Waiology • Nov 27, 2013 •
By Carl Hanson Nitrate concentrations in Canterbury groundwater have been prominent in the media recently. Headlines have included phrases like “ticking time bomb”, “scaremongering” and “freaking out much of Canterbury”. What I want to do in this article is to present the state of nitrate concentrations in Canterbury groundwater, and the trends we see in those … Read More
Waiology • Nov 25, 2013 •
By John Quinn Periphyton is the name given to the community of algae that grows on river and lake beds, and it has a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde reputation. As thin films and short/sparse filaments – the good Dr Jekyll – it is an important fuel at the base of healthy aquatic food webs, turning nutrients and sunlight … Read More
Waiology • Nov 22, 2013 •
By Ned Norton and Helen Rouse In the previous Waiology series on Water governance, we referred to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPSFM) (2011) requirement to set limits for water quantity and quality. So, how are councils getting on with limit-setting? In May 2012 we surveyed planners for regional councils to find out how their … Read More
Waiology • Nov 20, 2013 •
By Paul Reynolds Recently the government released proposals for a national framework for setting freshwater objectives, including bottom lines for ecosystem and human health (for secondary contact). It has had an unusual reaction. For the first time in my memory, we have had stakeholders from all quarters pretty much in strenuous non-disagreement with one another – in support of … Read More
Waiology • Nov 18, 2013 •
By Magali Moreau, Chris Daughney and Zara Rawlinson To date, more than 200 aquifers have been mapped across the country. These aquifers vary widely in their volumes, depths, host-rock lithologies, related geological structures, water circulation pathways and water age. Our knowledge of the individual characteristics of these aquifers grows as we gather more data through our active monitoring networks. Read More
Waiology • Nov 13, 2013 •
By Bill Vant and Jon Palmer More than 10 years ago, the Waikato Regional Council became concerned about the effects of increasing catchment loads of nitrogen on the water quality of Lake Taupo. Calculations showed that most (>90%) of the manageable nitrogen entering the lake came from areas of pasture in the catchment. A variation to the Waikato Regional … Read More
Waiology • Nov 11, 2013 •
By Malcolm Green There is a widespread view that cumulative effects – those effects that build up over time or that occur in combination with other effects – are the Achilles heel of the Resource Management Act. Back in 2010, the Land and Water Forum, echoing previous legal commentary, argued that limits are the solution: “without limits it is … Read More
Waiology • Nov 08, 2013 •
By Daniel Collins The Government recently released a new round of freshwater reform proposals. A significant part of them included additions to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management with regards to water quality. The NPSFM currently directs Councils to undergo a process of setting limits for water quality degradation, but neither the process nor consistent numerical targets … Read More
Waiology • Nov 06, 2013 •
By Judi Hewitt Estuaries are the transition between fresh water and the open coast, sheltered water that is neither fully saline nor fresh. The New Zealand coastline contains 441 estuaries, whose environmental characteristics are recorded in the Estuarine Classification database. Estuaries support a wide range of human activities and values and are an integral part of the cultural identity … Read More
Waiology • Oct 31, 2013 •
By Neil Deans New Zealand is blessed with an abundance and multitude of freshwaters which provide the habitat for an equally diverse array of species, including both native and introduced fish and wildlife. Some of these have intrinsic value; others are also valued because they provide food or recreational pursuit, or are indicators of a healthy environment. (Credit: … Read More