A purchase of five gigalitres of water by the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) is set to help the Wimmera and Glenelg Rivers.

The VEWH has purchased the allocation from Donald Mineral Sands and will use it to protect the Wimmera and Glenelg rivers as the drought continues in western Victoria.

VEWH Chairperson Denis Flett said that the extra water will make a significant difference across the region's waterways.

Photo above: the Wimmera River on the town side of the Jeparit Weir.

Even though so far this winter we have seen either above or close to average rainfall, opening allocations for all entitlements in the Wimmera-Glenelg system are 0%, with entitlement holders currently relying on water carried over from 2015-16," he said.

"Environmental water managers are firmly in drought and protection mode - the Wimmera River has also been dry below Dimboola for months."


Photo: dry - a section of the Wimmera River downstream of Antwerp earlier this year.

"Environmental water will, again, be critical in keeping fish, platypus and other animals alive, particularly in the hotter months of summer."

Environmental watering this year is expected to have flow-on benefits for communities, including by protecting recreational fish.

"It's pleasing that, in these continued dry conditions, DMS [Donald Mineral Sands] has chosen to make this water available, to support western rivers, the wildlife that live in them and the communities that depend on them," Mr Flett said.

The Wimmera-Glenelg purchase has been funded from the VEWH's previous water sales in northern Victoria and was planned to minimise adverse impacts on other entitlement holders.

Donald Mineral Sands Operations Manager Tim Chase said that the business had a quantity of carryover water surplus to their requirements.

"We believe [the water] will have a greater benefit supporting western rivers than within DMS's current water account."

"DMS has a strong commitment to collaborating with and supporting the community and its surrounding ecosystems. It is a pleasing outcome to commit to supporting the region, the sustainability of our inland aquatic systems and the communities who rely on them."

The trade was made following a public expression of interest and was finalised after eight months of negotiations and planning with DMS and GWMWater, the water storage manager.

The announcement of this water purchase coincides with the release of the VEWH's Seasonal Watering Plan 2016-17 which scopes potential environmental watering for Victoria's rivers and wetlands.