July 2021 saw more than four times as much rain as July 2020 in Wimmera

GWMWater water resources manager Kym Wilson said July saw slightly above average rainfall and more than the 2020 rainfall.

"In terms of rainfall that we've recorded in our reservoirs, it's been average to slightly above average for July," he said.

"Following on from rain that fell in from June, it's been really good in terms of inflows we've been seeing over the past month, but the inflows for July were still only about 70 per cent of the average for the month.

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"That said, we've seen three back to back weeks of consistent quite good increases of our reservoirs which is really promising for this time of year."

Mr Wilson said GWMWater recorded more rainfall this July than July 2020.

"2019 we saw similar rainfall in our reservoirs and similar inflows," he said.

The last year GWMWater saw above-average inflows in reservoirs was 2016.

"If we look at our total storages, the rainfall we've had in July increased our storages by about four and a half per cent," Mr Wilson said.

He said it would take months of rain to fill big storages.

"We may not see that perhaps this year," Mr Wilson said.

"But every wet month that we do have good rainfall, particularly in successive months, we see a really good, strong increase in the reservoir volumes, which provides security for towns and farms, not just for this year but for subsequent years into the future."

Mr Wilson said he hoped to see more consistent rainy weeks.

"Two dry weeks without any rain, the catchments start to dry off a little but and we don't get the same amount of run off each time it does rain," he explained.

In 2020, The Bureau of Meteorology recorded 14.4mm of rain for July for Horsham; this year saw 60.4mm of rainfall recorded.

Warracknabeal saw 46mm of rain in July 2021; last year, only 14mm was recorded.

In Nhill, 46.8mm of rain was recorded in July 2021, up from 14mm in 2020.

Longerenong weather recorder saw 56.3mm of rain in July, well above the long term average of 42.9mm and the highest since 2016 (66.2mm).

June and July have produced a combined rainfall total of 114.2mm - the wettest since 2013 (128mm).

2021 is still below the long term rainfall average as of July, despite the productive winter falls.

Wimmera CMA chief officer Dave Brennan was thrilled with the amount of rain the Wimmera region saw over July.

"It's been a great July considering we had a dry lead up into the cropping season," he said.

"It's really turned around which has been fantastic."

Mr Brennan said the catchments are filling up, and some of the creeks are beginning to flow.

"We've just had almost continuous rain, we've had rain every second third day which has been quite unusual," he said.

In previous years, Mr Brennan explained, it had just rained for one week and then been dry another, and there is enough heat, wind, and evaporation to dry out the soil and never see the creeks run.

Having this rain means the soil profile is getting "full," he said.

"It's great for our trees, native grasses and all of the plants and animals in the Wimmera,

"It will underpin animals food sources and create new habitats. It will be beneficial to all wetlands, rivers, streams and creeks."

The Wimmera holds around 25 per cent of Victoria's wetlands, which is about 2000 wetlands.

"It's pretty significant we're getting this rain in winter," Mr Brennan said.

"We're setting up a system to get some good yield in our storages."

Mr Brennan said if the rain continues, the Wimmera and wetlands will see a "boom" of wildlife.

"We're hopeful these damp conditions hold on for the next 10 to 12 weeks," he said.

"It'll be good news for everybody in the Wimmera.

"We came off such a dry start to the year."

On Tuesday, July 3, WimmeraCMA reported the natural flow in the Wimmera River has travelled almost 300km from near Elmhurst and arrived in Jeparit in the early hours.

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