WATER regulations and the prospect of irrigation channel rationing early next month could risk efficiency and flexibility, farmers told Goulburn Murray Water on Tuesday.
Irrigators from the Boort and Pyramid Hill districts put questions to GMW which has asked them to plan future water orders as hot and dry conditions drive demand above the 10-year average.
The forum, agreed by GMW after a request from irrigators, replaced 60 minutes of a two-hour pop-up one-on-one session in Boort, one of two in the town for the day.
Tyler Nelson raised concerns about the possibility of reduced channel flow during rationing, saying it would not be efficient for farm operations.
And veteran Lake Meran irrigator Colin Fenton, who told the forum he had been the last secretary of the former Lake Meran Irrigation League, scoffed at suggestions from GMW that farmers could re-assess their current entitlement holdings and transfer delivery shares.
“That restricts flexibility for farmers and we’d be better off leaving (the share) alone and farm where the water is,” he said.  “We look a year ahead for water orders, you guys (GMW) only look at the season.”
Mr Fenton also questioned transfer of delivery share when there was a $255 fee attached and GMW would not guarantee irrigator ability to regain their share when needed. “Delivery share changes are permanent and need an application to get back,” GMW told the forum.
Loddon Valley Water Services committee chair John Nelson said water supply was tight in the district. “We have to sort things out the best we can.”
GMW manager water system operations and water delivery services Craig Kellow said March was looming for the introduction of irrigation water rationing for the Boort district.
But GMW told Rob Moon that while rationing was possible for the Pyramid Hill district, it was less likely.
Mr Moon said a risk would be that less water was available for Pyramid Hill if orders demanded more pumping into the Boort channels.
He also said Pyramid Hill had experienced good rains before last season. “This year, not very much and the dead, dry ground will use more water and may exacerbate the situation,” he said. “If we can plan, we can be proactive.”
GMW last week said it had delivered more than 780,000 ML to irrigators. “Over the past 10 irrigation seasons, the average amount of water delivered to irrigators at this part of the season is 448,000 ML.”
Mr Kellow told the forum that in recent years, spring and autumn had become pinch points in the area for irrigation supplies.
He said that during peaks, channels were often at or near capacity. “Rationing fairly shares the available capacity within the system,” farmers were told.