Environmental flows study and water sharing options for the Devilbend Creek and Devilbend and Bittern Reservoirs

Devilbend Creek and the lower Balcombe Creek are part of a number of creeks that flow into Port Phillip Bay. Bittern and Devilbend Reservoirs are located 55 km south-east of Melbourne and were commissioned during the 1920’s and in 1965, respectively. The reservoirs provided storage for drinking water and were supplied by pipeline from Melbourne’s metropolitan reservoirs.

Parks Victoria propose to provide flows into Devilbend and Bittern Reservoirs from the catch drain to maintain water levels. This proposal forms part of Parks Victoria’s aim to ‘manage the hydrology of the site to maintain sustainable water levels in the reservoirs to enhance ecological, amenity and landscape values’. Diversion of water from the catch drain will affect environmental flows, and irrigator security of supply in Devilbend Creek and lower Balcombe Creek downstream of the reservoirs. No passing flows are currently released from the reservoirs to Devilbend Creek.

Alluvium was engaged by Melbourne Water and Parks Victoria to undertake this project as part of continuing investigations into the impact of proposed redirection of catch drains into the Devilbend and Bittern reservoirs. The aim of this project is to determine environmental flow and water sharing requirements in the Devilbend Creek system in order to minimise the environmental impact.