The Waranga Western Channel has received targeted maintenance this irrigation season, with Goulburn-Murray Water completing channel desilting works along a 1.3-kilometre stretch near Tennyson.
A combination of LiDAR and GPS mapping helped crews locate silt build-up quickly and undertake works without interrupting customer supply.
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How digital tools supported channel performance
The use of LiDAR and GPS data proved essential in identifying a choke point that had been limiting flow efficiency.
GMW Manager Civil and Environmental Services John Walker said the technology enabled the team to act promptly and with precision. He said it allowed crews to see where silt had accumulated and focus resources accordingly.
Walker said this accuracy reduced the impact of the choke point and restored water movement downstream.
Completing channel desilting during the irrigation season is significant. Many maintenance activities are traditionally carried out during off-season periods to avoid affecting delivery. In this case, digital mapping supported a rapid response while ensuring customers experienced no disruption.
What the works mean for water delivery
The section desilted this year is part of a much larger network that underpins irrigation across northern Victoria. Improving channel throughput helps maintain delivery standards, especially as demand shifts through the season.
Walker said the increased flow capacity would support more reliable service for customers and help GMW stay ahead of emerging maintenance challenges.
These recent works complement more extensive efforts undertaken during GMW’s 2025 Winter Works period, where more than 70 kilometres of channels were desilted across the region.
Winter remains the primary maintenance window, but the success of this season’s targeted activity shows how technology can extend what is achievable during periods of active water delivery.
How channel desilting works is evolving
The experience at Tennyson is part of a broader shift toward digitally enabled maintenance. LiDAR provides detailed elevation information, while GPS integrates real-time spatial positioning to confirm problem areas. Together, they help operators plan work with greater certainty and complete it in a shorter timeframe.
Walker said crews would continue using the combined technologies for future channel desilting works. He said their confidence in identifying and remedying silt build-up had improved significantly and that digital tools were now fundamental to planning both irrigation-season interventions and Winter Works activities.
Supporting long-term asset performance
As climate variability and water demand patterns evolve, maintaining conveyance efficiency is becoming increasingly important. Programs that use precise data help extend asset life and keep channels performing at their intended capacity. The Tennyson works highlight how modern tools can strengthen regional water delivery without compromising supply.
Ongoing investment in channel desilting works will remain a core part of GMW’s operations as the utility continues to refine the balance between maintenance timing, customer service and system performance.