Hawke's Bay Regional Council placed a ban on irrigation from midnight on Friday for water takes consents on part of the Tukituki River linked to the Tapairu Road monitoring site.
Weekend rain made no significant difference to the river levels.
This is the first ban on irrigation takes from the Tukituki River. A warning was also placed on irrigation linked to the Red Bridge site on Friday, while the third monitoring site on the river, at Patangata was put under warning on 27 February.
The last time the Tukituki had an irrigation ban was in the drought of 1998 when the ban lasted for 7 days from the end of April.
Also put under a ban from Friday midnight was the Porangahau Stream, and the Louisa Stream was added to the number of sites under a warning.
The prolonged dry weather has resulted in the Ngaruroro River being on a ban since 22 February. The river last went under a ban in 2005 for 11 days in early March, and before that water takes linked to a higher flow level were banned in 1998 and 2000.
In total under an irrigation ban currently are - the Ngaruroro, Tukipo and Waipawa Rivers and takes linked to the Tapairu Road monitoring site on the Tukituki River, plus the Irongate, Karamu, Karewarewa, Papanui, Porangahau and Poukawa streams.
Seven low flow warnings are in place - the Tukituki River (at both Patangata and Red Bridge monitoring sites) and the Louisa, Makaretu, Maraekakaho, Raupare, and Te Waikaha Streams.
Click here for more Lowflow information. |