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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    Forecasting irrigation potential: a case study in the Waimakariri River catchment

    Research Project
    Farmers rely on irrigation, but water is a limited resource and little is know about how to manage it best. NIWA has developed a hydrology and soil science model to show how much to water, and when, to get the best results.

  • Link to source page

    Habitat requirements of New Zealand freshwater fish

    Research Project
    New Zealand's rivers and streams, and the diverse fish that live in them, are worth protecting. But the question of which species prefer to live where was unanswered until NIWA completed this major survey.

  • Link to source page

    Restoring Kōaro in the Rotorua lakes

    Research Project
    The kōaro was once abundant in the Te Arawa lakes near Rotorua in New Zealand’s North Island. NIWA has assessed the viability of restoring this species in the region.
    Fisheries
    Freshwater fish
    Freshwater restoration

  • Link to source page

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    Shallow lakes restoration workshop

    Shallow lakes are highly valued but often degraded in New Zealand.

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    Quality Assurance for Community-Based Monitoring

    A national quality assurance (QA) framework for community-based monitoring (CBM) of Aotearoa New Zealand’s freshwaters.
    Rivers

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    Order Form

    Details for how to order our Stream Health Monitoring and Assessment Kit.

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    Predictive model

    A predictive model Knowledge Network Model for koura in the Te Arawa lakes developed using the Bayesian Belief Networks approach.

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    Conceptual models

    We've developed conceptual models for each of our study species. These models describe our current understanding of the factors influencing their distribution and abundance in the Te Arawa lakes, as well as the relationships between the various factors.

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    Sustainable management framework for Te Arawa Lakes customary fisheries

    Research Project
    NIWA and the Te Arawa Lakes Trust have developed a sustainable management framework for customary fisheries in Te Arawa lakes, as part of a joint 3 year research programme.

  • Link to source page

    Freshwater

    Freshwater Update

    Publication series
    A regular newsletter with updates on New Zealand's water resources and NIWA's latest freshwater research.
    Freshwater quality
    Lakes
    Rivers

  • Link to source page

    Estuary monitoring by communities

    These guidelines outline a recommended minimum set of methods for a community group interested in following habitat changes in an estuary.
    Estuaries
    Ecological monitoring

  • Link to source page

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    SWAT Workshop 2

    Ahrens-PAH bioavailability in estuarine sediments 
    Ahrens-UV-enhanced PAH toxicity 
    Bluett-Atmospheric transport of vehicle contaminants 
    Clearwater-Metal uptake through aquatic foodwebs 
    Depree-PAH binding to stream dissolved organic matter 
    Depree-PAH distribution in estuarine sediments 
    Elliott-Urban stream hydrology 
    Golding-Caged invertebrate responses to stream water quality 
    Golding-Invertebrate uptake of fine particulate metals 
    Hickey-Bioaccumulation and chronic toxicity 
    Hickey-Habitat and stress responses 
    Mathieson-Zinc con