What are water allocation statements?
Water allocation statements are issued to announce allocations for a specific water source and licence category. These statements may also be issued to provide a summary of current allocations, outlook and possible future water availability scenarios for major river valleys and systems.
When an opportunity to access a supplementary flow event occurs, the department approves such events and WaterNSW issues ‘Supplementary announcements’.
During times of drought, the prevailing drought stage for each river valley is included in statements. The drought stage is determined in accordance with the critical trigger levels outlined in the incident response guides (IRGs) developed by the department. Further information on the IRGs is available at extreme events.
Water allocation statements for the current year and past six years can be accessed below.
Water allocation statements
Receive email updates on water allocations and availability across various sources.
2026
| Date | Water source |
|---|---|
| 16/02/2026 | NSW Murray and Lower Darling (PDF, 389 KB) |
| 16/02/2026 | Murrumbidgee Valley (PDF, 335 KB) |
| 11/02/2026 | Macquarie and Cudgegong Valleys (PDF, 346 KB) |
| 11/02/2026 | Bega-Brogo Valleys (PDF, 206 KB) |
| 9/02/2026 | Lachlan Valley (PDF, 266 KB) |
| 6/02/2026 | Namoi Valley (PDF, 390 KB) |
| 6/02/2026 | Gwydir Valley (PDF, 332 KB) |
| 2/02/2026 | NSW Murray and Lower Darling (PDF, 350 KB) |
| 2/02/2026 | Murrumbidgee Valley (PDF, 311 KB) |
| 15/01/2026 | NSW Murray and Lower Darling (PDF, 404 KB) |
| 15/01/2026 | Murrumbidgee Valley (PDF, 362 KB) |
| 14/01/2026 | Macquarie and Cudgegong Valleys |
| 13/01/2026 | Lachlan Valley (PDF, 308 KB) |
| 12/01/2026 | Namoi Valley (PDF, 445 KB) |
| 12/01/2026 | Gwydir Valley (PDF, 384 KB) |
This frequently asked questions page answers questions about the state-wide opening allocations on 1 July as well as how growth in use is managed in water sharing plans that exceed the plan extraction limit in the Lower Namoi water source 2023-24.
Access our historical water allocation statements from 2019 – 2025.