Hawke’s Bay Regional Council says that the current damp weather is holding river flows but not boosting them substantially. A thunderstorm last night [Thursday] brought about 40 -50 mm of rain to the ranges and hill country around SH50 which increased river flows. As a result, an irrigation ban placed on the Maraekakaho River before Christmas was lifted this morning. Other irrigation bans were lifted from the Te Waikaha Stream and from the Tukituki River for consents linked to the 5000 l/s flow limit at the Taiparu Road monitoring site. “River flows in the main rivers are generally 100-200mm above last week’s flows and unusually for summer, there are no irrigation bans in place at present on these rivers. While the rain may have reduced drought concerns, farmers and irrigators will still be dealing with really dry conditions and are having to manage their water use carefully,” said Darryl Lew, Group Manager Resource Management. “The main rivers will remain on Warning status as it is expected that flows will drop away again quickly without further rain, and irrigation bans are likely to continue on and off until the end of summer.” The Regional Council is keeping a close watch on the Mangateretere Stream as this is the source for the urban water supply for Havelock North and parts of Hastings. If there is a ban, Hastings District Council will consider water conservation enforcement measures. Soil moisture levels are generally better this summer than the past three summers that the Council has been collating this data but the soil is still dry. The only irrigation bans still remaining are in force on the Karewarewa Stream and on the Papanui Stream. These waterways respond very slowly to rain. The Regional Council also warns people using the rivers for recreation to take particular care. Streams and rivers can rise quickly after heavy rain, so people going down to the rivers need to be alert to changes in flows. Swimming should be avoided for three days after heavy rain as water quality could cause health problems. |