June 23rd, 2026Now is a good time to start monitoring dams

Clem Sturmfels, Land Management Extension Officer
With patchy rainfall across the state and the forecast of a drier spring, now is an ideal time to start monitoring dam water levels.

Over recent years stock water has become a scarce commodity across many parts of the state, significantly impacting carrying capacity over drier months.
Taking stock of dam water levels and pasture growth over the next few months will greatly assist farmers in calculating potential carrying capacity.
With the low water levels, it’s an ideal time to set up a permanent water level marker in larger storages.
A simple pole can be made using a length of PVC pipe slipped over a long, heavy duty, galvanised steel post.
Marking the pipe with 10cm wide strips of red paint, with strips spaced 10cm apart, makes monitoring easy.
Making a reading simply involves counting the number of strips from the top of the pole to the water level.
Taking a date stamped photograph is a simple and easy way to record and store your results.
It’s important to remember the rate of water level rise will slow as the dam approaches full supply level. This is the result of larger volumes being required to fill the upper levels of a dam.
In a typical 3m deep farm dam, 60% of its volume is contained in the top one metre.
Knowing the depth and dimensions of water in a dam allows farmers to quickly calculate its volume using our Farm Water Calculator, a simple tool available on our website – Farm water calculator | Tools and calculators | Support and resources | Agriculture Victoria
Dam runoff in Victoria usually commences in late winter and ends in late spring, although thunderstorms can fill a dam at any time of the year. However, relying on runoff after this period is risky.
For more information about drought support available visit www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or call 136 186.