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Riverflows, April May June 2014
Citizen science benefits environmental monitoring
Increasing interest in citizen science is benefiting environmental monitoring. Citizen data supplements professional data, meaning more data collection overall.
NIWA advances wastewater treatment processes
NIWA and Waipa District Council are working together to demonstrate the use of enhanced pond systems (EPS) to achieve cost-effective, efficient wastewater treatment.
Didymo in New Zealand: ten years on
It’s now almost ten years since blooms of the stalked diatom Didymosphenia geminata – commonly known as didymo, or “rock snot” – were first discovered in the Waiau River, Southland.
Water Quality maps and information, April to June 2013
Riverflows - April to June 2013
Causes and effects of water quality degradation – a year in review
New Zealand's freshwater and estuarine resources are a key national asset providing significant economic, social and environmental benefits.
Ensuring ecosystem health/aquatic rehabilitation – a year in review
Many of New Zealand's rivers, lakes and estuaries are in a degraded state, restricting their ecosystems and the services they provide for society - abundant fish, desirable places for recreation, safe drinking water for humans and livestock.
River flows - January to March 2013
Water Quality maps and information, January to March 2013
New LakeSPI website: Keeping tabs on lake health
Many New Zealand lakes are under threat due to changes in land-use and invasions of alien aquatic plants. NIWA's LakeSPI (Lake Submerged Plant Indicators) is a bio-assessment tool for monitoring and reporting on the ecological condition of lakes. The LakeSPI website has been updated with improved functionality.
River flows - October to December 2012
River flows - October to December 2012
The three month map (on the right) shows that most of the North Island rivers are below or far below normal, together with the northern South Island.
The South Island West Coast rivers were normal to below normal, and Southland and East Coast rivers were normal to above normal.
Water Quality maps and information, October to December 2012
Conserving threatened aquatic and wetland plants
NIWA has recently been represented on the New Zealand Indigenous Threatened Vascular Plant Panel Meeting.