian River Murray Prescribed Watercourse and the Southern Basins and Musgrave Prescribed Wells Area, the volume of water to be made available from a consumptive pool for allocation during a specified period is determined by the Minister for Environment and Water via water allocation announcements.
Once the details of the announcement are published in the South Australian Government Gazette, the water account of each water access entitlement holder is credited with a volume of water allocation. The volume credited is equivalent to the number of unit shares held on entitlement, multiplied by the value of each unit share, multiplied by the announced allocation percentage.
For example, consider a water access entitlement holder who holds 1,000 Class 3a (irrigation) shares, and each share is equivalent to 1 kilolitre (kL) at 100 per cent allocation. The Minister announces an opening water allocation of 80% or 0.8 kL per share. The entitlement holder’s water account would be credited with 1,000*0.8 kL = 800 kL (0.8 ML).
Generally, in other prescribed water resources, water licence holders receive 100 per cent of their entitlement each water year however in some circumstances licences, allocations and conditions may be varied by the Minister for Environment and Water.
The manner in which water is allocated in a prescribed water resource is also governed by principles set out in the relevant water allocation plan.
