Irrigation Season 2025/26 Report

The ongoing dry conditions, low relative soil moisture levels and above average temperatures resulted in near record water delivery to the end of May for Tasmanian Irrigation.

Our Operations team delivered 96,823 megalitres to the end of May 2026, compared to 90,148 ML in the same period last year and 97,730 ML in the previous record-breaking year.

All-time monthly water delivery records were broken for the months of January and May in 2026. In January, Tasmanian Irrigation supplied 24,349 ML to farmers – 32 per cent more water than January 2025 and double the amount delivered in January 2024.

And in May, we delivered 5,639 ML, compared to 4,272 ML in May 2025 and 3,055 ML in May 2024.

Several schemes achieved water delivery records, including South East Stage One, Don, Midlands, Swan and Whitemore.

Tasmanian Irrigation worked closely with farmers to extend the irrigation season on almost half of our 19 operational schemes, enabling farmers to access water to finish crops and maintain pasture productivity.

While demand for water was high, we have more capacity in all our schemes. The scheme utilisation graph below shows the amount of water delivered for each scheme, the amount of available water not utilised and the water still available to purchase on four schemes (from 1 July 2025 to 31 May 2026).

The chart shows that we need to collaborate more with irrigators to ensure that all available water on schemes is used.

Summer rainfall totals in Tasmania were very much below average across parts of the north, and average to below average for the rest of Tasmania (except the Furneaux Group that recorded average to above average rainfall).

It was the driest summer in Tasmania since 2022/23, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

With long-term forecasts indicating higher than average temperatures, and drier conditions likely, it is expected that demand for high-surety irrigation water around the State will continue to grow.

We are continuing to monitor dam levels across the State to ensure we are in the best possible position for the 2026/27 irrigation season.

At the end of June, seven of our dams were above 85 per cent of capacity. Four dams were at or below 50 per cent of capacity. We are continuing to take advantage of rainfall events to harvest water from rivers into storages across multiple schemes.

Tasmanian Irrigation updates dam levels on its website every day. You can access the data here: Dam Dashboard - Tasmanian Irrigation.