Freshwater

An international team of scientists has analysed 7000 years’ worth of lake-bottom mud from central Hawke’s Bay to work out how often the region might expect earthquakes.

Te Waihora is a special lake in need of some intensive care. Together, scientists, iwi, locals and environmentalists are pooling their knowledge and resources to make it better.

Kneeling in the mud under the cover of trees, covered in anoraks, sandflies and dedication, three scientists are looking out for the little guy.

New Zealand’s climate is changing – and so are our freshwaters. NIWA is leading the way in understanding and helping New Zealanders best prepare for these changes.

NIWA and Auckland Council freshwater scientists using fish pheromone samplers have made a rare discovery in two Auckland streams.

CHES (Cumulative Hydrological Effects Simulator) software tool predicts how water flows in a catchment will change with multiple water uses (e.g. direct abstractions or storage reservoirs) and what the consequences will be to in-stream ecosystems and reliability of water-take.

A NIWA study has shown that environmental factors influence the level of mercury in fish and other organisms in lakes in New Zealand's North Island geothermal area

NIWA’s Catchment Contaminants Loads Model (C-CALM) is a spatial decision support system for planning applications. It estimates annual contaminant loads at the neighbourhood to stormwater management unit (sub-catchment) scale, from diffuse sources, for Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and particulate and dissolved zinc and copper. The estimated load is then adjusted for water treatment.

Your favourite lake may look picturesque, calm and inviting but beware what lurks beneath – aliens are on the attack.