Freshwater

We provide public information on river, lake, and groundwater conditions across New Zealand including freshwater quantity and quality.

Rachel Crawford and Paul Franklin inspecting a fish passage on the Waikato River.

Freshwater and Estuaries Update

A seasonal review and outlook for New Zealand's water resources, and an update on NIWA's freshwater research

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    Water take and geothermal

    How do geothermal energy generation activities potentially influence water flows?

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    Water temperature and geothermal

    What are the impacts of geothermal energy generation activities on water temperatures?
    Freshwater quality

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    Chemical contamination and geothermal

    What are the potential sources of chemical contamination from geothermal energy generation activities?

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    Water take and thermal

    How may thermal energy generation activities influence water resources?

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    Water temperature and thermal

    Generating electricity creates a lot of wasted energy in the form of heat, which then needs to be cooled before it can be discharged into the environment.
    Freshwater quality

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    Riparian vegetation and hydro

    What are the potential influences of hydro-dam activities on riparian vegetation?

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    Sediments and hydro

    How may hydro-dams influence sediments in waterways?
    Freshwater quality

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    Altered water flow and hydro

    How do hydro-dams potentially influence water flows?

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    Examples and expertise

    NIWA has wide-ranging expertise in toxicology testing.

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    Standard tests

    NIWA offers both water and sediment tests, using a range of organisms.

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    Mitigation

    Some options to minimise the effects of dams on water quality and mahinga kai.

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    Impacts of geothermal

    How does geothermal energy generation impact water quality and mahinga kai?