NCCMA Internet - Water Resources

Surface Water

Rivers include the Avon-Richardson, Avoca, Campaspe and Loddon. The Campaspe and Loddon flow into the River Murray, while the Avon-Richardson terminates at Lake Buloke and the Avoca discharges into the Avoca Marshes and Lake Boga near Swan Hill.

Lakes include Lake Buloke and Lake Batyo Catyo, near Donald in the region's far west, Lake Boort, Lake Meran, Kangaroo Lake, Lake Charm, Lake Lalbert and Lake Boga - all in the north. Reservoirs in the region include Lake Eppalock between Bendigo and Heathcote, the Upper Coliban, Lauriston, Malmsbury, Hepburn Lagoon, Newlyn, Cairn Curran, Tullaroop and Laanecoorie, all of which are situated in the upper catchment area.

Ground Water

Groundwater occurs within shallow shoestring sands (Shepparton Formation) of the Riverine plain to the north. In the north west Mallee area the shallow aquifer is the saline Parilla Sands aquifer. The quality of groundwater improves further south. Deep leads in the Loddon and Campaspe basins (Calivil/Renmark aquifer) provide medium to good quality water. Within upper catchment areas, water resource aquifers may occur in the new Volcanics, Quarternary alluvial deposits and the aquifers of the Palaeozoic basement rocks. Groundwater of suitable quality is used extensively for stock, irrigation and for town water supplies.

Groundwaters in some Palaeozoic basement rocks in upper catchment areas are the basis of the region's valuable mineral springs industry. This area has approximately 80% of Australia's mineral springs, including some south of the divide. Mineral springs and other local features draw over 100,000 people to the Daylesford area each year, a figure that has been growing by 10% per year.

The groundwater resource is large - however much is too saline for economic extraction.