Freshwater

NIWA is developing a national river flow forecasting tool for New Zealand that aims to support and strengthen our planning for and response to extreme rainfall events.

This project aims to increase our knowledge of aquatic ecosystems and their restoration, and apply this to degraded streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries.

Developing a snowmelt forecast system to enable more accurate and confident forecasts of river flow and alpine hazards.

Transforming coastal lowland systems threatened by sea-level rise into prosperous communities

A NIWA-led project to support anyone wishing to deploy a water quality sensor in rivers, lakes and estuaries.

Many New Zealand cities and towns have switched over to modern LED street lighting. The move will save on operational costs, but little is known what impact artificial streetlights have on flying freshwater insects which are integral to our waterway ecosystems. NIWA investigated the likely impact as part of a four-year MBIE-funded Smart Idea project.

Nutrients, sediment, and microbial contaminants are mobilized from urban and agricultural landscapes and enter streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries. These contaminants can degrade water quality, ecological health, and cultural values.

A four-year research programme focused on the co-management and restoration of our freshwater taonga species.

NIWA is developing a national river flow forecasting tool for New Zealand that aims to support and strengthen our planning for and response to extreme rainfall events.

The project aim was to harness the filter-feeding capacity of native freshwater mussels on rafts to assist in lake restoration.

The Inner Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana ecosystem is facing proliferations of algae, de-oxygenation, reduced pH (acidification), reduced water clarity, and muddier sediments arising from historical and future land-derived contaminant inputs.

The eFlows Explorer webtool is designed to aid broad-scale river flow management planning across New Zealand