Welcome to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council's website pages on water.
In this section you will find information about water quality, pollution, river and stream levels, rainfall and recreation in the region. You will also find information on the Council's flood protection, river & stream projects, riparian planting, groundwater level areas, groundwater quality and public access to our riversides.
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On this page
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Rowdeana Stewart from Napier finds the Tutaekuri River is the coolest place to be during her summer holiday. |
Water is the lifeblood of Hawke’s Bay. Our generally dry, sunny climate is interspersed with periods of drought and high rainfall, which means that managing water becomes a critical issue for the region.
Groundwater is the hidden source of Hawke’s Bay’s prosperity. Without the huge aquifer resource underlying the Heretaunga Plains and Ruataniwha Plains (and some smaller localised sources), Hawke’s Bay would not have achieved the productivity it enjoys. This underground aquifer is the main source of water for irrigation, industrial processing, and domestic supplies in the region.
Without it our dry, sunny climate would otherwise require considerable efforts in water harvesting and storage; and in some areas of the region this is still a requirement for periods of low rainfall. The ground water comes from rivers flowing from the mountains; water filters down through gravel layers, like a huge, slow-moving underground river. Because the water travels through gravel impurities are filtered out making Hawke’s Bay groundwater the purest supply of water in New Zealand.
Rivers, streams and lakes
River water is used as a water supply in many rural areas. Rivers also provide recreation (fishing, water sports). Water quality is not always the best, particularly in a hot dry summer when flow levels drop, but flooding of rivers is also a problem on the plains. Low flow limits are set for all water sources which are used for irrigation water takes. Water quality also reduces after periods of heavy rainfall, with particular impacts on swimmers and other water sport using our rivers and coastline.
Wetlands
Wetlands have had greater attention in recent years, with a list of priority wetlands defined by the Regional Council and the Department of Conservation. Work has included improving water flow and quality, creating improved habitats for bird life, reducing pollution and restricting stock and human access.
Water resources are monitored and reported in the State of the Environment Report.
The Hawke’s Bay region covers approx 1.42 million hectares of land. Erosion is a significant concern for rural landowners, especially with the ongoing legacy of a history of bush clearance and intensive pastoral farming, which has made for a landscape with a low amount of tree or bush cover, and therefore reduced protection from wind and rain.
Problems include:
- Riparian management of river and stream areas
- Pollution and protection of the high quality aquifers
- Flooding
- Drainage
- Loss of habitat for fish, birds and aquatic vegetation
- Rubbish dumping in and alongside rivers and waterways
- Take care to prevent polluting discharges to water, particularly over unconfined aquifer areas
- Riparian planting and fencing out of stock to improve water quality
- Protection of wetlands
- Reducing wastage of water as a habit, not just during drought periods. This includes careful management of irrigation, more efficient garden watering, and more careful use of water in homes and industry.
- Stop dumping rubbish in and around rivers, streams and other waterways.
Please contact us should you require any further information.