Harvesting runoff

Landholders in most rural areas are allowed to collect a proportion of the rainfall runoff on their property and store it in one or more dams up to a certain size. This is known as a 'harvestable right'. Harvestable right water is generally intended for essential stock and household use but can be used for any purpose.

All rural landholders in NSW are able to maintain or build farm dams. There are several categories of farm dams that do not require a licence:

• Harvestable rights dams
• Farm dams built before 1999 used only for stock and domestic purposes.
• Farm dams up to one megalitre on small properties.

Farm dams – do you need a licence? (PDF 61 KB)

Harvestable rights dams

Rural landholders in NSW can build farm dams on hillsides and minor streams that capture up to 10 per cent of the average regional rainfall runoff for their property without requiring a licence.

Maximum harvestable right dam capacity is the total dam capacity allowed under the harvestable right for your property. It is based on 10 per cent of the average regional rainfall runoff and takes into account local evaporation rates and rainfall periods.

For more information on harvestable right dams refer to:

Farm dams – where can they be built without a licence? (PDF 537 KB)
Farm dams – what size dam can you build without a licence? (PDF 53 KB)

Farm dam calculator

To calculate your maximum harvestable right dam capacity go to the calculator.

Farm dams built before 1999 used only for stock and domestic purposes

Farm dams built before 1999, when the harvestable right was introduced, do not require a licence provided they are only used for stock and domestic purposes. However, these dams are included when assessing your right to build additional harvestable right dams.

Farm dams up to one megalitre on small properties

Licences are not required for farm dams with a volume of up to one megalitre on small properties where the Maximum Harvestable Right Dam Capacity is less than one megalitre and the property was approved for subdivision before 1 January 1999.

No further harvestable right dams may be constructed. Any new dams above this allowance must be licensed. For more information see About licences.

Farm dams factsheets

Farm dams – do you need a licence? (PDF 61 KB)
Farm dams – where can they be built without a licence? (PDF 537 KB)
Farm dams – what size dam can you build without a licence? (PDF 53 KB)
Farm dams – have you considered everything? (PDF 50 KB)
Farm dams – what size are your existing dams? (PDF 224 KB)
Farm dams in the Western Division of NSW (PDF 112 KB)