Australia Weather News

A rice crop. - ABC

Irrigators using water to grow food and fibre in southern New South Wales look set to start the 2016-17 water year with no or very small water allocations due to ongoing dry conditions.

The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Water on Monday released its outlook for the next irrigation season.

It said in the New South Wales Murray, its predictions were based on 'extremely dry' inflows for the remainder of the year.

If those conditions continued there would be no allocations for general security irrigators in September and November.

In 'very dry' conditions, which is the likely scenario at this stage, there would be no allocation in September and a three per cent allocation in November.

In the Murrumbidgee, there would also be no allocation increase in July, September or November under 'extremely dry' conditions.

In the most likely 'dry' conditions, there would be a nine per cent allocation in July, 24 per cent in September and 39 per cent in November.

Meanwhile, DPI Water has also announced a four per cent increase in general security water allocations for irrigators in the Murray Valley.

It brings allocations for the 2015-16 water year up to 23 per cent of entitlement.

There is a one per cent increase in the Murrumbidgee Valley, and irrigators there are now on 36 per cent of entitlement.

Dartmouth Dam is 45 per cent full, Hume is at 36 per cent of capacity, Blowering Dam is 29 per cent full and Burrinjuck is at 52 per cent of capacity.

ABC