Maps of river flows, lake levels, water temperature, and water clarity for winter 2009.
River flows over the winter were below normal in the south and west of the North Island, and also in most of Southland. Above normal flows occurred in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and the southwest of the South Island. Flows elsewhere were near normal.
Lake levels over the winter were above normal in the South Island, and near or below normal in the central North Island.
River water temperatures were near normal over most of the country, although slightly higher than normal in the centre and west of the North Island. There was a clear north-south gradient in river water temperatures.
Water clarity - rivers were, as is typical, generally clearer in the South Island than the North Island. Visual clarity was high in some southern South Island rivers (consistent with low river flows there), and unusually low in some North Island rivers. (Water clarity is measured by black disc visibility.)