No.21 2007

Investigating blue-green algae in Lake Taupo
Acacia Bay is a key area of Lake Taupo for recreation and drinking water. NIWA is investigating what controls the occurrence of blue-green algae there, in a step towards the development of a tool for water managers to predict blue-green algal blooms.
Based on overseas research, we expect the key contributing factors to include:
Presence of over-wintering seed populations of blue-green algae in the sediments.

Grass filter strip trials promising
 
 
Mac Pacey (farmer, left) and Colin Stace (EBoP Senior Land Management Officer) inspect filter strip tipping buckets. (Photo: Amy Taylor, EBoP)
Installing grass filter strips in the landscape could be a valuable practice as part of efforts to reduce sediment and nutrient runoff into the Rotorua Lakes.
Grass filter strips are most often located in riparian areas.

Water resources outlook (March - May)
The following soil moisture levels & river flows are likely:
Northern North Island: normal or above normal
Elsewhere: normal
Workshop coming up
Water Resources: Information Challenges in a Changing Environment
Sponsored by the National Centres for Water Resources and Climate 6–7 June 2007, Te Papa, Wellington
This two-day workshop will draw together water resource management stakeholders to identify the key issues that constrain sustainable water resource use.
For more information, contact Mike Scarsbrook.

New website for exploring water resources information
 
Examlpe of River Flow sites.
EDENz provides public access to plots of near real-time data from NIWA’s extensive automated monitoring network.
The data are automatically transferred from our nationwide network of water resources stations, installed as part of the Nationally Significant Database programme funded by the Foundation for Research, Science & Technology. They include rainfall and river flow variables.
EDENz is a way of viewing publicly-funded data by simply clicking on a map.

Water resources review ( November - February)
River flows
 
November – February river flows
Summer river flows were relatively high in western Taranaki, some parts of the central North Island, and the Canterbury foothills. Unusually low summer river flows occurred in Auckland, eastern Taranaki, and central Hawke’s Bay. Record low summer flows occurred in two western South Island catchments.
[Water resources information provided by NIWA field teams, regional and district councils, and hydropower companies.]